It's morning in Miami again. The courts are open, the hotels are full, the beaches littered with pale northeasterners turning bright red as they sip pina coladas or chug beers.
Before we begin in earnest, check out Mr. Markus in Newsweek and on twitter arguing why the Cosby case should result in his client Ghislaine Maxwell being released on bond.
Our calendar has random historical events that have appealed to us over the years as something we want to remember. So on any given day we might receive a remainder that Ali beat Forman, or Dimaggio began his 56 game hitting streak or that Nixon resigned, Brown vs Board of Ed was decided, or that Corporal Klinger from MASH began wearing dresses ( April 22 - which is also the same day Nixon died and one day after Hitler's birthday).
July 1 is a particularly busy day in history. Dwight Eisenhower married Maime in 1916. It is the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, and if you are looking for some great weekend beach reading while ogling the tourists, Killer Angels- the historical fiction account of the battle is a wonderful book. The Battle of Cachy Woods in WWI -often called "The Great War" and now becoming "the forgotten world war"- began in France in 1916.
TR - Teddy Roosevelt- one of our favourite presidents- stormed Kettle and San Juan hills in Santiago de Cuba in 1898. For you trivia buffs, TR's horse was called "Texas" and he called the two battles "my crowded hour" as he led his Rough Riders up two hills and into two successful battles that gave TR the gravitas he was looking for to help his political career.
Added to our calendar will be "The day Judge Sayfie became Chief Judge-Miami, Florida."
We'd like to imagine a historical tinged changing of the guard ceremony where bailiffs dressed in their best march in and oversee a ceremonial handing off of the gavel, or something like that. More than likely Judge Soto tossed Sayfie the keys and chuckled something like "they're your problem now" as Judge Sayfie assumed the leadership of two hundred plus black-clad prima donnas who envision the arc of their career as something like county court, circuit court, 11th circuit, supreme court, secretary of state, vice president..."
In any event we should pause a moment and reflect on the leadership of Judge Soto, the first Hispanic and Female Judge to lead the 11th judicial circuit of Florida. She joins the pantheon of great chief judges like Weatherington and Farina. She oversaw the completion of the new juvenile court house, and tried her level best to get a new civil court house built. And of course her leadership in keeping courts running during the pandemic- with no playbook to follow- and critics like us shouting from the rooftops to close the courts- was spectacular. She was the steady hand needed at the tiller in the great storm of 2020.
Judge Sayfie is entitled to some time to get things running. So we will be quiet this weekend and lets see all the great new changes she institutes on Tuesday July 6, 2021. Until then, enjoy the honeymoon.
15 comments:
hopefully she can institute a system where privates never have to wait
Soto could not hold the gavel of the great Chiefs like Ed Cowart, Joe Farina and Gerald Weatherington....
From the Herald it looks like Judge Hanzman is wasting no time getting on the Champaign tower cases and finding out how much may be available to compensate victims. Thank God we have a Judge who can take care of this. I pray for these poor souls.
THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
Gov. DeSantis appoints two new members to the 11th Judicial Circuit's JNC:
In an effort to stem the tide of prosecutors ascending to the bench, Gov. DeSantis, who has made a total of 125 judicial appointments since becoming governor, (with 81 of those having been former ASAs, AUSAs, or AAGs, versus only 5 having been APDS or AFPDs), today appointed two new members to our local JNC. They are:
Pedro M. Allende previously served as deputy assistant secretary for Infrastructure, Risk, and Resilience Policy at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and law degree from the University of Florida. Allende is appointed for a term ending July 1, 2023.
Jesus M. Suarez is a partner at Genovese, Joblove & Battista, P.A. in Miami. His practices include the areas of business litigation, bankruptcy, and governmental law. He received his bachelor’s degree from the Loyola University Chicago and his law degree from the University of Florida. Suarez is appointed for a term ending July 1, 2024.
On a separate note, we "only" have 123 total Circuit and County Court judges in Miami-Dade County.
On that note, congratulations to Chief Judge Soto on performing at the highest of standards and under the most challenging of circumstances and leading us through to the other side of this pandemic. Best of luck to Judge Sayfie as our new Chief Judge.
CAPTAIN OUT .......
Markus's actual op-ed was in the Daily News. The Newsweek article just quoted from it.
Thankfully Judge Sayfie beat Bernstein who is a complete idiot and has never tried a jury trial. She will do a great job.
Miya Ponsetto the calif hottie who wrongly accused an African American teenager of stealing her phone in a NYC hotel was just indicted on a hate crime. Rumpy Miya is a total hottie and I've had the biggest crush on her. I'd defend her for free if I could. She is smokin hot and a crazy hot mess which I love.
Time running out for the state of the shumie address. has to be given before July 4 per the Ren A Venue's by laws.
THE CAPTAIN RETORTS:
TO 4:24 PM:
I was a supporter of Judge Sayfie for Chief Judge. Having said that, Judge Bernstein is no idiot. He has been a dedicated public servant for the past 23 years to the people of Miami-Dade County. The Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court recognized Judge Bernstein in 2019 with the Chief Justice Award for Judicial Excellence, honoring his service to and leadership within Florida’s judicial branch. Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Canady presented the award to Bernstein on Aug. 9, 2019.
He serves as the Administrative Judge of the Family Division and he has been recognized for "bringing Family Court into the 21st century". Prior to his ascending to the bench in 1998, he served two years as a Traffic Magistrate and he spent 15 years in private practice.
From the Florida Supreme Court's Press Release in 2019:
Judge Scott Bernstein, who was elected to the Eleventh Circuit bench in 1998, is universally regarded by his peers as “a judge's judge: a scholar, a leader, and an advocate for justice.” Said to be “no stranger to blazing trails,” Judge Bernstein is appreciated for “his intellectual curiosity and thirst for knowledge.” He is especially known for his efforts to improve the quality of the judiciary—both for court users and for the people who work in the courts system. His colleagues observe that “Florida is blessed with many good judges and some great judges. Then there are those few who are both great judges and great humanitarians. Scott Bernstein is one of those select few.”
In the letters nominating him for the Judicial Excellence Award, Judge Bernstein is regularly extolled for his tireless and innovative leadership, which he embodies with “clarity of vision, decisiveness, courage, passion, and humility.” As one letter writer notes, he “implemented a case management system in the Juvenile Delinquency Division, which shortened the time before cases came to trial. He took over the Dependency Drug Court when it was desperately looking for a champion and made the court flourish. He jumped into a felony criminal division faced with a five-month death penalty case and brought a sense of calm control despite high media attention.” He is also credited with having “designed many different court improvement projects to make judges more efficient.” Indeed, “He brought Family Court into the 21st century,” another letter writer exclaims: “Scott conducts regular town hall meetings with family law practitioners to hear constructive criticism about our operations. He improved systems in the court, both big a small. He initiated the use of technology to calendar our cases, set hearings, and sign court orders. He brought the e-courtesy system into the Family Division, which allows orders to be signed and emailed electronically. He put on countless trainings for judges, case managers, judicial assistants, bailiffs, and clerks to improve court operations. He pioneered technology to allow videoconferencing during hearings, making it possible for even distant players to participate. He trains judges coming into the Family Division about unique areas of the law. He gives practical tips on how to write court orders, how to handle difficult mental health and drug use issues, and how to keep the focus on the needs of children. And he does all this with grace.”
See Part Two below .......
In addition to his countless crusades to improve court processes, Judge Bernstein is esteemed for his “commitment to the betterment of his fellow judges.” This commitment manifests in an abundance of ways, but the three on which the nomination letters most ardently focus are court fairness and diversity, judicial education, and judicial wellness.
Judge Bernstein is “recognized as a leader in court fairness,” his peers say. Through his work on the supreme court’s Standing Committee on Fairness and Diversity, for example, he launched an “inexhaustible endeavor to deliver diversity training to all judges and court staff throughout the state of Florida.” He also “assisted with the development of policies and practices throughout the state that enhanced the fair and unbiased administration of justice in our courts,” they emphasize.
Because of his efforts to improve and expand judicial training and education opportunities and offerings, Judge Bernstein is also considered a “leader in judicial education.” As one of his colleagues explains, “Few have done as much for the education of Florida judges as Judge Bernstein. He was Education Chair of the Circuit Conference from 2007 through 2012. He has taught at the Circuit Conference, County Conference, College of Advanced Judicial Studies, Florida Judicial College, and National Judicial College. He is also an instructor training judges to teach other judges.” Adds another, “He actively mentors judges who are newly appointed or elected to our bench and is readily available to all of us to talk through troublesome issues that we all confront from time to time.”
On top of all this, Judge Bernstein conceived and helped to establish the Florida Judicial Wellness Program, which his peers describe as “a program to help his fellow colleagues challenged by the negative impact that comes from the work we do day to day.” They credit him with having “recognized that judges desperately needed a resource by which they could seek help with issues that impair their ability to adequately perform their duties. As a result, he then envisioned a statewide program solely for judges that would operate as a separate and private means for judges to get the help they may need.” Launched in 2018, this program is deemed “an invaluable source for wellness to our Florida judicial branch.”
The letters nominating him for the Judicial Excellence Award all agree that Judge Bernstein “personifies judicial excellence.” “Throughout my professional career, as an attorney since 1991, and as a judge since 2006, I have met only a few individuals as motivated and committed to helping improve the court system and its judges as much as Judge Scott Bernstein. He is deserving of this recognition,” says one letter writer. “I cannot think of a judge more deserving of this honor. Working with Scott Bernstein has been one of the great privileges of my privileged professional life,” adds another. Summing it all up, another underscores, “Judge Bernstein is one of the best of our best. He is an inspiration to other judges.”
The only "idiot" in this thread is the ignorant, imbecile that posted at 4:24 PM.
CAPTAIN OUT .......
Rump I am thinking of starting hydroxychloraquin as a preventative for the delta variant. Your thoughts?
Rump in bitcoin 5 coins at average cost 8,200 out at 43,000- kept 1.5 coins
In with Etherium with 100 coins average cost 100.00 , 100 coins average cost 850.00. Sold 75 coins at 3200 and now I am thinking E has formed a nice bottom here at 2,000 and could run to 8-10-
Thoughts?
I have a Parisian GF and just bought a flat for us in the 5th arrondissment - thank you powers that be for crypto currency. Changed my life.
I know Scott Bernstein well. He is rather nice and very smart so, whoever you are who said he was an idiot is probably an idiot.
Yea yea yea on Judge Bernstein.
How about Judge Hanzman and the incredibly brilliant way that he leads his courtroom in the Champlain Towers case. He is truly the very best that this courthouse has ever seen. Not only an academic, but he loves the law and takes such pride in providing true JUSTICE to all.
Thank you Your Honor. You make us proud to be lawyers and fellow Judges.
Judge Bernstein is a mensch, a totally beautiful human being with a heart of gold!
But on another topic: I can't believe you have not mentioned the tragedy that is occurring in Surfside. My thoughts and prayers are with those families who lost loved ones in that rubble.
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