Showing posts with label Judge Jacqueline Schwartz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Judge Jacqueline Schwartz. Show all posts
Friday, October 21, 2016
WELCOME OUR NEWEST JUDGE, ALEXANDER BOKOR
THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
YOUR NEWEST COUNTY COURT JUDGE IS .....
ALEXANDER S. BOKOR
Congratulations to Mr. Bokor who was appointed earlier tonight to the open seat on the County Court created by the resignation of Judge Jacqueline Schwartz.
We last covered the JNC nominating process on September 1, 2016 in a post that can be read here.
Alexander Spicola Bokor is 38 years old and he is an 11 year member of The Florida Bar. He is currently employed as an Assistant County Attorney working for the Miami Dade County Attorney's Office since 2008. He handles litigation cases and has worked as legal counsel for the Miami Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works, the Property Appraiser's Office and the Tax Collector's Office. He began his legal career with Jones Day in 2002 and worked for Kozyak Tropin from 2006-2008. You can read Judge Bokor's entire bio by going here.
Mr. Bokor was chosen by Governor Scott over Ramiro C. Areces, Raul Cuervo, Elijah Levitt, Joseph Mansfield, and Julie Harris Nelson.
YOUR NEXT CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE WILL BE .....
Chosen from among the 15 finalists that are being interviewed next week by the JNC to replace Judge Blake. On Friday, October 28, 2016, the following attorneys and County Court Judges are scheduled to be interviewed, (we have it on good word that the number has been reduced to 14):
9:30 a.m. Raul A. Cuervo
9:50 a.m. Andrea Ricker Wolfson
10:10 a.m. Spencer Jet Multack
10:30 a.m. Alexander Spicola Bokor
11:10 a.m. Jason Emilios Dimitris
11:30 a.m. Pamela M. Gordon
11:50 a.m. Joseph J. Mansfield
12:10 p.m. Lourdes Simon
1:30 p.m. Elijah A. Levitt
1:50 p.m. Victoria del Pino
2:10 p.m. Jason E. Bloch
2:30 p.m. Wendell Mitchell Graham
3:10 p.m. Milena Abreu
3:30 p.m. Ayana N. Harris
3:50 p.m. Carlos Alberto Lopez, Jr.
The JNC will send between 4-6 names to Governor Scott and he will have 60 days to make the appointment. Therefore, we should have a new Circuit Court Judge by no later than New Year's Eve.
CAPTAIN OUT .....
Captain4Justice@gmail.com
Friday, August 12, 2016
JNC RECEIVES 27 APPLICATIONS FOR COUNTY COURT OPENING .....
THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
SO, YOU WANT TO BE A COUNTY COURT JUDGE ......
With the resignation of Miami-Dade County Court Judge Jacqueline Schwartz there is currently an open seat that will be filled by Governor Scott.
The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission received applications from a total of 27 attorneys vying for the right to wear the black robe. Earlier this week, the JNC met and narrowed the list to 17 attorneys that they intend to interview on August 31st. (Those with an asterisk by their name will be interviewed).
They are:
Karl S.H. Brown ***
Raul Flores
Gordon Murray, Sr. ***
Michele A. Vargas ***
Griska Mena Rodriguez
Elijah A. Levitt ***
Joseph J. Mansfield ***
Sarah A. Mourer ***
Ramiro C. Areces ***
Evian L. White
David Alschuler
Peter Heller ***
Miguel F. Mirabal
Alexander Spicola Bokor ***
Jonathan Meltz ***
Steven G. Paulson ***
Rachel S. Glorioso Dooley ***
Raul A. Cuervo ***
Frank C. Bocanegra ***
Ernesto Martinez, Jr.
Julie Harris Nelson ***
Renier Diaz de la Portilla ***
Marilyn Blumberg
Dennis J. Wouters
Flora M. Jackson
Jacqueline Woodward ***
Pamela A. Leone
The JNC will narrow the field from the 17 interviews and they will then send 4-6 names to the Governor for his consideration.
If you have any comments on any of the applicants, positive or negative, please forward them to:
Daniel Fridman (Chair)
White & Case LLP
Southeast Financial Center
200 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 4900
Miami, FL 33131
Tel.: 305-995-5265
daniel.fridman@whitecase.com
or any of the other members of the 11th JNC. You can find those names here. And, don't forget that one of those members is actually a practicing criminal defense attorney, Robert "Bob" Pardo.
JUDGE STAN BLAKE HONORED .......
Judge Stanford "but you can call me Stan" Blake was honored this week at the Statewide Conference for Circuit Court Judges. Florida's Chief Justice Jorge Labarga awarded Judge Blake with the Chief Justice Award for Judicial Excellence.
Labarga commented that Judge Blake is well known for "his personal warmth, humor, wisdom, compassion, and courage". Judge Blake has been on the bench since 1995 serving in the Criminal Division, (including serving for eight years as Chief Administrative Judge); the General Jurisdiction Division; and the Family Division. In addition to his work on the bench, Blake has served on the Exec Board of the Florida Judicial College for 20 years; the College for Advanced Judicial Studies for 10 years; and has taught litigation skills at UM Law School for the past 18 years. You can read the entire press release by going here.
CAPTAIN OUT ......
Captain4Justice@gmail.com
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
BREAKING NEWS ... JUDGE JACQUELINE SCHWARTZ RESIGNS ....
UPDATE: THE BEST FU EVER
Everything in life comes down to the Odd Couple.
THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
BREAKING NEWS ..... JUDGE JACQUELINE SCHWARTZ HAS RESIGNED* .....
In a surprising move, Miami-Dade County Court Judge Jacqueline Schwartz informed Governor Scott that she is resigning from the bench. Rather than face continued scrutiny by the Florida Supreme Court, and an ongoing investigation by the JQC, which is in the midst of its inquiry into her most recent actions while on, and off, the bench, Schwartz chose to end the case, and her judicial career.
Judge Schwartz had a colorful history while serving on the bench in Miami-Dade County.
Schwartz became an attorney in 1992 and joined Yale Galanter's law firm as an associate. After spending two years there, she broke out on her own for the next eight years.
In 2002 she announced for Group 19 of the County Court. Her opponent, Eric Hendon. In the September 2002 primary, she defeated Hendon 121,453 - 115,568. She then ran, unopposed, for reelection in 2008.
In 2014, Schwartz drew two opponents: Frank Bocanegra and Rachel Dooley. Schwartz garnered over 49% of the vote in the primary but Bocanegra forced her into a runoff. In the runoff, Schwartz retained her seat by a 58% - 42% margin.
It was on election night 2014, November 4th, that the proverbial sh-t began to hit the fan. On that night, her campaign manager provided a statement to a Herald reporter, on behalf of Judge Schwartz, which stated:
..... that the voters seemed to have "gone past the days when any nondescript Hispanic could go on the ballot and defeat any Anglo sitting judge" .....
The statement was not well received.
Schwartz began her apology tour by issuing the following statement:
"I fully understand my comments could readily been seen as offensive to the community, something I never intended and that pains me greatly... I should have never issued the post-election statement that has, understandably, caused so much concern. I retract the statement completely"
Schwartz also appeared before the CABA Board of Directors to personally apologize for her comments.
Her problems didn't end there. They actually began several months earlier in June of 2014. You see, it was during that hotly contested 2014 campaign against Bocanegra and Dooley that Schwartz noticed a oversized campaign sign outside a Kwik Stop store in Miami. Schwartz, not particularly caring for the fact that the Kwik Stop decided to support her opponent, went inside the store and confronted the store's owner. Schwartz got into an argument with the owner, Firas Hussain, and eventually told him to "Go F--k yourself" and then threatened to sue him.
After the election, in February of 2015, the JQC filed formal charges against Schwartz for her conduct at the Kwik Stop store. Schwartz and her attorney reached an agreement with the JQC whereby she would issue a written apology and be publicly reprimanded before the Florida Supreme Court.
But, the Florida Supreme Court rejected that resolution. Finally, in April of 2015, Schwartz agreed to not only issuing the formal letter of apology, and the public reprimand, but also to a 30 day suspension and a fine of $10,000. The public reprimand took place on December 9, 2015. It didn't take long for Schwartz to step out of line yet again.
On March 18, 2016, at the Ergon Greek Restaurant, Schwartz was “acting in an irrational and disorderly manner,” slurring and spilling wine, according to a report. Miami paramedics and police were called to the scene and she told them they “couldn’t do anything” to her because she is a judge. She continued her tirade: “You are a f---ing idiot, you don’t know who I am,” she yelled at a waiter after she was refused more alcohol, according to a state investigative report. The report also quoted the judge calling police officers “pigs” when they were summoned to the restaurant to investigate.
Ten days later, on March 28th, while sitting on the bench, according to a JQC Report on the matter:
“Court personnel, litigants and police officers waiting to testify observed that you were unsteady on your feet, slurring your words and unable to concentrate,”. Chief Judge Bertila Soto ordered she go home. Schwartz insisted she could drive herself, but her bailiff ultimately took her. The investigation revealed that she could not remember her own address.
The JQC opened their newest investigation into Judge Schwartz' latest antics on April 18th, issuing new formal charges. The following day, on April 19th, the Florida Supreme Court issued an emergency Order that stated, in part:
"Judge Jacqueline Schwartz is hereby immediately suspended from office with pay pending disposition of this proceeding. The parties shall file simultaneous responses as to why Judge Schwartz should not be suspended without pay pending disposition of this proceeding"
On June 30, 2016, the Florida Supreme Court issued a new ruling, stating:
"Having considered the parties' responses and the applicable law, the suspension of Judge Schwartz shall remain with pay pending disposition of this proceeding".
Surprisingly, Schwartz chose to resign rather than continue her battle to retain her job. She was represented throughout the JQC proceedings by attorney Jeffrey Feiler.
So, now, the JNC will begin the process of accepting applications, interviewing attorneys, and sending names up to Governor Scott who will eventually name her replacement.
*The resignation is effective as of July 31, 2016.
CAPTAIN OUT .....
Captain4Justice@gmail.com
Everything in life comes down to the Odd Couple.
THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
BREAKING NEWS ..... JUDGE JACQUELINE SCHWARTZ HAS RESIGNED* .....
In a surprising move, Miami-Dade County Court Judge Jacqueline Schwartz informed Governor Scott that she is resigning from the bench. Rather than face continued scrutiny by the Florida Supreme Court, and an ongoing investigation by the JQC, which is in the midst of its inquiry into her most recent actions while on, and off, the bench, Schwartz chose to end the case, and her judicial career.
Judge Schwartz had a colorful history while serving on the bench in Miami-Dade County.
Schwartz became an attorney in 1992 and joined Yale Galanter's law firm as an associate. After spending two years there, she broke out on her own for the next eight years.
In 2002 she announced for Group 19 of the County Court. Her opponent, Eric Hendon. In the September 2002 primary, she defeated Hendon 121,453 - 115,568. She then ran, unopposed, for reelection in 2008.
In 2014, Schwartz drew two opponents: Frank Bocanegra and Rachel Dooley. Schwartz garnered over 49% of the vote in the primary but Bocanegra forced her into a runoff. In the runoff, Schwartz retained her seat by a 58% - 42% margin.
It was on election night 2014, November 4th, that the proverbial sh-t began to hit the fan. On that night, her campaign manager provided a statement to a Herald reporter, on behalf of Judge Schwartz, which stated:
..... that the voters seemed to have "gone past the days when any nondescript Hispanic could go on the ballot and defeat any Anglo sitting judge" .....
The statement was not well received.
Schwartz began her apology tour by issuing the following statement:
"I fully understand my comments could readily been seen as offensive to the community, something I never intended and that pains me greatly... I should have never issued the post-election statement that has, understandably, caused so much concern. I retract the statement completely"
Schwartz also appeared before the CABA Board of Directors to personally apologize for her comments.
Her problems didn't end there. They actually began several months earlier in June of 2014. You see, it was during that hotly contested 2014 campaign against Bocanegra and Dooley that Schwartz noticed a oversized campaign sign outside a Kwik Stop store in Miami. Schwartz, not particularly caring for the fact that the Kwik Stop decided to support her opponent, went inside the store and confronted the store's owner. Schwartz got into an argument with the owner, Firas Hussain, and eventually told him to "Go F--k yourself" and then threatened to sue him.
After the election, in February of 2015, the JQC filed formal charges against Schwartz for her conduct at the Kwik Stop store. Schwartz and her attorney reached an agreement with the JQC whereby she would issue a written apology and be publicly reprimanded before the Florida Supreme Court.
But, the Florida Supreme Court rejected that resolution. Finally, in April of 2015, Schwartz agreed to not only issuing the formal letter of apology, and the public reprimand, but also to a 30 day suspension and a fine of $10,000. The public reprimand took place on December 9, 2015. It didn't take long for Schwartz to step out of line yet again.
On March 18, 2016, at the Ergon Greek Restaurant, Schwartz was “acting in an irrational and disorderly manner,” slurring and spilling wine, according to a report. Miami paramedics and police were called to the scene and she told them they “couldn’t do anything” to her because she is a judge. She continued her tirade: “You are a f---ing idiot, you don’t know who I am,” she yelled at a waiter after she was refused more alcohol, according to a state investigative report. The report also quoted the judge calling police officers “pigs” when they were summoned to the restaurant to investigate.
Ten days later, on March 28th, while sitting on the bench, according to a JQC Report on the matter:
“Court personnel, litigants and police officers waiting to testify observed that you were unsteady on your feet, slurring your words and unable to concentrate,”. Chief Judge Bertila Soto ordered she go home. Schwartz insisted she could drive herself, but her bailiff ultimately took her. The investigation revealed that she could not remember her own address.
The JQC opened their newest investigation into Judge Schwartz' latest antics on April 18th, issuing new formal charges. The following day, on April 19th, the Florida Supreme Court issued an emergency Order that stated, in part:
"Judge Jacqueline Schwartz is hereby immediately suspended from office with pay pending disposition of this proceeding. The parties shall file simultaneous responses as to why Judge Schwartz should not be suspended without pay pending disposition of this proceeding"
On June 30, 2016, the Florida Supreme Court issued a new ruling, stating:
"Having considered the parties' responses and the applicable law, the suspension of Judge Schwartz shall remain with pay pending disposition of this proceeding".
Surprisingly, Schwartz chose to resign rather than continue her battle to retain her job. She was represented throughout the JQC proceedings by attorney Jeffrey Feiler.
So, now, the JNC will begin the process of accepting applications, interviewing attorneys, and sending names up to Governor Scott who will eventually name her replacement.
*The resignation is effective as of July 31, 2016.
CAPTAIN OUT .....
Captain4Justice@gmail.com
Monday, April 18, 2016
JUDGE JACQUELINE SCHWARTZ IN TROUBLE AGAIN
We interrupt our Donald Trump like coverage of the suspension of Judge Schwartz to remind the denizens of the REGJB that there is a lunch and learn Wednesday.
The topic, and we couldn't make this up if we tried, is...
"Defending clients with professional licenses."
Hmm.. truth is stranger than fiction.
Sometimes the blog spirits shine on us.
Go eat and learn.
UPDATE: Judge Schwartz has been suspended. Initially the suspension is with pay. In other words, unlike the rest of the real world, she doesn't have to work for her paycheck. But we understand, she is a constitutional officer (as difficult as that may be to choke down) and there has to be a procedure in place for the Supreme Court to suspend her without pay. The below order requires the parties to brief that issue.
THE DBR REPORTS:
The topic, and we couldn't make this up if we tried, is...
"Defending clients with professional licenses."
Hmm.. truth is stranger than fiction.
Sometimes the blog spirits shine on us.
Go eat and learn.
UPDATE: Judge Schwartz has been suspended. Initially the suspension is with pay. In other words, unlike the rest of the real world, she doesn't have to work for her paycheck. But we understand, she is a constitutional officer (as difficult as that may be to choke down) and there has to be a procedure in place for the Supreme Court to suspend her without pay. The below order requires the parties to brief that issue.
THE DBR REPORTS:
Disciplinary troubles mounted Monday for Miami-Dade County Court Judge Jacqueline Schwartz, who was accused of being intoxicated in court and starting a drunken confrontation with staff and police at a Miami restaurant...
Thee latest incident, according to the state Judicial Qualifications Commission.
Witnesses said the judge "took the bench and presided over a criminal traffic docket while impaired" March 28, the commission charges said.
"After approximately 90 minutes, Judge Schwartz was removed from the bench by the chief judge and sent home. At first, Judge Schwartz stated that she was OK to drive herself home," the complaint said. Her bailiff drove her home in her car, but the judge couldn't remember her address or give directions and didn't recognize her bailiff or realize she was in her own car.
There was also an incident on March 18 at the Ergon Greek restaurant where the police had to be called and the judge was removed and appeared to be intoxicated, cursed at the police officers, threatened them, told them she was a judge, and threatened to have a waiter who would not serve her alcohol fired.
Most disturbing of all is that Judge Schwartz "self reported" the incident to the JQC in which she totally and completely denied anything unusual occurring. This despite the fact that patrons of the restaurant individually called 911.
Most disturbing of all is that Judge Schwartz "self reported" the incident to the JQC in which she totally and completely denied anything unusual occurring. This despite the fact that patrons of the restaurant individually called 911.
Probable cause has been found. Things look dim.
There are times we are hard on people and there are times we are not. In the pages of this blog recently we have refused to publicize the name of a prosecutor arrested. We said it was personal incident and we didn't want to pile on. We distinguished the arrest from an incident that would occur during the time someone was at work.
Judge Schwartz was impaired on the bench. (Allegedly). She was removed from the bench by our chief judge while trying to preside over a trial. There was a rumor she locked herself in her chambers. Most disturbingly, Judge Schwartz apparently attempted to drive home but was stopped by police at the courthouse.
We are by no means DUI experts, but isn't there case law that allows for the arrest of an individual who is impaired and has car keys and is going to their car under the theory they are in actual or constructive possession of their vehicle?
Was Judge Schwartz granted a courtesy that normal clients, defendants, lawyers, have not been granted?
Enough is enough. Whether she has an alcohol problem or not, this is a judge who is consistently rude to people, who flouts her position as a judge outside of court and during the time she has nasty interactions with the public, and has firmly demonstrated in our mind that she does not have the ability, temperament and judgement to be a judge. She should do us all a favor and resign. If she doesn't resign, she should be removed.
And the Miami Herald should cringe that they endorsed her in the last election and they should issue a retraction and admit they got it 100% wrong.
Judge Schwartz's behavior is an embarrassment and brings discredit to the legal profession and the judiciary.
There are times we are hard on people and there are times we are not. In the pages of this blog recently we have refused to publicize the name of a prosecutor arrested. We said it was personal incident and we didn't want to pile on. We distinguished the arrest from an incident that would occur during the time someone was at work.
Judge Schwartz was impaired on the bench. (Allegedly). She was removed from the bench by our chief judge while trying to preside over a trial. There was a rumor she locked herself in her chambers. Most disturbingly, Judge Schwartz apparently attempted to drive home but was stopped by police at the courthouse.
We are by no means DUI experts, but isn't there case law that allows for the arrest of an individual who is impaired and has car keys and is going to their car under the theory they are in actual or constructive possession of their vehicle?
Was Judge Schwartz granted a courtesy that normal clients, defendants, lawyers, have not been granted?
Enough is enough. Whether she has an alcohol problem or not, this is a judge who is consistently rude to people, who flouts her position as a judge outside of court and during the time she has nasty interactions with the public, and has firmly demonstrated in our mind that she does not have the ability, temperament and judgement to be a judge. She should do us all a favor and resign. If she doesn't resign, she should be removed.
And the Miami Herald should cringe that they endorsed her in the last election and they should issue a retraction and admit they got it 100% wrong.
Judge Schwartz's behavior is an embarrassment and brings discredit to the legal profession and the judiciary.
Here is the complaint.
Jeff Feiler, Esq., for the defense.
Jeff Feiler, Esq., for the defense.
Monday, March 09, 2015
I'M SORRY
Choosing between the two, we're going to go with the "I'm sorry song". Big fans of Calvin and Hobbes. Not so big a fan of the other….
see you in court.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
F'ING SORRY
When we last left the Honorable Jacqueline Schwartz (Motto" Last names matter") she had told the supporter of her opponent "F*&K YOU" literally and after winning he election, "F%#K YOU" figuratively to Miami's Latin Community. Here's the recap of her insulting the Cuban Community and her apology. Basically, after winning a contentious race where she cursed like a sailor, she reflected on her victory by saying "that voters had "gone past the days when any nondescript Hispanic could go on the ballot and defeat any Anglo sitting judge."
We covered the most infamous judicial victory speech here.
Now the Florida Supreme Court will publicly reprimand Judge Schwartz. For those of you not familiar with a public reprimand, the Supreme Court summons the offending judge to Tallahassee where basically they yell at her and ask "what the F%^K were you thinking?"
How will this all play out?
No F'ing idea.
See You in F'ing court.
We covered the most infamous judicial victory speech here.
Now the Florida Supreme Court will publicly reprimand Judge Schwartz. For those of you not familiar with a public reprimand, the Supreme Court summons the offending judge to Tallahassee where basically they yell at her and ask "what the F%^K were you thinking?"
How will this all play out?
No F'ing idea.
See You in F'ing court.
Friday, November 07, 2014
TAKE FOOT. OPEN MOUTH. INSERT.
IN WAR: RESOLUTION. IN DEFEAT: DEFIANCE. IN VICTORY: MAGNANIMITY. IN PEACE: GOODWILL.
Winston Spencer Churchill.
Judge Jacqueline Schwartz, if nothing else, has shown us that she is no WSC.
In Victory? Piss off the Miami Hispanic community.
This is what she said about her reelection:
When Schwartz won reelection Tuesday over lawyer Frank Bocanegra, she issued a statement saying voters had "gone past the days when any nondescript Hispanic could go on the ballot and defeat any Anglo sitting judge."
David Ovalle's article on Schwartz's latest misstep is here.
The Cuban-American Bar Association fired back:
In a letter sent to her on Wednesday, the Cuban American Bar Association said "the statement is incompatible with your duties as a judge and with the dignity of judicial office."
Her "troubling" words suggest that "some or all of your Hispanic colleagues on the bench achieved their positions by virtue of a 'nondescript Hispanic name' and not because of their hard work, professionalism and other qualifications," CABA President Ricardo Martinez-Cid wrote.
Schwartz tossed the letter in the trash before going out for a lunch of Arroz con pollo, or maybe as David Ovalle likes to muse, arroz con mango. (she didn't really do that as far as we know).
Remember that during the campaign Schwartz told a store clerk to "Go F themselves" when they refused to take down a large Bocanegra sign. (See our post in September "...And the horse you rode in on."
Next up for Judge Schwartz: why battered women need to toughen up and stop complaining.
In other news, the Lunch and Learn Seminar for November on "Ethics and Ethnic Sensitivities in Miami" to be taught by Judge Jacqueline Schwartz has been unfortunately postponed until never and a day.
See You In Court, where gone are the days....nah. Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent.
Winston Spencer Churchill.
Judge Jacqueline Schwartz, if nothing else, has shown us that she is no WSC.
In Victory? Piss off the Miami Hispanic community.
This is what she said about her reelection:
When Schwartz won reelection Tuesday over lawyer Frank Bocanegra, she issued a statement saying voters had "gone past the days when any nondescript Hispanic could go on the ballot and defeat any Anglo sitting judge."
David Ovalle's article on Schwartz's latest misstep is here.
The Cuban-American Bar Association fired back:
In a letter sent to her on Wednesday, the Cuban American Bar Association said "the statement is incompatible with your duties as a judge and with the dignity of judicial office."
Her "troubling" words suggest that "some or all of your Hispanic colleagues on the bench achieved their positions by virtue of a 'nondescript Hispanic name' and not because of their hard work, professionalism and other qualifications," CABA President Ricardo Martinez-Cid wrote.
Schwartz tossed the letter in the trash before going out for a lunch of Arroz con pollo, or maybe as David Ovalle likes to muse, arroz con mango. (she didn't really do that as far as we know).
Remember that during the campaign Schwartz told a store clerk to "Go F themselves" when they refused to take down a large Bocanegra sign. (See our post in September "...And the horse you rode in on."
Next up for Judge Schwartz: why battered women need to toughen up and stop complaining.
In other news, the Lunch and Learn Seminar for November on "Ethics and Ethnic Sensitivities in Miami" to be taught by Judge Jacqueline Schwartz has been unfortunately postponed until never and a day.
See You In Court, where gone are the days....nah. Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent.
Friday, October 17, 2014
ON SECOND THOUGHT....
"Sometimes wrong, but never in doubt" was the funny, dismissive comment our wonderful law school property professor would quip when he zeroed in on a first year law student and didn't get the correct answer.
Perhaps that should be the motto of the Miami Herald as this week they WITHDREW their previous endorsement of embattled County Court Judge Jacqueline Schwartz ("take down that stinkin sign") and endorsed her opponent Frank Bocanegra.
Perhaps that should be the motto of the Miami Herald as this week they WITHDREW their previous endorsement of embattled County Court Judge Jacqueline Schwartz ("take down that stinkin sign") and endorsed her opponent Frank Bocanegra.
The Miami Herald withdraws an election recommendation rarely, sometimes reluctantly, when new information leads to reconsideration. And this is the case in the runoff between incumbent Miami-Dade County Judge Jacqueline Schwartz and attorney Frank Bocanegra. In August, the Herald recommended Ms. Schwartz’s re-election because of her experience on the bench. The incumbent drew two opponents for the primary. She and Mr. Bocanegra ended up in a runoff.
Since the primary, the Miami Herald reported an incident at a Coconut Grove convenience store in which the owner said that Ms. Schwartz demanded that he remove an opponent’s oversized campaign sign from the parking lot outside or display hers, too, then cursed at him when he said he could not because he was not the property owner. The story continues that the judge called Miami code enforcement, which made the store owner remove the too-large sign.
This raises sufficient questions about the judge’s demeanor. The individuals interviewed at the convenience store — a cashier corroborated the story in a sworn statement — said they did not know she was a judge when she came in.
Mao said "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."
But Mao never had Miami Code Enforcement as a weapon.
See you in court.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
...AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON
Legend has it that during an otherwise non-descript late afternoon hearing before the legendary Judge Ellen Morphonious, a "C" prosecutor told the "C" PD "fuck you."
The PD turned to Judge Morphonious and asked her if she heard what the prosecutor just said to him?
And Judge Morphonious replied: "Yes. He forgot to say 'and the horse you rode in on'. "
Such were the fun days in the REGJB, when a little release of stress didn't lead to bar complaints, human resource investigations and discipline, and anger management classes. We know who both the lawyers are, they can reveal themselves in the comments section if they wish, and both have gone on to distinguished careers.
All of this is a prelude to the Miami Herald article hear about Judge Jacqueline Schwartz who allegedly told employees of a convenience store that was displaying a large sign for one of her opponents in the last election (she had two, one is remaining in a run-off) to "go fuck yourself" after they refused to remove the sign.
Campaigns are a tough business. All politics is local, and nothing is personal: "It's not personal Tom. It's strictly business." Michael Corleone to Tom, after he removed his brother as consigliere to the family.
Say what you want about judicial temperament, and Judge Schwartz has her share of complaints about her performance as a county court judge, but she wasn't wearing robes when she said this. Admittedly she was verbally abusing a few powerless clerks since the owner of the building had put up the sign and they had no authority to take it down, but there is something old-school about this incident.
Courts are closed today as members of the Jewish faith begin ten days of introspection and reflection culminating in the day of atonement when they make amends for their shortcomings for the prior year. It's an excellent time for people to seek out those they have hurt or insulted (or wrongfully cursed at) and seek forgiveness. Of course, we lead an exemplarily life and such pedestrian concerns are beneath us. But for the rest of you, get your house in order for a new year.
See You In Court.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
REVEALED!!!
That Judge who was harassed by that "Gorilla Monsoon" looking gendarme was none other than retired Judge Rick Margolius, a/k/a Ric Zweig, as his website here explains everything.
Ric writes in the "royal we" on his site, as we do here, and that says something about class. In perusing his site we learned that he had a "much anticipated album" that was released in May, as well as news, blogs, and a must see photos section, which goes to prove that there is indeed life after the REGJB, and apparently a good one at that!
Ace PD David Sisselman was first with the guess and for that he wins lots of valuable prizes as well as public accolades.
COMINGS AND GOINGS:
The Colonel of County Court shot us a short email yesterday that Judge Jacqueline Schwartz has assumed responsibilities in courtroom 2-11, taking over for Judge Joe Fernandez, who has moved up to Circuit Court, taking over the calendar for Judge Bertie Soto, who is now chief honcho for criminal court.
Query: is this the first time that a one former spouse has taken over the calendar for the other? And isn't that just so 2010 ish?
HOLIDAY:
Our readers were quick to clear up the question we had the other day. The Courts are closed Monday July 5, 2010 for the 4th of July Holiday. That means we're outta here Thursday July 1, 2010, and off to the Vineyard for the long weekend. It's really the place to be for those long summer weekends. Look for us at the Black Dog Tavern or Sharky's Cantina for some cold margaritas and of course the Beach Plum for dinner, but make your reservations now, unless you know Jill at the door. She's very sweet to us.
See You In Court real soon.
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