Friday, February 13, 2026

GRRR

 Here are the things bothering us today. 

Having to use Authenticator for logging on to CMECF. Thank You Putin. 

The never ending same commercials on all of our Sirius Radio channels including that very annoying guy who get's you out of your time share. If you were stupid enough to buy a time share suffer the consequences, especially since now we all have to listen to this annoying guy over and over and over again. 

Speaking of which, the sob stories by two people- one lost her husband, the second his father, and both them are urging us to buy life insurance. Sorry for your loss, but we are so done with hearing about your tragedies that, trust us, if we needed to buy more life insurance, we would not use that company that you are both shilling for hundreds of times a day. STOP IT. 

Valentines Day.

And St Patrick's day. And Easter. And mother's day. And father's day. And grandparent's day.  These holidays have all been coopted by the card companies to get you to buy cards, flowers, chocolate and beer (well, the beer is okay, but not the rest). 

Curling. These people are not athletes. They are regular Joes and Janes with skates and a broom. Jesse Owens they are not.  Stop calling it a sport. No one says "hey what are you doing today? Want to play golf?" "No, I'm curling." That never happens. Ever. 

Tenting our laptop when entering federal court. What does that prove? Nothing. NOTH>>>ING. Stop. Just run it through the machine. 

Have we mentioned how much we despise that guy who gets you out of your time share? Oh yeah. Well, it bears repeating. 


Wednesday, February 11, 2026

SIX DEGREES

It's time to play Six Degrees of Jeffrey Epstein!!! 

(Announcer) Jack Lang! Come on down and play six degrees of Jeffrey Epstein! 

Emcee: You were France's cultural minister when your family had financial dealings with JE.  Johnny, tell our contestant what he has won.

Announcer: You will be resigning from your current position as head of the Arab World Institute which you have headed since 2013. (Who knew the Arab World had an institute?). And you will be CANCELED and are currently facing at 86 a criminal investigation. 

Our next contestant, Mona Juul, come on down and play six degrees of Jeffrey Epstein! 

Emcee: You were Norway's ambassador to Jordan and Iraq when it was revealed that your husband had financial dealings with Jeffrey Epstein. Johnny, tell our contestant what she has won.

Announcer: You are being forced to resign and quit any participation in Norway politics. You and your husband are now being investigated for criminal wrongdoings. 

Moroslav Lajcak come on down and play six degrees of Jeffrey Epstein! 

Emcee: You were the national security advisor to Slovakia's prime minister when you exchanged emails with Jeffrey Epstein about young girls. Johnny, tell our contestant what he has won.

Announcer: You have been forced to resign and are being ostracized in your home country. 

Peter Mandelson come on down come on down and play six degrees of Jeffrey Epstein! 

Emcee: Peter you were a long-time fixture in British politics and were ending your stellar career with an appointment by current PM Keir Starmer as His Majesty's Ambassador to the United States where weekly parties and high-end dinners and socializing with the top politcos in DC was in your future. Johnny, tell our contestant what he has won. 

Announcer: You have been forced to resign and end your career in shame. 

And finally, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor come on down and play six degrees of Jeffrey Epstein! 

Emcee: Andrew MW, your relationship with Jeffrey Epstein has cost you all your English Titles, a Lordship, several peerages, your home, all of your honorary military titles, and you are now an ostracized figure upon whom scorn is heaped by your fellow countrymen. You have been exiled to a rundown farmhouse where most of the servants that are employed as caretakers have refused to work there if you are living there. 

And that is today's edition of Six Degrees of Separation with Jeffrey Epstein. Don't miss our special upcoming editions where former President Clinton and former secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be testifying before congress about their encounters with Jeffrey Epstein including the former president's trip to Africa on Air-Epstein. 


Monday, February 09, 2026

OLA!

 We are old enough to remember the   English Only crusade that tore into the Magic City in the early 1980's. Indeed, there is now a play about it-  called English Only by Nicholas Griffin, author of the definitive account of the drug wars and Mariel Boat lift- The Year of Dangerous Days: Riots, Refugees, and Cocaine in Miami 1980. 

We thought those days were behind us. We learned enough Spanish to order meals, ask for more beer and the check, and accepted Miami as the international city it had become. 

And now comes this: 


So, here we go again???

Cue Jaws theme: Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the DMV... 

But wait! There's more!! 

While the Florida DMV is English Only, the Super Bowl halftime show was Spanish only courtesy of the Bad Bunny.  That must have gotten the attention of the DEI hatein' maga drones in Tallahassee and DC. 

We nailed the coin toss, Seattle -4.5 and the under 45.5 (barely) and overall had a very good $uper Bowl. See ya in 2027 (maybe). 

Sunday, February 08, 2026

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY PART DOS

Update: We once again correctly predicted the coin toss. Heads. We were a bit concerned about Joe Montana's shoulder, as we intimated in the prior post. But when we saw him grip it and rip it, and we saw the rotation on the coin and the height, we knew we had it locked in on heads. 

Now if only our other picks can pay off, we can open an Opus One in the fourth quarter with out chili. 


Defense wins championships. Full stop. Steelers. Bears. Ravens. Giants. Very good to great defenses win championships. Seattle has a very very good and complete defense. Seattle will win the game. They are an exceptionally well balanced and well coached team. What worries us is the -4.5. We Seattle up 31-21 going into the last two minutes of the game and now you can get a Patriots back-door cover with a TD and the final score 31-28 or 29 and you lose having given -4.5. So be careful. Check out our chart below. Seattle is 7-3 vs Patriots in the last ten games. But what jumps out even more is that 7 games were decided by 4 points or less. Youch, 

Even though we predicted the score above, we are leaning towards the under 45.5. Everyone loves the over. It's more fun to root for an exciting game full of scores. But the stat of the day: Drake Maye has been sacked 15 times in the post season. 15. Count em. Seattle can go up 24-10 and run the rock and hold the Patriots off. If over hits, it will be late in the fourth quarter, which makes the line fun to bet either way. 

What can go wrong? 

Darnold can melt down. Unlikely, but always possible.  It is more likely that Maye gets rattled with a strip sack and a few INTs. 

Don't count out NE's D. It is nearly as good as Seattle's. So that brings the game back to QBs, who makes a mistake, and whether Jaxson Smith-Njigba goes off. And if the Patriots manage to do something nearly no other team has done and shuts down JSN, then Cooper Kupp, the aging WR vet will step up. If you have some extra money, throwing some on Kupp to catch a TD (+260) and over 36.5 yards in receptions (-115) is not a bad bet to keep you interested between the buffalo cauliflower dip and the chicken wings. 

     SEAHAWKS V, PATRIOTS (LAST TEN MEETINGS) 

Date    

  Winner  

Score  

Venue

Sep 15, 2024        

 

Seattle  

23–20 (OT)

Gillette Stadium

Sep 20, 2020                         

 

Seattle

35–30  

Lumen Field

Nov 13, 2016                  

 

Seattle

31–24  

Gillette Stadium

Feb 1, 2015    

 

New England

28–24    Super Bowl XLIX

Phoenix

Oct 14, 2012              

 

Seattle

24–23       

CenturyLink Field

Dec 7, 2008   

 

New England

24–21    

Qwest Field

Oct 17, 2004  

 

 New England 

30–20   

Gillette Stadium

Oct 24, 1993               

Seattle

10–9        

Kingdome

Sep 19, 1993               

Seattle  

17–14   

  Foxboro Stadium

Sep 20, 1992                   

 

Seattle   

10–6

Foxboro Stadium

 


SUPER BOWL SUNDAY 2026 PART UNO

 Good Super Bowl Sunday. In this post we will handle some preliminary matters. 

As all good MAGA Americans with a GED know, the Super Bowl is a right enshrined in the Bible and Constitution. 

"There shall be unto you this day of rest when all work shall stop and you shall watch two enemies battle over an unclean skin"  Recriminations, I:14; and "Congress shall make no law infringing on a day of rest, within 40 days of the new year, on  Sunday, when a contest all Americans may watch with food." US CONST, Art VIII,  §4.  

Rumpole's Game Day Chili:  People have offered large sums for our secret chili recipe. We provide it here, free of charge. There is a secret ingredient, which if you follow our instructions exactly you cannot help but make great chili. Now we prefer chili without beans (Texas style) but you can use canned black beans. And we use ground turkey, sometimes mixed with ground pork as our protein, but ground beef works just fine. And we roast a half a dozen tomatillos in our air fryer on roast, 400 degrees, 11-12 minutes, drizzling oil and salt on them before roasting before starting anything else.

But here is the secret ingredient you MUST use. Ready? Drum roll please.......FLOUR! 

Now, as Bruce Springsteen sings in Tenth Avenue Freeze Out, in concert, as he gets to the line "The change was made uptown and the big man joined the band" he first says (or sometimes yells) THIS HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART!:  

Take a cup of flour per pound of protein and place in a cast iron skillet and cook on medium to high heat until the flour browns. You need it to turn brown. That's the secret. Then set aside. Put your protein into the skillet and sauté until cooked. Add the spices you like, including half of the roasted tomatillos, a can of cut up tomatoes with the liquid, onions, garlic, and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes break down and are incorporated into the meat. You can also add a small can of tomato paste. 

Begin to incorporate your browned flour a few large spoonfuls at a time into the meat mix, adding chicken broth (you can use beef broth, but we like chicken broth) into the pan until you have what appears to be a smooth paste. If you are adding canned beans, add them now with the liquid.  Cook until the liquid is mostly absorbed. When that is done, add another cup of broth, add the rest of the flour, turn to low heat, cover and check every 15 minutes and keep adding broth until it is fully incorporated and you like the mixture. Add some more roasted tomatillos and tomato chunks, cook for a few more minutes until they are incorporated, and turn off heat and enjoy. 

OUR PROP BETS. Listed in order of best to far flung. 

Sea George Holani over 1.5 receptions. -125. He's Darnold's go to back for passes out of the backfield. 

Sea Sam Darnold over 1.5 TDs. -175. This is Darnold's fourth team. He's been through the wringer.  He has a chip on his shoulder. He is going to throw the rock. 

Sea Sam Darnold over 235 passing yards + over 1.5 passing TDs. +149.  See above.

Sea Jaxon Smith-Njigba 2Td receptions. +500. Yes, NE is going to double team him. Ask him if he cares. 

NE Drake Maye under 38.5 yards rushing + Rhamonde Stevenson under 50.5 rushing yards. +232. Defense wins championships. 

That's it for now. We will have our game predications up before the game. As to the rock solid, almost never lose coin flip bet, we have had some issues. The constant movement of the seismic plates in San Francisco is an issue, which also affects the earth's magnetic core in that area. The prevalence of wind gusts that are hard to predict, along with a difficult to measure dew point, and some concerning chatter about the shoulder of the coin tosser, have set our algorithms all over the place. Currently our computer simulations are running nearly 50-50 after ten million runs, with the small and slightest edge to heads, depending on the temperature at the time of the flip. We are monitoring this closely.  Spend your money on Darnold going off today, which gives you an insight into who will win the game. 

 


Thursday, February 05, 2026

TO TELL THE TRUTH

 When dog bites woman, no news story. When AUSA bites dog....

When an AUSA tells the court during a contempt hearing that her job, and pardon us while we use a technical legal term....SUCKS...it makes news. 

Such was what occurred in a remarkable display of honesty by former (see  below) government lawyer Julie Le, Esq.,  appearing before US District Judge Jerry Blackwell, who was holding a "Trump Hearing" to determine why his orders were not being followed. 

Ms. Le made a few mistakes. First, she volunteered to go to Minneapolis to help with the backlog of immigration cases. As any military vet knows, never volunteer for a mission. 

Second, she told the truth. Her job sucks, and being incarcerated for contempt would give her some much needed rest. (She actually said that). 

What happened next was predictable. 

The government fired her. 

You can google a hundred articles on this mess, or start by clicking here. 

So, SDFL AUSA's, why not follow your colleague and tell the truth?  Or are you going to continue to take your marching orders from Goebbels  Bondi and continue to defy orders of the court they (her and her boss) don't like?


Monday, February 02, 2026

JUDGE FRED HENRY

 Judge Fred Henry is the man! Our new favourite judge. 

Click here and read why. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txwd.1172886492/gov.uscourts.txwd.1172886492.9.0.pdf

H/T David Markus. And like him we won’t spoil the order and just post this tidbit: 

With a judicial finger in the constitutional dike,
It is so ORDERED. 

Gotta love this judge. We need more like him. 

And don’t forget to scroll down and read El Capitan’s post about county court. 

JUDICIAL NEWS, PART 2, COUNTY COURT ELECTIONS .......

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS: 


As promised last Thursday, today we present the races in County Court. 

COUNTY COURT JUDICIAL ELECTIONS .....

There are 10 County Court seats up for election in 2026. The term runs from January 6, 2027, for six years. The following is a list of those judges whose term expires on January 5, 2027. An (F) next to their name means they have filed with the Department of Elections for the upcoming election. All ten incumbents have filed. In Group 9, newly appointed Judge Hernandez will not need to face the voters until 2028. In Group 24, we are looking to confirm whether Governor DeSantis has named a replacement for US Attorney Jason Reding. None of the incumbents has drawn opposition yet. Qualifying week runs from April 20-24, with the election scheduled for August 18, 2026.


COUNTY COURT

Donald Cannava (F)

Betty Capote-Erben (F)

Raul Cuervo (F)

Ritamaria Cuervo (F)

Victoria Ferrer (F)

Kevin Hellman (F)

Jennifer Hochstadt - resigned - Group 09 (replaced by Joanne Hernandez)

Natalie Moore (F)

Gordon Murray (F)

Luis Perez-Medina (F)

Jason Reding-Quinones - resigned to become US Atty last August  - Group 24

Stephanie Silver (F)


CIRCUIT COURT UPDATE .....

One update in CIRCUIT COURT. Judge Marcia Caballero, who sits in Group 51, has contacted us to let us know that she is retiring from the bench. She will not serve out her term and will be retiring in a few weeks. That would mean that her seat will be filled by Governor DeSantis instead of the voters. She joins Judge Richard Hersch, Group 69, who is also retiring. We believe, though, that Hersch intends to complete his term in January of 2027. We have not heard back yet from Judge Orlando Prescott (Group 35) and Judge Angelica Zayas (Group 05), both of whom have yet to file for reelection. 

One final note. Someone in the Comments mentioned that the JNC was taking applications for Judge Caballero’s seat. We have been told that the four seats that the JNC is currently taking applications for are all new seats, two in Circuit Court and two in County Court, with all four new seats created by SB 2508.


CAPTAIN OUT .......
Captain4Justice@gmail.com


Sunday, February 01, 2026

COLD SUNDAY

 It's a cold  🧊Sunday  in Miami with "feels like" temperatures in the 20's, much like the heart of a new DeSantis judge sentencing a single mother with no priors who lost a jury trial on two counts of resisting with after the judge threatened informed her that she faced ten years in prison. 

It is also the first Sunday with no professional football since the dog days of August. What to do? 

You can, in no particular order, 

Brush your cat; put on a hat; go out for a walk; call a friend and have a talk. 

You can make some soup and bake some bread, and like Admiral William McRaven famously says, make your bed. 

Or you can do what we love best, read a book!

Our recommendations:

A great Biography of Richard Nixon that covers new ground and treats the former president in a very fair light is Richard Nixon The Life, by John A Farrell Query: Which president formed the EPA, did more for protecting and preserving clean water than any president since Teddy Roosevelt, supported and signed legislation requiring yearly cost of living updates to social security, tried to enact national health insurance, and in the words of an old Vulcan proverb:  went to China? RMN of course. His sensitivities to personal attacks are reexamined in the historical light of just how fairly or unfairly the press actually treated him, and the result is a very balanced biography that will have you re-thinking your thoughts about Nixon. If you are a history fan like we are, you will luxuriate in the deep examinations of fascinating incidents mostly lost to history like his involvement and probable illegal activities to undermine the peace talks with Vietnam in the waning days of the Johnson administration (as he was running for president) with a character like Madame Anna Chennault.  The examination of his unsurpassed political survival instincts when during his run with Eisenhower for the vice presidency he was accused of running a slush fund will have you shaking your head in admiration. Not only did the Democrats want him off the ticket, so did Eisenhower and most of his inner circle. And yet his famous Checkers Speech saved him from political ignominy and not only rescued his career, but out maneuvered both Democrats and Eisenhower and left many ordinary Americans who watched the speech in tears. 

Well worth a read. 

If your interests are British as ours always are, Henry V The Astonishing Triumph of England's Great Warrior King, by Dan Jones is a very good read. 

And if you need a little fiction in your life see if Atonement by Ian McEwan floats your boat. 

There is more to life than Football on Sunday. Now go brush your cat. 



Thursday, January 29, 2026

STREETS OF MINNEAPOLIS

 Thursday is National Curmudgeon day.  A holiday we naturally celebrate.  See below:


And there is this: The Streets of Minneapolis: 

Just don't believe your eyes/ It's our blood and bones/And these whistles and phones/Against Miller and Noemi's dirty lies/ We will remember the names of those who died/On the Streets of Minneapolis




ICE OUT NOW! (rinse and repeat) 

Curmudgeons Day, celebrated on January 29, honors those delightfully grumpy souls who never hesitate to speak their minds. The date marks the birthday of W.C. Fields, the American comedian and actor famous for his sharp wit and hilariously cantankerous personality. Rather than seeing grumpiness as something negative, this day embraces the humor and honesty that often come with it.

A curmudgeon is typically described as someone who is stubborn, opinionated, and resistant to change. However, behind the gruff exterior there is often intelligence, experience, and a refusal to accept nonsense. Curmudgeons remind us that not every trend deserves applause and not every idea is brilliant. Sometimes, a little skepticism keeps the world balanced.

Celebrating Curmudgeons Day can be as simple as watching a classic W.C. Fields film or sharing your own tongue in cheek complaints about modern life. It is also a fun opportunity to appreciate the outspoken people in your life who say what others are thinking but hesitate to voice.

Above all, the day encourages good humor. Being a curmudgeon is not about spreading negativity. It is about clever commentary, playful grumbling, and perhaps offering wisdom wrapped in sarcasm. So on January 29, embrace your inner grouch and do it with a smile.


BLOGGER CERTIFICATION: This post was NOT made with the use of AI or respect for any judicial authorities. Being a curmudgeon we resent even having to do this. 

JUDICIAL NEWS IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY .....

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS: 

JUDICIAL NEWS IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY .....


JUDGE KEVIN EMAS IS RETIRING .....

There’s lots of judicial news going on in Miami-Dade County. Let’s start with the 3rd DCA. Judge Kevin Emas has announced his retirement from the bench effective March 31, 2026. Judge Emas has led a distinguished career, beginning with his employment as an Assistant Public Defender in Bennett Brummer’s office in 1982. He went on to private practice with the law firm of Fine Jacobson, and then with Thornton Rothman & Emas. He then began a 30-year career serving on the bench. He was first appointed to the County Court in 1996 by Governor Lawton Chiles. He was elevated to the Circuit Court in 2001 by Governor Jeb Bush. Finally, he was tapped by Governor Crist to sit on the 3rd DCA in 2010. He has served on the 3rd DCA for the past 16 years and served as Chief Judge of the Third District from 2019 to 2021.

Judge Emas has held numerous leadership roles in the Florida Conference of Circuit Judges. He also served as a faculty member of the Florida Judicial College, New Appellate Judges Program, Florida’s College of Advanced Judicial Studies, and the National Judicial College. He served as an adjunct faculty member at both FIU College of Law and UM Law. He served as a member of the Judicial Qualifications Commission, Chair of the Supreme Court’s Criminal Court Steering Committee, and Chair of the Florida Criminal Procedure Rules Committee.

Thank you, Judge Emas, for your incredible dedication to the citizens of Miami-Dade County and the State of Florida. 

The 3rd DCA JNC is now accepting applications for Judge Emas' replacement, with a deadline of February 26, 2026.


11TH CIRCUIT JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMITTEE (JNC) .....

The JNC has announced that it is now taking applications for two Circuit Court seats and two County Court seats. These four seats are new and were created by the Florida legislature with the enactment of SB 2508. The deadline to submit your application is February 20, 2026. The JNC expects to conduct interviews on March 13. The Governor is expected to name the four new judges by no later than May 14, 2026.

CIRCUIT COURT JUDICIAL ELECTIONS .....

There are 34 Circuit Court seats up for election in 2026. The six-year term begins on January 6, 2027. Qualifying Week is April 20-24, 2026. The election is scheduled for August 18, 2026.

The following is a list of judges whose terms expire on January 5, 2027. Some of these judges will be retiring. An (F) next to their name means they have filed with the Department of Elections for the upcoming election. Six incumbents have not yet filed, while three newcomers have filed to run.

CIRCUIT COURT

Michelle Alvarez Barakat (F)
Tanya Brinkley (F)
Beatrice Butchko (F)
Marcia Caballero - has not yet filed - Group 51
Carmen Cabarga (F)
Yvonne Colodny (F)
Ivonne Cuesta (F)
Jorge Cueto (F)
Abby Cynamon (F)
Michelle Delancy (F)
Dawn Denaro (F)
Reemberto Diaz (F)
Veronica Diaz (F)
Spencer Eig (F)
Carlos Gamez (F)
Stacy Glick (F)
Laura Gonzalez-Marques (F)
Carlos Guzman (F)
Christine Hernandez (F)
Richard Hersch - has not yet filed* - Group 69
Peter Lopez (F)
Denis Martinez-Scanziani (F)
Alberto Milian (F)
Cristina Miranda - will be filing soon** - Group 48
Spencer Multack (F)
Joseph Perkins (F)
Orlando Prescott - has not yet filed - Group 35
Jose Rodriguez - retired - Group 07 - 
Mavel Ruiz (F)
Migna Sanchez-Llorens (F)
Laura Stuzin (F)
Daryl Trawick (F)
Andrea Wolfson (F)
Angelica Zayas - has not yet filed - Group 05 -

*Judge Hersch is retiring.

We communicated with Judge Miranda, who indicated that she "intends to file shortly and hopes to continue serving the people of Miami-Dade County as she has for almost 29 years."


The three non-incumbent attorneys who have filed to run include:

Group 05 - Attorney Alexander Annunziato

Group 07 - Attorney Cristobal Padron

Group 69 - Attorney Rita Baez

Tomorrow, we will cover the County Court races.


CAPTAIN OUT .......
Captain4Justice@gmail.com

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

AI

 Good cold Tuesday morning as all eyes in the nation are on South Florida as we dig out and struggle from under 50-degree bitter cold. We are tough. We are hardy. We will get through this like a calendar call in Hialeah with a judge an hour late. We will survive. 

If like us, you live for Miami-Dade Court administrative orders, then Monday was a day you will not soon forget. It reminds all of us that AI stands for more than Asinine

There's a new administrative order requiring all parties to include the following certification on all motions (this in addition to the already required certifications:  "I certify that nothing in this motion mentions global warming or climate change"  [The DeSantis certification];  "I certify that nothing in this motion speaks favorably of the rights of immigrants, trans people, or veganism"  [The 2026 Life in America certification]; and of course the "I hereby certify that nothing in this motion makes any reference to diversity, equity and inclusion other than to rightfully ridicule such ideas" [The DEI certification]).

The filing shall include a statement substantially in the following form: "Generative artificial intelligence was used in the preparation of this filing. The undersigned certifies that all factual assertions, legal authority, and citations have been independently reviewed and verified for accuracy and accepts full responsibility for the contents of this filing." 

We are not making this up.  Sometimes judges just make life for a legal blogger so very easy. 

First- if you are a lawyer and you are using AI to write motions and are not carefully checking each citation AI is giving you, shame on you. Do your job which is more than creating IG posts. 

Second, why? 

If a lawyer cites a case to the court that does not exist, then they get what they deserve. They should lose and be roundly shammed. 

So what is going on here? You have come to the right place for the answers you will not get anywhere else. 

As usual it is our civil brothers and sisters who are driving this train wreck. Rumor is that in filing the hundreds of boilerplate motions seeking legal fees from insurance companies, the civil firms are using paralegals and AI in the place of a real lawyer. Then, poor civil judges are wading through the motions, seeing cases they don't recognize, and discovering that the cite is fake. Then, at the five-minute motion hearing the lawyers are blaming AI, and as Sy Gaer might have said, are muttering mea culpa and that it's "A sad and tragic mistake that will not happen again" (of course Sy would never have used AI). 

But until now the civil judges were powerless, something akin to them getting the check at lunch at Joes- a very uncomfortable feeling for them.  They could find that the lawyer violated Bar rules for candor towards the court and to prepare for hearings, but they could not impose a fine, and ahhh therein lied the rub, because what's a good civil case without the threat of sanctions? 

So now, our civil friends have to sign the pleading with the certification and when a fake AI case slips through, your favourite civil robe wearer can do what makes them happiest (because in civil court they cannot impose a max sentence after trial), they can impose Sanction$ !!!

So pull up your motions to suppress and dismiss and continue and rules to show cause and include the certification on every motion and thank your civil friends for once again making the practice of law even harder than it should be. 

And don't forget to add to all your criminal motions the Victim Certification "I hereby certify that I fully understand the victim wants the max!" 

Here is the Admin Order. 

Administrative Order No. 26-04 Disclosure of Use of Generative AI by Anonymous PbHV4H


BLOG CERTIFICATION 

The undersigned certifies that all factual assertions, legal authority, and citations have been made by the blogger without use of any legal authority or Artificial Intelligence and without much concern for factual or legal accuracy. 

H Rumpole, Blog Proprietor 

Sunday, January 25, 2026

NLF CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY 2026

 Good Sunday morning. There's a lot going on in the world and the sporting world, so let's get to it. 

A massive winter ❆storm is hitting the middle section of the country and the president has squarely laid the blame on the small Caribbean island of Antigua, demanding they surrender their island for reparations. "No one has ever seen anything like this storm, and the democrats and Antigua are to blame" said the president on his social media platform bullshit for beanbrains. 

China's dictator Xi Jinping eviscerated the top leadership of the People's Liberation Army, announcing investigations into China's top generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli.  Zhang's removal is the most shocking, as he and Xi are childhood friends and he was one of only a few PLA generals who had combat experience, leading a division in the lengthy boarder war with Vietnam that started in 1979. Investigations in China are similar to those announced by US Attorney General Pam Bondi- closed minded affairs with the filing of charges a forgone conclusion. The difference is that in the US we have a (semi for now) independent judiciary, but Bondi and the president are doing their level best to change that.   

As for the NFL we have two intriguing games on tap.  First up is the Cheaters at Denver who lost their star QB on a freak play at the end of the game. We are betting with our heart, not our head and taking the Broncos at home +4.5. Fun fact. Cheaters have never won a playoff game in the Mile High stadium. They are an 0-4.  The weather is a chilly 10 degrees with mild wind that will make it feel like 0. If you want to have some fun, bet Bronco QB Jarret Stidham to have over 209 passing yards. 

The best game of the day is LA at Seattle. Defense wins championships. Period. End of story. And the Seahawks have quietly built the best defense in the NFL. That D will be up against arguably the best player in the NFL this year- the fun-name-to-say Puka Nakua The Seahawks are a paltry -2.5 favorite mostly because Vegas books see a big chance for Seahawks QB Sam Darnold to screw is up, while Rams QB Matthew Stafford has been there (and NFC championship game) and done that (won).  It is really hard for us to pick against a great D. Steelers. Ravens. 85 Bears.  86 and 90 Giants with Lawrence Taylor.  

The totals in both games are tough as well. 43 in Denver (weather related) and 46 in Seattle (will the D hold up against Stafford and Nakua?)

We may just sit this one out and enjoy the game for its entertainment value, as hard as that seems to believe.  But if you are not suffering like us through the last week of Dry January and will be enjoying a few 🍺 watching the games and eating 🐔wings and pizza 🍕, then you have to take the Seahawks -2.5. 

This is the last NFL football Sunday of 2025, and it has been a fun one. It may also be our last blogging about it.  And if that is the case, we truly thank you for tuning in and reading all these years. It has been fun. As championship Golfer Gary Player wisely says about his rules of life, change is the price of survival. 

Thursday, January 22, 2026

ZOOM 2.0

 We received these two comments and are posting both in their entirety.  

The Judge goes first: 

Good evening!

Zoom is indeed available in my courtroom! It simply is not available for trial setting and evidentiary hearings. Pop in for arraignments tomorrow and you can see for yourself.

I hope this clarifies things. I am simply trying to follow the law on in-person trials and eliminate the Zoom information on trial notices, which is terribly confusing for all parties involved.

Feel free to come by Chambers for coffee to discuss anytime. Seriously. I am not above receiving constructive criticism. I welcome feedback and hope to continue to serve the community to their satisfaction and in accordance with the law.

If you wish to send me feedback anonymously or otherwise, I also monitor my judicial email regularly.

Best,

Judge Bach Armas
Thursday, January 22, 2026 6:27:53 PM
Rumpy:

This matter is a bit more nuanced than you may know. Judge Bach does not seem to want to eliminate Zoom for those 10-second hearings that do not need one’s physical presence. He seems to want to avoid the prosecution from announcing READY for trial when they really aren’t.

The rules of criminal procedure, as you have noted, are clear. We just need to file a pleading that requests Zoom hearings where appropriate. I have been filing such requests since the day that rule was passed by Florida’s Supreme Court.

While I would not be so formal in my requirements if I were a judge, I am not the judge, he is. And that position gives him the power to run his courtroom as he chooses, as long as it is within the law.

The law says that you need to request a Zoom hearing; he is asking that you do that. That probably isn’t too much to ask (that we follow the law).

Let’s see how this all plays out. If, down the road, his policies are not to your liking, you can always run against him, or support someone who will do so. In the meantime, perhaps your favorite saying should apply to us defense attorneys: ‘Lighten up, Francis.”
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 8:48:38 PM

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

BACH-ARMAS ZAPS ZOOM

 It's been a long time since we've had a chance to take a deep dive into arrant judicial arrogance. So a big thank you to our subject of today's post.  Now we don't have to write about Davos. 

Word has reached us, that much like an appointed US attorney who refuses judicial orders to be removed (see here) County Court Judge Marcus Richard Bach-Armas has stopped allowing Zoom in his fiefdom court.

First the basics.  Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.116(c)(1) requires judges to allow Zoom for short non-evidentiary hearings upon request.

Next comes the Judge's remarkable order, dated January 6 (we tell you over and over that these guys spend the holidays ruminating on how they can be tougher) basically threatening the Clerk's Office and the Administrative Office of the Courts with "sanctions" because they have not removed the zoom information on his notices to litigants for court hearings.  Now we do not (yet) have inside information, but what we are assuming is the Clerks are having a bit of trouble printing the tens of thousands of notices that go out every month using one form for every judge in the County with zoom information, and now creating a second form for this primadonna judge.  And word to the wise- F with the clerks, and no matter what you consider a win will end up being a loss. From lost files to repeated absences due to illness and a million insider tricks, the clerk's office like the Grand Canyon has been around long before you and will be here long after you are gone. They always win in the end. 


2026-01-06 Bach ORDER Directing Clerks Delete Zoom by Anonymous PbHV4H


So now we get to what you have all been waiting for. Rumpole's seriously sarcastic snide take on this. 

Maybe it's the melancholy we are experiencing as we wind down our practice and separate files for shredding.  (1998 Drug trafficking acquittal- shred. 2002 White Collar Fraud Trial in LA- shred. 2006 murder acquittal in Broward- we never wanted to see that judge's name again- shred). But before engaging in the shredding of this order, we will make an impassioned plea. 

Dear Judge. 

You handle misdemeanors. MIS-DE-MEAN-ORS. To paraphrase Judge Kathleen Williams- the red-headed stepchild of the criminal justice system (she was talking about the Federal PDs office when she said it, but the analogy fits and we love Judge Williams-who doesn't?). 

The world does not stop to see your ruling on resisting without. No one cares what happens to the loitering or prowling, or possession of marijuana, or (our favourite) the under-sized snook case.  If the Florida Legislature had listened to us years ago, you'd be adjudicating former third-degree felonies, while misdemeanors are reduced to civil infractions. But no- you have to convene a jury because the state (victim wants max) wants to try the assault via a thrown bag of potato chips (a real case we saw).  

So here is our plea. The unrepresented defendants, not to mention victims, who appear in your court are mostly from the lower socio-economic sphere of our society. Many do not have a car or a license. Even more are working a job and two or three side-gig hustles to make ends meet. Many are single parents. They do not have the luxury of time to spend the morning driving, paying for gas and then parking, and then missing out on work they do not get paid for to sit in your court for an hour waiting for their case to be called only to be told to return in three weeks for trial. Zoom saves them. It also saves the environment because it removes cars and gas emissions from the roads (although we know in this environment the mention of helping the environment will damage your chances to be appointed to the 3rd DCA because of the environment in Tallahassee).  Most of the unrepresented defendants who appear before you do not own a Tesla. 

Now we get the judicial/legal sleight of hand. If the Clerks/AOC remove the Zoom notice, then most unrepresented defendants (and some of your former colleagues who are now back to practicing law) will not know enough to request a Zoom hearing because they haven't read rule 3.116(c)(1). 

And this (as Bruce Springsteen sings in 10th Avenue Freeze out during concerts) is the important part. We get you do not like Zoom (although we do not know why). But taking advantage of the ignorance of unrepresented defendants (and some of your former colleagues) is just wrong. It violates the spirit of what the Supreme Court did (after a massive amount of pro bono work by our colleague Judge Faccidomo, Esq) to allow the court system to work more efficiently, and make it easier for that unrepresented single mom who is working 17 hours a day to appear before you without the time and expense of traveling to Court. 

So maybe re-think your order? Hand out candy like retired Judge Pooler did to people who appeared in her court. But don't remove the notice, take a gummie or meditate before court and get through zoom. The weight of public opinion and technology are against you. This is no Churchillian fight from the back bench warning of the German build-up in their air force in the 1938. This is an order that will actually hurt the people who appear before you. And despite your chosen profession, no one should intentionally want to hurt poor people through the performance of their job. Leave that for the ASA drones moaning victim wants max all day long. Do justice instead. 

And now our offer- maybe we have this wrong. Maybe the handwringing emails on the FACDL listserv have it wrong and you are simply and tragically misunderstood. So we invite you to respond. Send us an email and we promise two things- one -it will be posted in toto with no editing (as long as there are no curse words) and two- the comments will be moderated to allow only a fair debate on your actions- no trashing will be allowed. 

Yours, etc. 

H Rumpole, Esq., Blog Proprietor. 

PS: we really liked trying cases before your mother. She was a great judge. 

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

TUESDAY TITLE TALK

 Good Tuesday morning. If you're a big UM fan and not one of those bandwagon posers who bought up the tickets for the naty championship game (we overheard this from some middle age UM chippy 10k ticket buyer  at the Hardrock/Dove Soap Stadium  I like it when they try the three-point throws), then you are recovering from a tough loss. But have heart- UM is back and they will be back in a championship game. They have built a great program and were driving late in the 4th quarter for a championship against one of the great college football teams of all time. 

Despite a lo$ing weekend  of NFL bets, we rallied and recovered most of our losses with an over 46.5 bet that Indiana's last field goal secured for us. Whew. Like UM, we are back. 

What a job Curt Cignetti did for Indiana. He took one of the all-time losingest programs in college football, a program that hasn't been ranked in the top ten since Lyndon Johnson was president (and now a bunch of 30 something DeSantis drones are asking ChatGPT when ?)  and built them in two years into an undefeated championship team.  Their Heisman winning Miami-native QB was never recruited by UM, and Jamari Sharpe, who is another Miami native and made the game winning interception for Indiana is the nephew of UM defensive back Glenn Sharpe who was called for pass interference that lost UM's last championship in the Fiesta Bowl in 2003 against Ohio State.  All in all a classic game last night. 

MARKET WATCH

The Market is on shaky ground this morning (with a sharp down opening because of the news that is affecting a market that has been overbought the last ten days) as traders digest the president's threats (again) to raise tariffs against Europe unless they agree to ship the Eiffel Tower to Central Park, surrender all North Sea oil leases, and give up Greenland.  The Tariffs include 200% on French Wines (ouch). Make of this what you will, but we note that the last time the president's tariffs drove down the market in April 2025 we scooped up NVDA shares in the mid 90's (it's now 185 ish). The Vix (fear index) opened over 20 which is a good indication there will be more sellers than buyers, which brings to mind the best saying of the greatest investor of all time- Warren Buffet- When people are greedy be fearful, when people are fearful be greedy.  With those wise words in mind, there will be values in the market today and we are buyers. AMAT, ANET, AVGO, GOOG. and the banks including JPM, BAC, and MS are on our shopping list.  Keep your eye on CoreWeave (CRWV)- Potus just bought a bunch for whatever that is worth. 


Monday, January 19, 2026

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

 Well here we are finally. The U in another National Championship game, and lo and behold it is in Miami. Well, nearby. 

Good thing we did not post our NFL picks for this weekend. We LOST every game we picked, which meant it was hard seltzer for dinner instead of Opus One. Well, it would have been neither since we are doing Dry January, but we can't buy a nice Opus for dinner for Feb 1 unless we can end this mush losing streak we are on. We did hit some nice three-leg parlays in wildcard weekend, but lost it all this weekend. And BTW The Bills were ROBBED. That was a catch. Cook caught the ball. His knee was down when he had possession. Period. End of discussion. The Bills were robbed by idiot refs. 

Sometime in September 2024 a close friend whispered "Indiana" in our ear, and we went on a spectacular run. The public and the books didn't catch up to this trend until about the middle of this year. So we owe a whole lot to Indiana. And despite the front-running phonies this town is loaded with- Ex I being the absurdly high rates for a seat at Hard Roc/Tyson Chicken Nuggets Stadium tonight, we always back U of M when we can. 

The +7.5 for U M looks juicy. And if you're a big UM fan take it. Maybe Indiana is up by ten with three minutes and there's a UM TD and back door cover. Personally we think Indiana is the better team and we are going to lay the 7.5. But it's not something we have a lot of conviction on. We like the over 46.5 better. 

Enjoy the Game!

Coming next: The President demands the pacific island of Nauru and threatens Russia "If they don't return Alaska."