tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post8871289533095073574..comments2024-03-28T23:00:25.050-04:00Comments on THE BLOG: NEW JUDGES Rumpolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380575650255695462noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-60939276902879179932017-10-23T10:26:31.348-04:002017-10-23T10:26:31.348-04:00Nice debate. I give the match to the white guy. ...Nice debate. I give the match to the white guy. Friday, October 20, 2017 10:40:00 AM forgets that a judge on the bench is going to rule in favor of the status quo more often than not. (Of course Scott isn't going to appoint qualified minorities: what party of the Republican <i> modus operandi </i> don't you understand?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-746499035800443832017-10-20T10:40:46.561-04:002017-10-20T10:40:46.561-04:00kk,
I'm sure you're right, that we probab...kk,<br /><br />I'm sure you're right, that we probably have more in common than not. But I believe that black people in America continue to experience subjugation by white people. Slavery, to violence during reconstruction, to klan violence (often by police officers who wore hoods in their off-hours), to jim crow, to the incarceral state. Many black people are not allowed to vote because they were arrested and convicted of offenses that white people commit without consequence. They are much more likely to live in substandard areas with substandard schools, to be disciplined by school police, arrested as juveniles, and discriminated against more than ever, now that white people at the highest levels of government have decided they are color-blind. <br /><br />I completely understand your point about being a litigator v. being a judge. Our disagreement may have more to do with style than substance. In my view, when it comes to a subjugated minority, style is real important. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-82371190860932332902017-10-19T14:43:06.792-04:002017-10-19T14:43:06.792-04:00Oct. 14 @ 4:03 pm, I don’t think anyone was saying...Oct. 14 @ 4:03 pm, I don’t think anyone was saying that these two appointments weren’t deserved. That wasn’t the point at all. And what does someone’s having been a public defender have to do with whether they’re qualified for a judicial appointment?? So is your position that Scott can absolutely appoint former prosecutors directly from their position as a prosecutor, but if a person has been a public defender they first have to be a judge so people can evaluate them on the bench? If that’s the case, why doesn’t it go for the former prosecutors he's appointed?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-18920862615922327472017-10-19T12:14:16.393-04:002017-10-19T12:14:16.393-04:00You know, we are probably on the same side, so, I ...You know, we are probably on the same side, so, I guess were are in the old left-wing battle where folks who are basically in agreement fight each other to the death. I'm not going to make the claim, that the right-wing loves to make, that there is no more racism. (I live in rural Florida. We have Klansmen - actual, meeting-going, hood-wearing Klansmen.) But, there are no people alive who "have experienced centuries of dominance," or living people who have "endured centuries of subjugation." If there were, the title would not go to the Blacks, it would rest in the hands of the Irish, who had centuries of subjugation before Europeans even found Africa. <br /><br />So, if you are a rich old black lawyer, by all means, retire to the bench with all the rich old white lawyers. But, if you are a black man or woman with a law degree; use it, don't waste it. You can retire to the bench when you are done changing the world for the better. Kissimmee Kidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-49985857654494529562017-10-18T16:20:03.254-04:002017-10-18T16:20:03.254-04:00African Americans are an essential part of our com...African Americans are an essential part of our community, there are many African American lawyers, both men and women, with the qualifications for the bench and the governor should at least be cognizant that a judiciary that reflects the community is good for all of us. This was an important consideration for Jeb. If the governor isn't going to appoint qualified African Americans then he guarantees that they won't support him or his party.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-73723921331679500132017-10-17T19:58:30.744-04:002017-10-17T19:58:30.744-04:00KK,
You make this statement: "it is the role...KK,<br /><br />You make this statement: "it is the role of white people to tell black people what's best for "black folks." It is equally the role of black people to tell white people what’s best for white folks." I don't buy into this equivalence. I think people who have experienced centuries of dominance should not tell people who have endured centuries of subjugation what is good for them. It's an expression of dominance behind a smiling mask. I think it is the role of white people to assist in struggles for equality led by people of color. For the same reason, I don't think men should tell women what jobs they should take for the sake of their gender. It may be well-intentioned but it wouldn't be well-received because women are individuals, not representatives of their gender. Bias is the tendency to see a person as representing a group. <br /><br />I like Jeff Marx' verse.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-25086276560659760602017-10-17T14:59:15.519-04:002017-10-17T14:59:15.519-04:00If we all could just admit
That we are racist a li...If we all could just admit<br />That we are racist a little bit<br />Even though we all know that it's wrong<br />Maybe it would help us get alongRobert Lopez & Jeff Marxhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RovF1zsDoeMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-66336946262537150012017-10-17T14:53:36.283-04:002017-10-17T14:53:36.283-04:00Dear Anonymous;
We have a limited number of blac...Dear Anonymous;<br /><br /> We have a limited number of black lawyers. Many of them are out fighting the good fight, battling for racial equality, opposing systemic racism, and preventing injustice. They are doing vital work, and because our system of legal education is itself racist, there are not as many black lawyers as there should be. You want to take these lawyers out of the game and put them on the bench just so some other blacks can “appreciate seeing a similar face.” Wah!<br /><br /> Take the black lawyer out of the pit and put him on the bench and you’ve lost someone fighting for justice. Some poor black fellow who would have had a motivated advocate now gets shuffled off to prison, but, hey, at least the judge who sent him there had a “similar face.” He could have had a silver-haired racist say, “with that not guilty verdict, boy, you are free to go,” but, we pulled that advocate out of the game and benched him. <br /><br /> And, what about our black lawyer. We all know Florida’s criminal justice system is systemically racist. Our black judge can’t change that. Should he rig cases for black guys? It seems to me that the kind of person who would work to become a judge might have a problem with that kind of bias. They make judges swear an oath to be fair and impartial. That excludes the notion of being in the tank for the darker-skinned litigant. What if our judge is 10/16 @ 1:24 pm? He seems like the kind of person who would take the oath of office seriously. How is a person like that going to throw cases? I don’t think he would. So, if you take a person like that out of the trenches, haven’t you neutered him? (And, isn’t a further problem that if you are a black judge in a systemically racist system, aren’t you just as bad as the white judges in the same system?)<br /><br /> And while I’m on 10/16 @ 1:24 pm, it is the role of white people to tell black people what's best for "black folks." It is equally the role of black people to tell white people what’s best for white folks. Black people and white people are all people. What’s best for “black folks,” is that bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self-interest be replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will. That’s what is best for white folks too. Kissimmee Kidhttps://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie%27s_address_to_the_United_Nations,_1963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-78966732547400036002017-10-17T07:24:35.633-04:002017-10-17T07:24:35.633-04:00We need a newly composed committee of one to make ...We need a newly composed committee of one to make our judicial selections. That one person should be no other than Dan Lurvey.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-202320794866402122017-10-16T22:40:58.610-04:002017-10-16T22:40:58.610-04:00Too bad. Was hoping Brinkley got it so she would ...Too bad. Was hoping Brinkley got it so she would get out of DV. Really not a good fit for her and her bullied staff. Only Altfield is worse. People should look into his handling of former NFL player Dimitri Patterson's criminal case. Totally botched a Rule to Show Cause and a Direct Criminal Contempt. He's still trying to figure it out. Just a disaster. Ask Mark Eiglarsh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-30930155540640725592017-10-16T19:49:08.456-04:002017-10-16T19:49:08.456-04:00"I also think that white people have a hard t..."I also think that white people have a hard time owning and corraling their racial bias."<br /><br />Respectfully sir, you are a racist, quite ironically.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-55079621004823375452017-10-16T13:52:55.892-04:002017-10-16T13:52:55.892-04:0010/14 @ 11:29 responding to KK (now I'm 10/16 ...10/14 @ 11:29 responding to KK (now I'm 10/16 @ 1:24 pm CT):<br /><br />I understand your point perfectly. I don't necessarily agree that a judge can't fight for justice. I believe, for example, that FSC Justice Pariente, former 11th Cir. Judge Barkett, USSC Justice Ginsberg fight for justice by having a relatively expansive view of the Bill of Rights. But, whatever one thinks of the role of judges in fighting for justice, I don't think it's the role of white people to tell black people what's best for "black folks." <br /><br />I also think that white people have a hard time owning and corraling their racial bias. That makes it hard for them to see black people as equals, to identify with black kids the way they do with white kids. And judges have discretion in various matters, which could be exercised in a bias-inflected way. Our justice system is corrupted by unconscious bias. If I were a black defendant, I would feel more likely to get justice before a black judge. As a lawyer who defends many black clients, I prefer to litigate before a black judge, all else being equal, not because the judge will be biased in favor of my client, but because s/he won't be biased against my client. Clearly there are notable exceptions to this rule -- Clarence Thomas comes to mind. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-22370150517302983612017-10-16T13:13:40.681-04:002017-10-16T13:13:40.681-04:00"Black judges can’t do squat for black folks;..."Black judges can’t do squat for black folks; if they did, they shouldn’t be judges."<br /><br />You have no idea. Maybe you're a minority but I doubt it. You have no idea what it's like to grow up as a minority and see every judge in real life or in the media portrayed as a silver haired white man. <br /><br />You have every right to your opinion. But, to think that minorities don't appreciate seeing a similar face or one who can pronounce an ethnic name correctly, is just plain wrong. Of course, that's just MY opinion. <br /><br />You strike me as the kind of person who thinks more of himself because he supports affirmative action. I think I knew you in college. You were the one who turned to me and smiled and said, "You seem too small to play a sport...."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-83358375457336478802017-10-16T11:00:16.693-04:002017-10-16T11:00:16.693-04:00Dear Saturday, October 14, 2017 11:29:00 AM;
No,...Dear Saturday, October 14, 2017 11:29:00 AM;<br /><br /> No, I am not suggesting we vote against Black judicial candidates to make sure they remain lawyers. I am suggesting potential Black judicial candidates shouldn’t run and remain lawyers. If a Black lawyer is at the end of his career; lost the desire to fight for justice; and wants to retire in a position with a moderate paycheck where he can no longer effect social change, by all means, run for judge.<br /><br /> If a Black man or woman with a law degree wants to make the world a better place, to reverse Florida’s systemic racism, and bring the blessings of liberty to all people, the bar is the place to be, not the bench. Marshall was a better at effecting change as a litigator than he was as a justice. If you try a case, and find black folks sitting in the box, it is not because of anything Justice Marshall did; it is because a lawyer, Thurgood Marshall, litigated a case for a client. It was lawyer Marshall who kept the Miami police from coercing confessions, not Justice Marshall. <br /><br /> Black judges can’t do squat for black folks; if they did, they shouldn’t be judges. You can’t be in the tank for one party and be a judge. A lawyer, on the other hand, can. If you are happy with the status quo, and want to preserve it, run for judge. If you want to effect change . . . Kissimmee Kidhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_V._McCallnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-89523583340281176072017-10-16T06:48:14.231-04:002017-10-16T06:48:14.231-04:00Mango's go-cup in road blocking Alton Rd and 8...Mango's go-cup in road blocking Alton Rd and 8th Street. #comebackkid #griecolovesyouEye On Grieconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-35201914784728208092017-10-15T16:22:05.319-04:002017-10-15T16:22:05.319-04:00Who has applied?Who has applied?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-4285017896449080552017-10-15T09:14:14.879-04:002017-10-15T09:14:14.879-04:00Judge Melvia Green left the Third District in 2008...Judge Melvia Green left the Third District in 2008. It has had no african american appointments since and is an all white court. What does this say to the public, and<br />are you saying there are no qualified african americans available for such position?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-77149994739315132772017-10-14T16:03:57.930-04:002017-10-14T16:03:57.930-04:00Are we really at all surprised that a Republican G...Are we really at all surprised that a Republican Governor didn't appoint a former state and current Federal public defender to the bench? I am no fan of this Governor but is anyone on this blog really stupid enough to think that she would have been appointed to the bench if she were white? and spare me the fact that Cuesta was a PD, she ran for county, won, and people have had years to evaluate her on the bench.<br /><br />I can not think of a single Rick Scott appointment of a former PD directly to the bench. He has appointed Lourdes Simon, who was a former PD but was a Judge for a long time with a great reputation before she got appointed. most of his picks have been former prosecutors. is this surprising?<br /><br />also one of the last appointments to the county bench was a African American female. The governor appointed Rodney Smith and Darrin Gayles, two African-American former prosecutors to the bench.<br /><br />And whats really interesting is that no one is complaining about these two appointees because they both have excellent reputations and are qualified.<br /><br />so all this is some attempt to say the governor is racist because he didn't appoint a Public Defender to the bench?<br /><br />if you are all looking for some kind of outrage about racism--look elsewhere--its all over the place--just has nothing to do with these two well deserved appointmentsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-11449572654516562432017-10-14T14:26:23.995-04:002017-10-14T14:26:23.995-04:00Do governors in Florida typically only appoint jud...Do governors in Florida typically only appoint judges perceived to be sympathetic to their political party? Is Ms. Harris a republican? Just curious how the process typically works. If it's all party line and Ms.Harris is a democrat, why would a republican governor ever appoint her?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-57930423263801565532017-10-14T14:20:49.835-04:002017-10-14T14:20:49.835-04:00You can talk about qualifications, color, sex and ...You can talk about qualifications, color, sex and all that until the cows come home. But first and foremost will be political affiliation. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-89920784220821395052017-10-14T13:48:45.272-04:002017-10-14T13:48:45.272-04:00Most judges are judges because they can not make i...Most judges are judges because they can not make it in private practice. Judge Hanzman and very few others are the exceptionsthe trialmasternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-71535959982190568492017-10-14T11:29:59.033-04:002017-10-14T11:29:59.033-04:00I hope that Kissimee Kid (KK, who I'm guessing...I hope that Kissimee Kid (KK, who I'm guessing is white) is not suggesting we vote against Black judicial candidates to make sure they remain lawyers, because he thinks Marshall was a better litigator than justice. While he may intend this to be benign, it is not. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-39765893082192644762017-10-14T11:19:34.980-04:002017-10-14T11:19:34.980-04:00Not sure Ayana should run in an election. Ask Shir...Not sure Ayana should run in an election. Ask Shirlyon Mcwhorter how that worked out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-46690293902095116782017-10-14T08:35:15.098-04:002017-10-14T08:35:15.098-04:00Kissimee Kid- you don't need to convince me, o...Kissimee Kid- you don't need to convince me, of all people, that lawyers are 100X more valuable than judges. Sheesh. Rumpolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08380575650255695462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-36202793475104517842017-10-14T08:27:38.107-04:002017-10-14T08:27:38.107-04:00Hard to deny the reasoning Hard to deny the reasoning Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com