JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL RICHARD E GERSTEIN JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG. THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO JUSTICE BUILDING RUMOR, HUMOR, AND A DISCUSSION ABOUT AND BETWEEN THE JUDGES, LAWYERS AND THE DEDICATED SUPPORT STAFF, CLERKS, COURT REPORTERS, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WHO LABOR IN THE WORLD OF MIAMI'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE. POST YOUR COMMENTS, OR SEND RUMPOLE A PRIVATE EMAIL AT HOWARDROARK21@GMAIL.COM. Winner of the prestigious Cushing Left Anterior Descending Artery Award.

Monday, April 29, 2024

MONDAY TAKE AWAYS

 Good Monday morning! To our friends celebrating Passover- tired of matzoh yet?  

Our takeaway on the judicial races and non-races.  We did not see any "Rosy Races" (c) Justice Building Blog 2024, all rights reserved.  Not that they are our favourite coven of people, but those who wear all black to work who did not deserve to be challenged were not. Again, this is not about who we like, but wanting to maintain some semblance of competency with a judiciary rapidly being remade into a group of federalist drones who have limited trial experience and should just stay out of our way as we try our cases. Funny how they are all about exercising limited judicial authority until they are watching a prosecution case fall apart and all of the sudden their activist tendencies come roaring out. 

Anyway we do have one question- with a lot of uncontested races why do we have, year after year, at least one three-way race?  Judge-a-trois? 

And now on to the important stuff. The Miami Dolphins draft. It was interesting to say the least. 

Starting with Chop Robinson at 21, he is an explosive athlete edge rusher with the best first step of any edge rusher in the draft. The question is whether he's a one trick pony and whether he can be coached up with technique to go with his speed. If so, he can be like another Penn State LB - Mikah Pasrsons, and he isn't having a bad career. We were happy to see the Fins go O line with pick 2 at 55 with massive tackle Patrick Paul from Houston. Remember that the Fins cannot throw or run without the O line doing its job.  

But what we are really excited about is Jaylen Wright, RB Tennessee, at pick 3 at 120. He is another addition of pure speed to the fastest offense in the NFL.  He ran a blistering 4.38 at the combine, which is about as fast as you will see for any running back. He averaged 7.4 yards per carry in 2023 and basically he is the type of back that can take it to the house on any play from any place on the field. He makes the O faster, if that was possible. 

The questionable pick was Edge Rusher Mohammed Kamara at pick 5 at 158. Many teams doubled up on CBs (The Eagles who had an amazing draft) and O lineman (The Steelers picked three in their first five picks) but we are hard pressed to find any team in recent memory who followed up a round one edge rusher with another one in alater round.  

WR Malik Washington in round 6 at number 184 is yet another fast, small, elusive WR- Tyreek Hill lite until he makes his own mark.  This was great value for a receiver we had mocked anywhere from late third to early fifth round. Once again the Fins went with the philosophy of speed kills. 

The Fins did not get great recognition from the media experts for a good draft.  Many think they pulled the trigger on Chop too early when there were outstanding O-Linemen still on the board and that if they were fixed on Chop they could have traded up in the second round to nab him- maybe using that fifth round pick they selected Kamara with. Our philosophy on drafting is that if you like your player, you draft him. What would have happened if Shula passed on Marino in round one because he thought he was taking him too high? 

This is the season for the Dolphins. The Bills and Chiefs got better. The Cheaters are two years away from being competitive and the Jets are one achilles heel injury from having another disaster of a season.  If not now, when? If not them, who? 


31 comments:

Captain Justice said...


THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

And your next 3rd DCA Judge:

Will come from these six finalists. The following names were sent to Gov DeSantis today:

Judge Laura Gonzalez Marques
Kansas Gooden
Judge Spencer Multack
Judge Thomas Rebull
Judge Daryl Trawick
Judge Robert Watson

Predictions?

CAP OUT …..

Anonymous said...

The smart money is on Trawick. Even DeSantis realizes having no blacks on a court overseeing a county that is 17 percent black is not a good look.

Anonymous said...

Kansas Gooden is *heavily* involved in FedSoc and has lobbied hard for this position, so it would come as no surprise to me if she were picked. That said, I do hope that DeSantis appoints Judge Watson. In addition to broad experience across core areas of the law (civil, criminal, trial, and appellate), he is very smart, takes a serious and genuine interest in the law, and has a proper understanding of the role of an appellate judge. Judge Watson would significantly and immediately improve the Third District Court of Appeal.

Anonymous said...

I have been dealing with Laura Gonzalez-Marques and she is wonderful. She is kind, courteous and honest.

I bet his choice will be Trawick.

Rumpole said...

See the thing is that Trawick would be a great pick. And his race has zero affect on my opinion about him. It’s almost demeaning to say he should be picked because of his race. And yet it is disgraceful there are no African Americans on the. 3rd.

Anonymous said...

Rebull is connected big time.

Anonymous said...

Rebull is a decent person but, way too State oriented for me.

Anonymous said...

I have no experience with Judge Trawick. But appointing him makes zero sense, on even a modicum of reflection. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1984. That makes him roughly 65 years old. Do we really expect someone of his age -- no matter how decorated his judicial career may be -- to be drafting carefully written opinions and thereby making our appellate court better? Regardless, wouldn't Governor DeSantis prefer creating a legacy by appointing a younger person? I really doubt that DeSantis -- who, by the way, has appointed Black lawyers to important positions (hello, Justice Francis) -- has anything to worry about if he were not to appoint a Black lawyer to the Third.

Anonymous said...

I didn't say he should be picked because of his race. I said that having no blacks on the court is a bad look which will certainly be considered in making the pick. Trawick is a good man and judge and would be a good pick.

Anonymous said...

Define “connected”

Anonymous said...

Hey Mr./Ms. 8:19 am,

I'm over 65 and really offended by your comments. Some of us older folks know a thing or two. Experience really can be the best teacher.

BTW, our horrible governor has gone out of his way to appoint young people he thinks will last forever and ram their conservative thoughts down our throats and guess what? Many leave to make more money after a few years. I have learned that Republicans only care about money. That must be why they want Trump. How could they vote for such a horrible person unless all they care is about getting richer?

Anonymous said...

There are no Asian judges.

Anonymous said...

Rebull lost an election and was immediately reappointed. Sounds like he's connected to me.

Anonymous said...

Connected. 1. When people in higher positions than you owe you favors that they, for their own suvival, cannot afford to refuse. 2. Same as #1 but add the word "perceived."

Anonymous said...

Age is both the reason that Trawick will not be appointed and the reason that he should be appointed. Experience should not be undervalued.

A 40 year old with no judicial experience should not be leapfrogging experienced judges to get on the appellate bench. But that is exactly what will happen with this seat because, you know, politics.

Anonymous said...

The county is 1 percent Asian.

Anonymous said...

To 8:19am. Unfortunate for you to have not appeared in front of Trawick. He is a great jurist and is well versed in different parts of the law. Very professional and well liked by the attorneys. Before you make such absurd statements about age, think about what you are saying. You prefer someone younger for legacy purposes. Ridiculous. He has the experience and a different way of thinking which the court is lacking. Go get some court experience before you post such nonsense.

Anonymous said...

If you’re over 65 and you know these positions come with mandatory retirement, you wouldn’t be so offended. Also, all Governors appoint young people as judges. Emas is a good example. He’s been a really good judge and he was maybe 36 when Governor Chiles appointed him.

Anonymous said...

Who cares who sits on the Third. It is not a very impressive court.

Anonymous said...

RE: There are no Asian judges.

There are no South-Indian judges, there are no Indigenous judges, there are no Polynesian judges etc. What is your point? Dont bring race into the issue.

Anonymous said...

Any updates to the Corey Smith case?

Anonymous said...

Remember the time when Rick Scott was Governor, and we worried about the bench being bleached to a Behr Ultra Pure White with a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 94.4, was what we worried about the most?

Joking.

https://www.facingsouth.org/2018/12/rick-scott-leaves-behind-much-whiter-florida-judiciary


Anonymous said...

Just an observation.

Anonymous said...

Remember all the corruption at the SAO it’s still going on.

Anonymous said...

7:48am on a Sunday? Geesh

Anonymous said...

The real question is: why do we have a woman running for judge who has three prior bar complaints/a record of discipline. 2024 feels like Rosy 2.0

Anonymous said...

Real justice never sleeps

Anonymous said...

Bring it up at the debate.

Anonymous said...

He’s also married to a younger judge who’s Hot!!!

Anonymous said...

She’s also a prima-donna who thinks is better than most. Then again, isn’t she an SAO alumn?

Anonymous said...

Trawick is starting to suffer from Black Robe Disease. He is ordering people to travel from all over the state (and beyond) to mediate two hour cases in person. Statistically there is no difference in success rate between live and zoom mediations.