POST ELECTION ANALYSIS ........ COVID STYLE

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

SOME POST ELECTION ANALYSIS .......

JUDGE TUNIS

The Blog has rarely received as much negative commentary about one criminal court judge. Peter Adrien comes to mind, but that was for a totally different kind of criticism. No doubt Judge Tunis was not a favorite of many of our readers.

First, Tunis got caught with her pants down. She sat on the County and Circuit Court bench for 20 years and she never once had opposition in an election. She expected the same in 2020. Her opponent, Ms. Aponte, it could also be said, never drew so much commentary compared to any other challenger to an incumbent. That commentary from our readers was certainly ignited by the explosive writings of our Blog's Author, Horace Rumpole.

Aponte filed against Judge Gordon Murray in Group 38 of County Court in September of 2019 and she Qualified for that race. She was in that race through Thursday of Qualifying Week. It was one day before the end of Qualifying when she pulled the switcheroo and jumped into the Circuit Court race against Tunis.

Tunis threw down $150,000 of her own money into her campaign war chest figuring that would scare off any opponents. In fact she did virtually zero campaigning through March of 2020. She had only raised $8,575 when Aponte jumped into the race. Contrary to some comments from yesterday, Tunis did go on to raise a total of $128,000 from 326 contributors for the overall campaign.

Aponte, as I reported earlier, had the least amount of contributors for a winning contested election in the history of Miami-Dade County, ten people gave a total of $6,300 (and two of them were Joe Klock ($750) and his Law Firm Rasco Klock ($500).

Anyone who actually thinks that the 209,895 citizens who cast their vote for Aponte had a clue as to the negative commentary about Tunis - well, you all have been smoking your client’s hydroponic weed.

Aponte lost in 2016 to Oscar "Rodriguez-Fonts"; (Carol Breece was also in that race; Aponte came in third). Aponte lost in 2018 to Kristy "Nunez".

JUDGE REBULL

Another incumbent who drew a last minute challenger. Ms. Martinez-Scanziani also filed on the Thursday of Qualifying Week, one day before the deadline. But, Rebull was prepared for a challenge. He raised more money than we have seen in a contested raise in probably the past two decades. Rebull raised a total of $408,400 and spent over $387,000 as of last week.

Ms. Martinez-Scanziani raised only $55,000 and spent it all. She also was a previous two-time loser having lost to Judge Bernie Shapiro in 2008 and then again in 2016 in a four way race against eventual winner Mark Blumstein, and Luis Perez-Medina, and Renee Gordon; (Martinez came in last).

For those of you who think that the 192,744 voters for Martinez-Scanziani knew anything about the "transcript" or about Rebull and his courtroom demeanor - well you all have been smoking the same weed.

JUDGE MANSFIELD

Joe clearly was not prepared for a campaign. Not sure why as he was an appointed judge facing the voters for the first time. He raised $17,800 while his opponent Miguel Mirabal raised over $68,000. (Does Mirabal’s campaign photo remind you of a 1970's porn star?). (Go here for a look).

A wise commenter pointed out that Anglos have beaten Hispanics in recent judicial contests. But, what they didn’t factor in was the very different kind of campaign we had in 2020. Pre-Covid was the time when every candidate attended a live breakfast in Homestead or Perrine, a lunch in Little Havana or Hialeah and a dinner in Aventura or Miami Gardens, every single day from April until August. Thousands upon thousands of voters had the opportunity to see and hear and speak with the actual candidates. They were much better able to separate the wheat from the chaff. Not so with this election - and that my friends made all the difference in the world. Heck, Rosy Aponte, not only didn’t have to attend those breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, she didn’t even attend the Zoom forums following her "colored people" comment to the Black Lawyers (Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Bar Association) forum.

NORTH OF THE BORDER

STATE ATTORNEY

A complete shocker in Browierd as heavily favored candidate Sarahnell Murphy, a 24 year veteran of Mike Satz’ office and the candidate Satz endorsed lost in an eight way battle to a black attorney named Harold Fernandez Pryor. Pryor has been an attorney for all of seven years; (he served as an ASA for three of them). In fact Murphy could do no better than third behind Pryor and Joe Kimok (who lost to Pryor by a mere 2,600 votes out of the 206,200 cast).

Expect to see a major shake-up of the policies and procedures in the Broward State Attorney’s Office and they are both welcomed and way overdo.

PUBLIC DEFENDER

No surprise in Broward’s newly elected PD Gordon Weekes, who was Howard Finklestein’s number two for the past decade. What was a shocker is what Finkelstein did the day after the election.

He fired Weekes opponent, Ruby Green. Weekes faced retired judge Tom Lynch and Green; (Ruby came in a respectable second place). Green is 33 years old and had spent her entire eight year career working for Finkelstein and under Weekes. Weekes was the anointed successor to Finkelstein but Tom Lynch, and Green, decided to take their best shots.

Green is the current President of BACDL and she told the Sun Sentinel that she had no doubt she would be terminated after the election. From the Sun Sentinel:

"I was told not to run, I was told I couldn’t do it and I was told I was going to get fired," she wrote. "Nevertheless, I persisted because I know I am the change we seek. I know that there are so many things that happen in this office that are just down right WRONG, and I refused to sit back and let it happen ... This is not going to stop me."

Green received the following email from Finkelstein, on Wednesday at 8:34 AM:

"Thank you for your service. Your services are no longer required. Your termination is immediate."


T-74 days until the real Super Tuesday, November 3, 2020

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

VOTE - IT'S ELECTION DAY TODAY .......

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

IT’S ELECTION DAY .......

STATE ATTORNEY & JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2020

EARLY VOTING COUNTED; VOTE BY MAIL PARTIALLY COUNTED. 
TODAY'S VOTE - 94% COUNTED.
 
JUDGE TUNIS IS IN BIG TROUBLE - SHE IS NOW LOSING 57% - 43%; JUDGE REBULL ALSO BEHIND 51%-49%; JUDGE MANSFIELD LOSING TOO 51% - 49%.



ANYONE NOTICING A CERTAIN PATTERN?

NUMBERS ARE BELOW:

MAJOR UPSET BREWING IN BROWARD STATE ATTORNEY'S RACE:

Harold Fernandez Pryor - 21%
Joe Kimok - 19%
Sarahnell Murphy - 18%
　
STATE ATTORNEY

Fernandez Rundle (I)  - 61%

Melba Pearson            - 39%

　
CIRCUIT COURT CONTESTED RACES

GROUP 55 (OPEN SEAT - Judge Jeri Beth Cohen retiring)

"Nike" Adebayo     - 49%

Joe Perkins             - 51%


GROUP 57 (OPEN SEAT - Judge Bernard Shapiro retiring)

Carmen Cabarga    - 59%

Roderick Vereen   - 41%


GROUP 65

Thomas Rebull (I)     - 49%

D. Martinez-Scanziani    - 51%

　
GROUP 67

Mavel Ruiz (I)     - 55%

Marcia G Hansen  - 45%

　
GROUP 75

Dava Tunis (I)     - 43%

Rosy Aponte        - 57%

　
COUNTY COURT CONTESTED RACES

GROUP 9:

Joseph Mansfield (I)     - 49%

"Mike" Mirabal             - 51%

　
GROUP 24

Christine Bandin (I)     - 77%

Shaun Spector              - 23%

For the past two weeks Early Voting sites have been open throughout the County. Also, many of you have chosen to vote using VOTE-BY-MAIL ballots. Today the polls are open and, if you waited until today, you must go to the precinct you are assigned to and cast your votes there.

Here is what we will be following and reporting on tonight:

There are seven contested judicial elections this year with five contests in Circuit Court and two more in County Court. Three incumbent Circuit Court Judges and two incumbent County Court Judges face opposition. Two other Circuit Court races have open seats due to the retirement of the sitting judge. Finally, our incumbent State Attorney faces a strong test against an experienced opponent. 
Pick your seven winners and list them in the Comments section. Tie-breaker for first place prize - pick your winner for State Attorney.
P.S. Just a friendly reminder that, 11 weeks from today, that's 77 days in dog count, you get to cast your vote for POTUS.

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

FINALLY, ALL MIAMI-DADE COURTHOUSES ARE CLOSED .......

Rumpole Update #2: More from Judge Sayfie:
Good morning, please see below. And feel free to post.
1. If you have an out of custody client everybody stays home. 
2. If you have an in custody client for arraignment and there are no “release” type motions or plea that will get him or her released, everybody stay home. 
3. IF IN EITHER OF ABOVE SITUATIONS  the case is still printing, and it may because this is a little messy, STAY HOME, tell your client to stay home, it will be reset in your absence. 
4. If you are walking into REG it is because there is a true emergency on your case or you will be making an argument for release or you have negotiated a plea that will get your client released. 
5. First appearances will continue as normal for now. 
Please call or email me if you have any questions. 
I am cc’ing my fellow Adm Judges in the County, DV & Juvenile. Please direct questions on those divisions to them. Thank you.  
Nushin G. Sayfie, Circuit Court JudgeAdministrative Judge of the Criminal Division

Rumpole Monday Update: Every dark cloud has it's bright lights. More than a decade of dark arts and cheating has finally come to an end and our long national nightmare is over as Cheater QB Tom Brady announces that he is leaving the Cheater Patriots. Finally life can get back to normal. 

Rumpole says get back to work!!!??? What? The foremost proponent of social distancing wants people to get back to work? Yes, under this scenario: 1) Social distancing until the end of April. Get updated virus numbers for US to ensure that the viral curve is flattening; 2) Follow China model and closely examine the use of certain antiviral drugs that China has been using. China will release those numbers shortly and if there is a response to the antiviral drugs, then people under the age of 60 should return to work as long as the US has a stockpile of the drugs. This gets the economy back on track by the summer. 

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

BREAKING NEWS .....
LATEST ORDER FROM CHIEF JUDGE SOTO:

(Breaking News #2: Ohio Governor DeWine reads the Blog. His State has postponed Tuesday's primary and they are preparing to go to an all VBM [Vote By Mail] system. Governor DeSantis - read my Blog Post from this morning).

THE ELEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA
CASE NO. 20-1
(Court Administration)
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER
NO. 20-02

IN RE: COVID-19 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF COURT
FACILITIES TO THE PUBLIC IN THE
ELEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF FLORIDA
FROM MARCH 17-27, 2020.
_____________________________________________/
WHEREAS, Supreme Court Administrative Order No. AOSC20-13 sets forth COVID-19 Emergency Procedures in the Florida State Courts.

WHEREAS, mitigating the transmission of COVID-19 is a high priority, and due to the imminent danger posed by this severe acute respiratory illness that can spread among humans by way of respiratory transmission throughout Miami-Dade County, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court has implemented its Continuity of Operations Plan.

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority vested in me as Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, under Rule 2.215, Florida Rules of Judicial Administration it is hereby ORDERED:

1. Public access to court facilities is permitted for First Appearances, Baker Act and Substance Abuse (Marchman Act) proceedings, Juvenile Shelter and Detention proceedings, and emergency proceedings noticed by the presiding judge.

2. Except for the above proceedings, no public access will be allowed at any of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit’s courthouses beginning Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, March 27, 2020.

DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers in Miami-Dade County, Florida, this 16th of March 2020.
BERTILA SOTO, CHIEF JUDGE
ELEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF FLORIDA

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