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.

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

OPENING IN ALEC BALDWIN CASE

 Yes it is Monday morning quarterbacking, but the opening of the defense attorney for Alec Baldwin was a D+.  It was plain awful. There was no real theme. The lawyer sounded like he was reading from a script. He jumped into the facts without establishing a theme. 

For example- how about starting with.... "Accidents happen. But they are not crimes.

Or  "This case is about a movie set where the safety director (with voice raise) failed to do his job, It was his job to make sure there was not a live bullet in a gun that was handed to Alex Baldwin (now lowering the voice and speaking very slowly) and  he   failed." 

Something....anything.... before  just beginning a rote and somnambulistic recitation of facts. 

Oh well....

2:37 or so it begins.

Not even a "May it please the court..." 

Very disappointing. 



In other news....Joe Biden is still really old and is too old to be President. 

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi-diddly-ho, Lawyerinos,. It’s Thursday. We’ve got coffee and donuts. Remember your the best team in America. Cheerio.

Anonymous said...

Baldwin needs MVZ to get him a sweet deal. All he has to do is snitch on Hollywood.

Anonymous said...

SAO admin needs an overhaul. There is a systemic issue that needs to be addressed. Mistreatment of subordinates should it be tolerated.

Anonymous said...

It was bad in style but effective in substance. Luckily, the prosecutor’s opening was no big thing either.

Anonymous said...

It is not his age it’s his brain 🧠
Even still , go with the horse that got you to the race.

Anonymous said...

And in still other news, if elected, Donald Trump will be just as old during his Presidency as Joe Biden is now. They're both too old. Biden shouldn't be on the ticket. But anyone who votes for Trump because Joe Biden is too old is either blind or a hypocrite.

Anonymous said...

Hey 8:53. Wrong metaphor. The correct or appropriate one is "you dance with the one that brung you."

Anonymous said...


Rumpole, I disagree with your grade and analysis of the Opening Statement for the Defense. I would give it a B+. The entire statement was well thought out and sent a repeated message (theme) throughout the opening. This was an "actor" acting, rehearsing, and everything he did was something that actors have been doing on sets (Wild West movies, war movies, gangster movies, etc) for more than a hundred years. Actors are not responsible for gun safety. That job is left to the armorer and the AD in charge of Safety. And in this case, more than once, Baldwin was told "cold gun", which doesn't mean the gun was loaded with fake bullets, it means that the gun was empty - loaded with nothing.

The Defense Rests.

Anonymous said...

Really? "May it please the court"? Chances are what I'm going to say isn't going to please the Court or the prosecution. Just dive in.

Anonymous said...

So don’t vote

Anonymous said...

Former judge Mirabal disbarred.

https://supremecourt.flcourts.gov/content/download/2437070/opinion/Opinion_SC2021-1469.pdf

Anonymous said...

Spiro has definitely redeemed himself. This guy is smooth and methodical.

Anonymous said...

How old is KFR?

Anonymous said...

Florida Supreme Court disbars former Miami-Dade judge

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2024/07/11/florida-supreme-court-disbars-former-miami-dade-judge/


Anonymous said...

It’s really got to be demoralizing to be a Biden fan. He said Zelensky was Putin. He said Harris was Trump. This is like Saturday Night Live back in the olden days.

Anonymous said...

Hi-diddly-ho, Lawyerinos,. It’s Friday . We’ve got freshly brewed coffee and donuts. On the fourth floor. Remember you’re the best team in America. Win at all cost… Cheerio.

Anonymous said...

Mitchell leaving the SAO?

Anonymous said...

Why do people keep saying this? What is the source? I want to celebrate, but not in vain

Anonymous said...

Clenney’s parents bullshit prosecution finally dropped. Justice served. 👏

Anonymous said...

Brady and Giglio violation in the Alec Baldwin trial came to light on day two of the trial as the defense cross-examined the state’s crime scene tech. Prosecutorial misconduct is rampant in this country. There are thousands of MVZs amongst us. Until a seismic change takes place in the way criminal law in this country, including federal discovery (or lack thereof) practices, we can’t boast about being the best legal system in the world. Until prosecutorial immunity isn’t eradicated, until personal sanctions (monetary, disbarment, and even prosecution/incarceration for the worst offenders) are not part of the equation, corrupt prosecutors will continue to feel untouchable and the rights of defendants will continue to be trampled. And until convictions and sentences of innocent people do not become zero, instead of continuing to increase, our system of criminal justice will remain shamefully broken.

Prosecutorial misconduct is not an epidemic. It’s a pandemic.

Anonymous said...

There’s a lesson in everything: A Santa Fe judge Friday dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin for the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust" after ruling that the prosecution concealed evidence from his legal team.
Baldwin cupped his face in his hands and wept as Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning the charge cannot be brought against the actor again.
"The state's willful withholding of this information was intentional and deliberate," Sommer said. "If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith, it certainly comes so near to bad faith as to show signs of scorching prejudice."

Anonymous said...

Baldwin’s case dismissed with prejudice based on Brady violation. It was embarrassing to see the prosecutor become her own witness and try to salvage her reputation. Spiro may have had a slow start, but the man was laser focused and knew the case inside and out. And the judge, wow, while she was an equal opportunity b*** to both sides, it was surreal to see her become increasingly pissed and convinced of the prosecutor’s (and some of the cops) misconduct. The judge was the most courageous of all. She delivered a scathing dismissal and, in so doing, joined the ranks of many other brave and upright jurists - like Wolfson, De La O, and Cruz - who don’t hesitate to call out corruption and deliver justice. Today, in New Mexico, our legal system shone brighter. It is a good day to be an honest and decent lawyer in America.

Anonymous said...

If a celebrity like Alec Baldwin can be railroaded by police and prosecutors, NO ONE stands a chance against the corrupts within the system. Especially the indigent. Call defense lawyers what you want, but we need them on that wall as much as we need honest law enforcement.

Anonymous said...

Burying that evidence in a different case file, and being like, "I never saw them until today" after saying earlier that, "It was my impression that they did not match the live rounds from the set of ‘Rust’" - what a load of ...

Can we insist on public caning and wearing a dunce cap for Ms. Morrissey?

Anonymous said...

“Fan”? That’s the problem with you republicans, you think the president is a celebrity.

Anonymous said...

Doesn’t matter, unfortunately. Nobody even had to vote for her.

Anonymous said...

😭🤣

Anonymous said...

I agree it should have been turned over but what was the prejudice argument that carried the day?

Anonymous said...

11:13 a.m., I see what you’re doing there. So, why don’t you save us all some time and go watch the ruling online and then come back and give us your dissertation of why, despite having to be turned over, there was no Brady violation because there was no actual prejudice. Can we get CLE credit with the lecture.

Anonymous said...

what’s interesting is that special prosecutor specializes in criminal defense, she appears to be a defense lawyer. I agree no excuse to have not turned it over absolutely no excuse. But I want to know more….

Anonymous said...

Amen