Criminal Law

TUESDAY NOTES

Posted on May 18, 2010
 No, not another gratuitous titty picture (see below) Hey Broward Bar Association - where's our Welcome to the BCBA packet?  And our membership cards for the Professionalism and other committees?  It's been nearly two weeks since we joined ... "Unauthorized Physical Contact" - did you know that ASAs now have access to Department of Corrections' reports detailing Defendants' prior prison stays?  Report cards, if you will, detailing fights, threats, the previously mentioned you know what, and any punishment received?  It must get awful lonely in there ...

JAABLOG SHALL RETURN SHORTLY ...

Posted on May 17, 2010
In the meantime, enjoy the Petitions For Writs/Request For Rule Nisi  filed by Messrs Tenzer & Rosenbaum in State v. Loureiro.  They're asking the Fourth DCA to intervene, in order to reverse Judge Lucy Chernow-Brown's refusal to allow discovery into the vast Gardiner/Scheinberg communications made public via the JQC's finding of probable cause, amongst other issues...

MONDAY NOTES

Posted on May 17, 2010
Frank Loconto Interviews - BECON-TV's Frank Loconto is producing professional interview spots for any judicial candidate who ponies up $175.00, in conjunction with the Broward Bar Association (yes, challengers can play too).  Interestingly, we're told the notoriously camera shy Mike Satz will sit for some Loconto softballs at some point in the future too...

COURTHOUSE LOSS

Posted on May 12, 2010
ASA Kim Anderson passed away last night after a brave fight with cancer.  Kim quickly worked her way up from juvenile to the felony division, after embarking on a second career as a lawyer in 2004.  Tough but fair, Kim even managed to handle homicide matters in a very short time...

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TUESDAY NOTES

Posted on May 11, 2010
Old news by now - but here are the resignation letters authored by Judges Frusciante, Lazarus & Gehl. What's in a name? - click here for the official name change document for county court candidate Jordan Howard Breslaw, formally making him Jordan Howard Jordan, back in 1991...

JAABWALK MONDAY

Posted on May 10, 2010
Courtrooms checked in the old courthouse between 1:34 PM and 1:51 PM.  No North Wing or Satellite courtrooms checked since they are not scheduled for demolition, despite the fact they would yield an even greater number of empty courtrooms.  Again, this isn't about judges' work habits, since some were holding hearings in chambers...

MONDAY NOTES

Posted on May 10, 2010
Love, Lee Jay - click here for Judge Lee Seidman's letter to all his county court campaign contributors.  By law, he has to notify them of his switch to circuit court Group 51, against Sandra Perlman, and refund a pro rata share if they choose not to support him in his new race...

FRIDAY NOTES

Posted on May 07, 2010
JQC v. Dale Cohen Hearing Friday (open to public) - Cohen's Motion To Dismiss will be argued today at 2:00 PM.  If you'd like to be a fly on the wall, dial 1-888-808-6959 a little before the start time, and punch in access code 1149597.  The full agenda is here...

JACK COMES THROUGH

Posted on May 07, 2010
One of JAABLOG'S oldest and dearest friends, Jack Thompson, has really come through. Sure, we've had our differences, but as far as crusaders are concerned, no one can question his undying tenacity in fighting for what he believes is right.  He's even come after us on occasion, ultimately helping, in his own unique fashion, to define the boundaries of permissible speech, activities, and responsibilities of licensed attorneys in the blogosphere...

WEDNESDAY NOTES - LLORENTE QUITS!

Posted on May 05, 2010
Heeres's Brian - Attorney Brian Simon has always seized the podium with a true advocate's zeal, and a comic's heart.  He now has a professional outlet for his love of stand-up and comedy writing, courtesy of National Lampoon's Underground Comedy Club, Fort Lauderdale...

RIDE ALONG TUESDAY AT 10:00 PM

Posted on May 03, 2010
 Point Blank ... Carmel Cafiero Presents: Pisman & Hager in ... "Arrest & File" Tune in Tuesday at Ten on WSVN Channel 7; Also shown between 5:30 & 6:30 PM Wednesday THANKS MIKE! (JAABLOG will update shortly)

JAABCAM/SUNDAY NOTES

Posted on May 02, 2010
1.) H. Wayne Huizenga Friday, at his son's sentencing.  A tough day for any father, no doubt compounded by the myriad of headaches that must accompany running an international business & charitable empire; 2.) Jim Kiick (R), running back with the undefeated '72 Dolphins, is still well protected by a front line consisting of Mike Rothschild (L) and Owen McNamee (C); 3...

PERLMAN v. SEIDMAN

Posted on April 30, 2010
                                                                                            THE HONORABLE CIRCUIT JUDGE SANDRA PERLMAN                                                                     (Eventually)                                                    GOD BLESS AMERICA                                          (Good luck to Judge Cheryl Aleman in all her future endeavors) (The Governor's Press Office is not aware of an Aleman resignation as of 12:00 PM, meaning the only wild card left is whether Judge Lee Seidman stayed in the Lebow contest, or switched to the Perlman race since Aleman didn't file ...

FRY v. HOWES v. ROSNER

Posted on April 29, 2010
John Fry is switching from county court Group 13 (Berkowitz v. Pratt), into Group 1.  His qualifying should post later today. To view all the qualified county candidates, click here.  To see the qualified circuit candidates thus far, click here. BBeat: Crist?s Independent Bid Hurts GOP Judicial Candidates

20 FOLLOWED BY TEN

Posted on April 29, 2010
Judge Michael Gates sentenced Darryl Jackson to twenty years in prison today, followed by ten years of probation, on cocaine delivery charges.  Jackson scored nearly five years at the bottom, with a three year minimum mandatory penalty.  There was no offer from the SAO, forcing an open plea to Gates, since Jackson waived his right to trial...

THURSDAY NOTES/ENTIN WEIGHS IN

Posted on April 29, 2010
Bo & Jerry's Law Day FRIDAY, followed by Schaet's coming out party - don't forget to attend the 31st Annual Law Day bash on the 30th, starting at 4:30 PM at 613 SE 1st Avenue, across from the courthouse.  Candidate Steve Schaet is having a campaign kickoff fundraiser afterwards at Yolo (starting at 6:00 PM), with more free booze and food (political advertisement blah blah blah, pick up your own copy of the flyer if you want to make sure he has the proper lingo on it)...

NO SO FAST ...

Posted on April 28, 2010
Buddy Nevins reports that Judge Lee Seidman has filed against Judge Susan Lebow.  The article is here. The announcement, however, is premature.  Seidman did, in fact, redesignate his county court filing to Lebow's race with Brenda Snipes' Office, but that was strictly for campaign account reasons...

WEDNESDAY NOTES

Posted on April 28, 2010
All eyes on the Florida Bar - in re Howard Scheinberg.  People curious as to whether soon to be Ex-Judge Ana Gardiner will have Bar problems are paying attention to Scheinberg's rumored reopened Bar case.  Are there no Bar problems at all?  Are similar deals in place for both of them?  Or, is the worst yet to come? And are local grievance committees, with possible conflicts of interest, involved?  Are Gardiner and Scheinberg being treated equally? ...

PARKER v. GILLESPIE

Posted on April 27, 2010
Attorney Oliver Parker has filed agains Circuit Judge Ken Gillespie. The filing is here. Parker is a veteran Broward Republican politician and experienced campaigner.  Time to rally for Gillespie, if you believe in good judges, and diversity on the Bench...

NOTHING YET ...

Posted on April 26, 2010
The Governor's Press Office is double checking, but as of 11:00 AM they still were not in possession of a resignation letter from Judge Cheryl Aleman.  We're told that the Governor would have had to have received and accepted a resignation by 12:00 PM today (the first day of qualifying week), in order to be able to appoint a successor...

JAABCAM

Posted on April 25, 2010
1.) Attorney Eugene Pettis on behalf of diversity on the Bench, at Friday's TJ Reddick Bar Association Press Conference; 2.) Judicial candidate Olga Levine has the Luzzites very concerned; 3.) Attorneys Michael Bloom, Jim Cobb, and GM Michael Robinson await their ten minutes before the JNC last week...

"YOU'RE A BIGOT!"

Posted on April 23, 2010
I've got me under your skin - the New Courthouse Task Force met this afternoon, primarily about parking and elevator/escalator issues.  Chief Judge Victor Tobin wasn't there, but we did spot him later heading into the meeting area some minutes after the meeting broke...

COURTING CONTROVERSY

Posted on April 23, 2010
We just got back from the TJ Reddick Press Conference about the targeting of minority judges, and the total failure of the JNC appointment process to adequately represent our minority communities on the Bench.  Just before the presentation began, we also got a call from one of our favorite (and most influential) local newsies, telling us that the publication was getting a ton of calls because of today's wild JAABLOG WELCOME photo...

BACKMAN OUT

Posted on April 23, 2010
TO:        Club Presidents, Democratic Leadership & Special friends FROM:   Jeffrey Backman Announcement -  Forwarded by Barbara Effman Since the beginning of my campaign last April, I have been honored and humbled by the outpouring of support from the entire community, both legal and non-legal...

GARDINER MAKES IT OFFICIAL

Posted on April 22, 2010
 (Sun Sentinel) Sorry, we were sworn to secrecy as to the particulars, but at least Judge Ana Gardiner gave the story to Buddy Nevins today: BBeat: Ana Gardiner Quits Bench; Gets Private Job Pulp: Bob Norman Always Gets His (Wo)man *Resignation Letter (pdf)* SS: Gardiner's Statement And now it gets really interesting ...

THURSDAY BONUS

Posted on April 22, 2010
Diversity under attack - The TJ Reddick Bar Association  is arranging a press conference at the Broward County Courthouse for tomorrow (Friday).  Two issues are on the agenda 1) the failure of the JNC to send up any minority candidates to replace Judge Peggy Gehl, and 2) to raise awareness and support for minority judges being challenged in 2010...

STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT TOMORROW AT NOON

Posted on April 22, 2010
UNDER ATTACK AND SHUT OUT: Minority Judges Not Wanted in Broward County   Ft. Lauderdale, FL ? The T.J. Reddick Bar Association will host a press conference ?Minority Judges -- Not Wanted?? on Friday, April 23, 2010, 12:15 pm, in front of the Broward County Courthouse located at 201 SE 6th Street, Ft...

WEDNESDAY BONUS

Posted on April 21, 2010
MEETING TONIGHT - the Broward Law Library Committee meets TONIGHT at 5:00 PM, in Chairperson Judge Mel Grossman's office, in Room 826 of the Broward Central Courthouse.  We're sorry for the last minute notice, but this is one Sunshine Meeting that never seems to get much light via advertising (we've left word for Grossman to call us regarding how the meetings are publicized)...

WEDNESDAY NOTES - SAVE THE LAW LIBRARY!

Posted on April 21, 2010
The Truth Shall Set You Free - we called the Florida Bar Ethics Hotline today to get some guidance on whether the same rules that restrict a lawyer's free speech rights when talking about sitting judges apply to former judges as well.  The answer?  A big fat "NO"...

JAABWALK

Posted on April 20, 2010
Courtrooms checked in the old courthouse between 1:30 PM and 1:48 PM.  No North Wing or Satellite courtrooms checked since they are not scheduled for demolition, despite the fact they would yield an even greater number of empty courtrooms.  Again, this isn't about judges' work habits, since some were holding hearings in chambers (although some of the locked courtrooms' judges were seen wandering the halls just like us)...

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