A Calculated Scorched Earth Policy or a Simple Case of Al Haig Disease? Judge Elijah Williams Has Had Enough!
Mel Grossman = Al Haig? Elijah Williams
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HERALD:
Broward Judge Quits Diversity Board:
http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/174480.html
Finally, judges are starting to take a stand in broward. Good for you Elijah. Its a shame that he had to be pushed to the point where strong language has to be used to get his message accross. Seems like Elijiah has been put in a situation where he feels like he is being treated unfairly. Leaders are not afraid to speak out.
Great letter Judge Williams...it's about time that someone takes a stand around here. Thank you.
good job Dale, er I mean Mel. good luck now finding someone of Eli's caliber to fix your systemic problems.
why don't you people just go away and give our community a break?
Mel stepped in it this time. Greene's were words, Mel's are actions. Diversity, such an important issue like this to broward county and its not valued as such. I wonder what Clinton, Sharpton, Jackson or even Bush would say about this or will say about this.
Grossmans dismissive tone. Letter sounds like the old south, boy, you aint important.
This is so shameful! We get good judges, and they get urinated on.
We try and find people who are honest and fair, and those who would use the tactics of the bully prevail.
There isn't even justice between the justices of our court.
What next?
"The quality of mercy is not strain'd.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath.
It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."
Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice (Act IV, Scene I)
Shall we show mercy or extract another pound of flesh?
i love judge williams. he's a good, honest, committed judge...he's great for the juvenile, or any bench, for that matter. he's a successful black man who can influence young black defendants that they can actually be something other than a black defendant. i just wish judge williams didn't use terms like, "carrying the white man's water." i would have preferred something like, "carrying the biggot's water."
To Lloyd Goldburgh who wrote:
"i love judge williams. he's a good, honest, committed judge...he's great for the juvenile, or any bench, for that matter. he's a successful black man who can influence young black defendants that they can actually be something other than a black defendant. i just wish judge williams didn't use terms like, "carrying the white man's water." i would have preferred something like, "carrying the biggot's water.""
I care little of the color of the man's skin or where he was born, or to which God he prefers to pray.
I think all of us here want good, committed, honest judges.
Elijah "Eli" Williams seems to fit that bill. I think his resignation was instigated, not because he threw in the towel, but for reasons of official protest.
I fear that he perhaps along with Judge Diaz, were used as nothing more than tokens. Judge Grossman's actions in virtually dismissing Judge Williams appears, in my eyes, to be proof of that fact.
I think Judge Williams' comments that he no longer wishes to "carry the white man's water" means he is no longer going to be the court's waterboy on this issue.
We want good people to work within the system. But as I said earlier in another post, if we get good judges and they get urinated on, its utterly shameful and ruins the system.
Objectively speaking, candidly speaking, I am ashamed of what happened here. I hope that at some later time, with the new Chief Judge coming in, Judge Williams can resume his chair and continue to do the work he honestly and I hope wisely believes has to be done.
I agree with him, he is neither the waterboy nor a token. And those who would treat him that way, dismiss him out of hand, and fail to respect his position on the committee, owe him an apology.
Like I said before, its a shame that even our justices cannot find justice in our court.
Who the hell does this Grossman guy think he is?
Look! Up above! It's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's Chief Justice Lewis flying back to Broward!
This is exactly the kind of behavior you would expect from Mel Grossman. He's been an insult to decency for years playing his game of hide and go seek. And although I commend Judge Williams for speaking his mind, I find his motives to be questionable in the extreme after the leadership I've seen exhibited while chair of the Diversity Committee. I feel it is far more likely that Williams has found himself in the unenviable position of trying to serve two separate agendas at the same time and probably finding it a tight spot to negotiate. Hence his resignation.
Why can't these clowns lie low and let things quiet down until Tobin takes over?
As a matter of fact, why do we need an interim chief anyway? Ross is laid up for 45 days, what point is there to having Grossman muck everything up for Tobin anyway?
Put Tobin in now. The old guard can't help make it worse, it's obviously in their genes.
Maybe they are doing it on purpose. If they can't keep it (Lynch) then ruin it for everybody?
Can you believe Grossman could be so stupid to think that his arrogance would just go unnoticed? This guy's a through back to the really dirty days of the Hollywood crowd when this was a real playground. There's still a few around.
A scorched earth policy is a military tactic which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while withdrawing from an area.
Sound familiar?
Way to crash and burn Grossman.
Dont forget Rieman was Grossman's long time Staff Attorney and was barely qualified to get the position as counsel for the Circuit but for who she??????. If you dont know her go by Maguires during lunch time at least one day a week you will see her and Mel in a back booth by the bar.
Mel, where were you while Larry was running amok all over Probate? Werent you the Probate Admin Judge?
You want to talk about a Judge who demans, talks down too attorneys and strong arms counsel and clients alike.
What's the story with Grossman allegedly wearing a wire to get the goods on a candidate for judge?
Is this a true story or more lore?
Mello Yellow, Mel. You're letter sounds as toxic as you are.
Is the story about Seidlin and his staff attys harddrives being removed true or is this also lore? I heard a JQC complaint may have followed.
Was Grossman, head of probate, out to get Larry or is this just rumor? If true, why would Grossman want to get Larry anyway?
He's a real bad seed.
I did magistrates with Grossman once. He took every DUI and set some outrageous, basically to the point of against the law, bond on every one. Then the attorneys and judges in county court would be clogged up setting reasonable bonds the next week, all because this guy was trying to prove something.
What is wrong with the old time dale judges?
From Justice Building Blog
http://justicebuilding.blogspot.com/
BROWARD DIVERSITY COMMISSION NO LONGER DIVERSIFIED
Judge Elijah Williams resigns from the commission: "I will not be carrying the white man's water..."
The Herald REPORTS
Judge Elijah H. Williams -- the first black judge to be appointed to the Broward bench in 20 years -- resigned Tuesday as the chair of the court's recently created diversity board, accusing the county's chief judge of interfering with the board's mission.
The resignation comes one day after a new chief judge was elected in an effort to restore a sense of dignity to the bench, whose judges have come under scrutiny for a series of insensitive remarks.
In a hand-delivered letter to acting Chief Judge Mel Grossman, Williams angrily denounced Grossman for a meeting he had with diversity board lawyers without his knowledge.
...
Chief Judge Dale Ross created a diversity board, a four-member committee charged with raising cultural sensitivity on the bench. Ross is recovering from hip surgery, with Grossman serving in his stead during his recovery.
In a strongly-worded response, Williams said he should have been included in the meeting and that Ross had given the board ``carte blanche authority to field diversity complaints, etc.''
'. . . I made it clear to Chief Judge Ross that I would not be `carrying the white man's water,' '' Williams wrote in the letter to Grossman. ``More importantly, I told the chief judge that I would look at these issues from a different perspective and he agreed not to control, hinder or influence me in any manner.''
Rumpole says: not a very promising start for the administration of new chief Judge Tobin. Say what you want, but give Judge Williams credit for speaking his mind.
Do we have a diversity commission in Dade?
Do we need one?
Does anybody carry anyone else's water in Dade?
I thought I saw one Judge carrying a Cafe Con Leche to another Judge's chambers the other day, but does that count?
See you in Court. Plus a substantial reward to any attorney who gives Judge Williams a silver bucket to commemorate his brave remarks.
I can't believe my eyes. We make a move in a positive direction at long last with Ross taking the pill, and now the bitter pill of Mel Grossman. He's worse than the wicked witch of the east. Sounds like Williams just dropped a house on him too. All that's missing now is to see his feet curl up.
God bless Elijah Williams. A judge who cares, probably because he has experienced racism himself.
I wonder if Holmes will join him. Racism in Broward is real. One appointed black judge in 20 years?
And now a guy Grossman pretending at being in charge dismantles the only progress ever made here?
Hey Mel:
Way to go. I remember back in the day when you would cover magistrate hearings and insult the public defender's office.
Diversity committee fails to interview all witnesses, secret meetings at Bimini Boatyard, JQC does not interview everyone, and accepts affidavits based upon perjured testimony. Mel snubs Elijah - it never ends.
Good for you Elijah - you carried Judge Greene's water half way up the hill, then dropped it. Now you have redeemed yourself. Hopefully you voted for Tobin.
At least Stacy Ross is a judge now.
I think the JNC needs to be investigated. Has Scherer really sat on it more than once?
Mel Grossman has tried to stay under the radar for quite sometime because of past blunders. He must be senile by now and still on the public dole. These guys can't stay on the bench this long without their wiring short circuiting. And this guy was never wired properly to begin with.
Look at the JQC too. I heard they cleared Greene NHI Man with testimony, opinion, and affidavits from his supporters. Did they have anything from an unbiased black? Who wasn't employed by BSO?
Is it still 1955 in Florida?
I don't know. He hasn't done a very good job on this committee thus far
I am astonished! As a member of the 17th Judicial Circuit, I am flabbergasted by "Acting" Chief Judge Mel Grossman's actions! He is supposed to be a caretaker while Judge Ross recovers from his surgery. Instead, Grossman acts like a wild hare let loose from his cage. It is now abundantly clear that it was an error for Judge Ross to appoint Grossman as acting Chief Judge. Knowing Grossman, why not pick Judge Gardner or any of the other judges whose heads seem to be well balanced on their shoulders? This action followed Grossman's ill-considered announcement during the judicial elections that all of the microphones and recorders would be turned "on" in all of the courtrooms so equipped effective on the day of the election. Big Brother Mel Grossman. I implore the active members of the Broward Bar to ask Judge Ross to immediately cede control to Judge Tobin. This perverse display of power by Grossman needs to be reversed immediately! And Judge Williams needs to stand in there and fight for what is right, not simply resign. He can accomplish a lot more by remaining on the board!!!
GOD. And, unfortunately MANY treat him as such.
Thats the understatement of the year!
He thinks he is GOD and unfortunately too many people treat him as such.
Thats the understatement of the YEAR!!!
When he worked as an attorney for BSO, he was called THE BALLET DANCER because of the way he wriggled and twisted his way out of controversies.
People think they understand this man. They don't.
When you know him for a long time, you will see that everything he shows to the public, is a sham.
The real Williams is not someone you would want to know.