AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES...VOTE FOR DALE'S #2 LYNCH AND KEEP IT LIVELY!
Categories: Korda, Aleman, DRoss, OConnor, Greene, Diaz, Seidlin, Feiner
Trouble on the bench
Posted June 15 2007
Copyright © 2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Comments deemed insensitive. Complaints of judicial misconduct. Misdemeanor arrests. Broward's judiciary has come under scrutiny from minority lawyers' groups and the public at large.
County Judge Leonard Feiner sparked controversy in June 2005 when he disparaged the court's primarily Haitian-American cleaning crew for leaving his bench in disarray, saying they may live in "hovels."
County Judge Robert Diaz served a two-week suspension in August 2005 for sending anonymous e-mails to a fellow judge and the Broward County Hispanic Bar Association implying that the judge was reporting illegal immigrants to federal authorities.
Circuit Judge Lawrence Korda came under fire in December 2005 when he berated a woman seeking a restraining order for speaking her native Spanish in his courtroom rather than English.
Circuit Judge Cheryl Alemán was accused in February of "engaging in a pattern of arrogant, discourteous and impatient conduct" and charged with violating judicial codes of conduct by the state's judicial watchdog agency.
Circuit Judge Eileen O'Connor's charges of judicial misconduct were dismissed in September. She had been accused of failing to disclose two employee-discrimination complaints when she applied to become a judge in 2003.
Broward Chief Judge Dale Ross was criticized for his Feb. 4 conduct while presiding over magistrate court, where he sarcastically commented on rap music, NASCAR fans and a Spanish-speaking defendant.
Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin gained attention for his emotional ruling and discourses during the legal battle over Anna Nicole Smith's remains. Legal pundits criticized Seidlin's antics and he was twice lampooned on Saturday Night Live.
Circuit Judge Charles Greene stepped down as the county's chief criminal judge May 1 and asked to be reassigned to the civil division after being criticized for making the remark "NHI" (No Humans Involved) in a criminal case in which the defendant, victim and witnesses were black. Greene said the reference had nothing to do with race, he was commenting on the jurors' inability to sympathize with the victim and witnesses, but attorneys called it insensitive.
it certainly keeps us Bloggers in business.
Most notably... Lynch's name DOES NOT appear on that list. Neither does many other judges. Way to keep highlighting the negative Bill!!!
Broward needs change. A vote for Lynch = more Ross and more Spechler. Out with the old boy network, the oinkers blew it. Reform Broward now.
Bill G - do you like dudes? I know you are sleeping with that one particular female reporter at the New Times, but I also have seen you with other guys/girls. I am a dude, and I'd love to meet up with u....
They left out June Johnson and Schapiro.
To 3:37 - Is that you Sprinkles?
Are the computers in State Rep Seiler's offices public domain?
say what you want about Diaz and his methods he did imply what was found to be true about seidman harassing ilegals down south. guess the sentinal forgot he lied under oath to the jnc about this. I would say lying under oath is much worse then silly emails.
3:37 sounds more like Mr.Williams
this link is to an article in the sun sentinel.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pdui15jun15,0,419945.story?coll=sfla-news-palm
lying seems to be ok in this modern world. you just can't smoke pot in public or steal a remote control like that appellate court judge who got removed.
sprinkles and gelin sitting in a tree
....and that is just the stuff in the papers.
The left out stuff:
Judge Kaplan: holding a child in in the detention center for being missing curfew (according to mom)
Judge Holmes: holding too many defendants in custody because their affidavits to remain on the bond are not in court with them. Or, more recently, taking prosecutor's cell phones.
Or our baliffs: zapping defendants who are handcuffed to chairs. Or, the baliffs simply just yelling at every attorney in the courtroom, simply for trying to discuss their case (possibly in order to RESOLVE IT).
Or how about our very own State Attorney's Office, who, offer first time offenders Florida State Prison on cases that should be probation offers. Back to the Judges briefly: how about the Judges that don't get involved when the State Attorney offers these outrages plea offers.
This is just Broward. Where the rich run the courts and the poor sit in jail until their defense attorney takes the case to trial because their client can not afford the $1,000 bond, and at the bond reduction hearing the Judge heard, oh my, their was a previous capias issued 6 years ago for a missed court date. Motion denied.
Something is definitely wrong with the way the Justice System is being managed in Broward. There is no question about that, despite the way they attempt to diminish the contribution of this blog. Maybe they should focus more on doing something about the real problems facing our judiciary and less time criticizing people that are crying for justice and fairness. I guess the problems are not just with some of the judges. The system needs a overhaul and the correction seems to be happening of its own accord even with the foot dragging by some to maintain the status quo. The motives of these people will ultimately fail and for good reason truth and dignity will win out. Thanks for this forum. The first way to fix the problems are to bring them to the forefront and discuss them. It you don't know about them, you can't do anything to help solve them.
It's the lack of care that stands out here
I disagree. They do care greatly about getting reelected.
Interesting article
Do these people care what impact they're having on society in a broader sense?
The thing that gets me is why they consider any criticism of their actions is unwarranted. We're all human and we all make mistakes. But after all, they're the ones that ultimately created the various situations that prompted the response. They're the ones that have either been elected or appointed to fulfill this great responsibility to our legal system. SO what's the huff all about when they act as though they are the ones being persecuted?
a lot of these people are neurotic, with self-esteem issues. that's why they seek the power in the 1st place. they also have tough jobs in that they do protect the public from violent slimeballs.
maybe the fact that they are power freaks to begin with, and the fact that they are the ones that have the balls to stare down the bad guys and say "30 years", risking the wrath of defendants and their violent friends, means that they inevitably start to think of themselves as superhuman, just so they can continue to function? who knows. the reality is they should not stay in criminal so long.
Backman has got the brass ring rumor has it.
ROTATE THE JUDGES LIKE OTHER CIRCUITS !! GET IT
It's true that the Broward justice system needs a complete overhaul. Not just of judges, but the PD's office as well. Finklestein has absolutely destroyed what was once the most formidable PD's office in the State, with the blessing of Satz and many of the judges. I would be legitimately either frightened or despondent to be an indigent defendant in Broward County for ALL of the above reasons. And we haven't even gotten into how many of the court reporters are blitzed out of their mind every day while typing transcripts upon which people's lives hang. The entire courthouse is a disaster area. We should weed out the incompetents and start over. Seriously.
I was disgusted to learn that Paul Backman is a potential replacement for Ross. Backman is ill-tempered and, like Eileen O'Connor, violates the Judicial Code of Ethics they swore to uphold be refusing to allow interested parties to a case - including victims - to appear before the court and/or be heard. Backman once horribly insulted the mother of a child victim openly in court by sarcastically asking her if she "likes it when men inappropriately touch her child". The mother, who was completely shocked, embarrassed and humiliated in front of courtroom spectators, fought back tears as Backman viciously attacked her without cause or justification. To think this same man could be Broward's top judge would be for the court to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. Eileen O'Connor is another ill-tempered judge with an ego that knows no bounds in my personal opinion. She often denies motions without giving an explanation and without allowing the defendant the opportunity to come before the court to be heard on motions submitted as required by at least one Canon in the Judicial Code of Conduct. It is my opinion that she never got out of the "prosecutor" mode of thinking when Jeb Bush put on her the bench and, in my opinion, she continues to act like one in her judicial duties which put defendants at a very unfair and unjust disadvantage. It's unfortunate that Jeb and the JQC turned a blind eye to the complaints against this judicial tyrant (in my opinion). By the way, speaking of Republicans, what's up with this?
http://beam.to/gonzo-pedo