What the below email shows is that the culture at the SAO is broken. Witnesses and cooperating witnesses are saying things different than the prosecutors' view of the case and two things are happening.
1. The prosecutor threatens the witness if they don't change their story.
2. The prosecutor does not turn over the Brady material about the first version and the change in the story.
The Miami Dade State attorneys office cannot be trusted. There is a culture of win at all costs and obstruction of justice. It is as simple as that. If they say the sky is blue, go out and check. Because they do not tell the truth. It is a broken office with a broken culture that has zero ethics.
To be clear- we did not write the following. An FACDL person did. Unlike Miami Prosecutors we have a penchant for not misleading people and telling the truth. The more we re-read what happened, the more shocked we are. This office has fallen from the top to the bottom of the barrel. No judge should trust the word of any prosecutor who operates in this culture of shady deceitfulness. Shame on you Ms. Fernandez-Rundle. Shame, Shame, Shame. This happened on YOUR watch. You are wholly responsible for this and you have DONE NOTHING to fix it. Resign. Now. Resign for the good of the community.
The lawyers for your office who did what is listed below need to be disbarred. And maybe prosecuted for obstruction of justice. Shame Shame Shame on you.
I hope Nadia Bayatzadeh doesn't mind me shouting her out publicly because she deserves a huge congratulations! Sometimes the biggest wins occur quietly during morning calendar...
As the next saga to the below story from last month, Nadia was able to get the third co-defendant's second degree murder conviction VACATED and DISMISSED today! Everyone who knew the facts of this case knew he was merely present in the car but he was taken advantage of by the State of Florida and became a cooperating witness and a convicted murderer. He would have remained a convicted murderer for the rest of his life... But after the events of last month, Nadia picked up the baton and got HUGE relief for her client!
...
Congratulations to Michele Borchew, Adam Goodman, Khurrum Wahid, and Alyssa Espinosa.
Their clients sat in custody for six years waiting for their day in court, insisting on their innocence. On Tuesday night, after picking the jury in this homicide case, the lawyers received a response to an outstanding Chapter 119 request for communications between the SAO and the lawyer for a cooperating witness. The response included an email between the previous prosecutor and the lawyer for the cooperating witness that was obviously exculpatory and Brady material. In the email, the previous prosecutor explained that she had “met with Michael Von Zamft” and the cooperating witness’s story did not line up with their theory of the case. The previous prosecutor (who is no longer at the SAO) said that if the cooperating witness wanted to provide a second statement, the state would listen – but otherwise the plea would be a long prison sentence. This email was not disclosed to the defense until the Chapter 119 request (and even then, it was disclosed by accident, as it wasn’t directly responsive to the request because it was from a prosecutor who’d left the office).
The defense sent the Brady email to the current prosecutor on the case, who did the right thing and dismissed the case yesterday morning.
FACDL-Miami has previously expressed to the State Attorney our belief that an independent prosecutor’s office should be conducting the investigation into Michael Von Zamft and we will reiterate that position again. The email discovered in this case continues to show a need for change at the State Attorney’s Office – and we will continue to push for that change.
The email that was discovered through a Chapter 119 request is also a great reminder that Chapter 119 can be a great tool for the defense bar. Much of the misconduct uncovered in the last year has been through Chapter 119 requests – so if you’re not already using this tool, I’d encourage you to do so.
Congratulations again to Michele, Adam, Khurrum, and Alyssa. Their clients saw justice thanks to their incredible work. I’m so proud to be a part of this defense bar.
22 comments:
There’s more to it.
Resignations are an admission of guilt. Vindication for the late Alex Micheals.
No. 3D13–1294.
2014-05-29
Alexander J. MICHAELS, Petitioner, v. James LOFTUS, etc., Respondent.
VINDICATE ALEX MICHEALS!
Hey, DUI officer Felicia Kinsey Smith passed away. Check your DUI files.
She was a rather nice person. Not sure yet, why she died.
What Alex Michaels did was illegal so, why does he need vindication?
He said “fuk you” to Von zamft during a motion. Go to your legal software and search the 3rd Dca for “The Romanian Mumble”. Now we all know Von Zamft deserved that and a whole lot more.
Go on
Several testified he didn’t. Read it.
Von zamft interrupted Micheals then Michael’s put his had up and said let me finish. Von zamft stormed up and put his fist up and said let me handle this my way.
well technically he said "futos gutos monte" per the 3rd DCA. We can't curse at MVZ anymore since he fled to Georgia in ignominy, but if anyone wants to mutter choice expressions in their native language at J. Miranda for what she did to Alex, acting as always as an arm of the SAO, she can be found in the same place she was back then. I can guarantee one thing, if the Corey Smith case had been in Miranda she'd have done exactly what MVZ and Mitchell asked her to, and the Third DCA would have let her.
No comment on Redding, I mean Quinones yet?
More shame indeed. Federal charges dropped because of sloppy search warrants written by the Miami SAO. See Miami Herald : Botched search warrants end feds’ drug case against Miami doctor
BY JULIE K. BROWN
UPDATED FEBRUARY 19, 2025 11:54 AM
I handled a hotly contested DV Injuction with Jason Quinones and he could not have been nicer or more fair.
Is it really cursing if no one understands you? Does Miranda really speak Romanian?
3:48 It didn’t really go down like that.
Oh well motion for dismissal
A. Mr. Vonzamft got up from where he was sitting, said something, I'll handle this my way, then requested that Mr. Michaels either be held in contempt or baker acted, at which time he made a fist. Mr. Michell, who is now smirking over there, stood up and held Mr. Vonzamft from approaching Mr. Michaels.
Q. During that incident, at anytime did Mr. Michaels leave the podium where he was standing at?
A. No, he did not.
Q. Did he make any fist or threatening gestures?
A. No, he did not.
Q. Did at anytime you hear Mr. Michaels tell Mr. Vonzamft anything in the nature of shut up or anything like that?
A. No.
Q. Did you ever hear Mr. Michaels utter any profanity, expletive, curse words?
A. No, I did not
Amen @4:12… sadly a lot of judges in that building would’ve put their tails between their legs. Wolfson is the definition of a true neutral arbitrator. That has never been and will never be said about Miranda.
Michael Von Zamft is/was an extremely disrespectful man who felt entitled to treat people however he chose because he had such an inflated sense of authority and ego. And he sadly convinced most judges of that as well, as they acquiesced in his entitlement.
Illegal?
Vindication for Alex Micheals!
What was he like when he was a defense attorney? You cant find it online anymore but the Country Walk documentary didnt paint him in the best light.
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