DAILY BUSINESS REVIEW: Campbell, Pozzuoli, Pettis, Seiler, Scherer, Sunshine, Bogenschutz, Satz, Finkelstein, and Tobin to the Rescue!
Skip Campbell (DBR Photo)Seems like a good idea except for the fact that the "all-star" lineup seems to be made up almost exclusively of old timers and powerbrokers who sat on their hands the last few years as things got progressively worse (or actively defended the judges who were causing the problems). And let's hope none of the group members have a financial or other type of interest in the construction of a new courthouse complex.
Mr. Campbell, how about including some community members in the group? They are, after all, the ones impacted by a misbehaving and irresponsible judiciary, aren't they? Isn't their feedback the most important thing? And what about strong minority representation in the group, now that Broward is a minority majority? Or include younger members of the criminal justice community, drawn from all areas, who are familiar with the internal workings of the system, in addition to lawyers? (Clerks, LEOs, Jailers, Mental Health, Technology, Clergy, etc.). And how about addressing the fact that Broward's outmoded criminal justice system continues to inflict unchecked carnage on our poorest communities, unlike our mature neighbors, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties?
Please Mr. Campbell, make this good idea great by embracing a new spirit of openness and inclusiveness. I, for one, do not believe real reform can occur without fresh ideas and new faces. Does modern Broward deserve anything less?
Bill Gelin
Answering a 'call for help'
by Jordana Mishory
Daily Business Review
August 15, 2007
http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/news.html?news_id=44494
Prompted in part by Florida Supreme Court justices and the potential loss of a new courthouse, a group of high-powered lawyers are launching their own effort to restore public confidence in Broward County’s fractured judiciary.
The project is spearheaded by former Democratic state Sen. Walter “Skip” Campbell, prominent Republican lawyer Edward Pozzuoli and Eugene Pettis, a member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors.
The group began organizing in the past few weeks and is attempting to set up an initial meeting.
The objective: Help bring respect back to a bench beset by criminal investigation, insensitive comments and inappropriate actions.
“We have a great judiciary. We just have to prove it to the public,” Campbell said. “The group is starting because there is a call for help.”
The group plans to discuss ways to bring the judges back into the public’s good graces and wants to meet with incoming Chief Judge Victor Tobin.
The judge said Tuesday that he is receptive to the lawyers’ involvement.
“Everybody’s input is welcomed,” Tobin said. He added he discussed the issue with Campbell and with the Broward County Bar Association, which also plans to work with the judiciary.
Other members of the lawyer group include state Rep. Jack Seiler, D-Pompano Beach, Republican fundraiser William Scherer, Broward County Bar Association president Barbara Sunshine and Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney David Bogenschutz.
Campbell said he discussed the judge issue with Broward State Attorney Michael Satz and Public Defender Howard Finkelstein, and both are on board.
“Everyone involved in Broward’s criminal justice system — the public defender, myself, the clerk of courts, all the judges, private counsel, court administration, BSO — everyone is lumped together as ‘the courthouse’ in the eyes of the public,” Satz wrote in an e-mail when asked about his involvement. “Skip’s group seems like a good idea to help keep all of us on the same page and try to make an already good system even better.”
Finkelstein said he had spoken with Campbell about the problems facing the judiciary but was unaware he was forming a group. When told of the plans by the Daily Business Review, Finkelstein said he’d be happy to be part of any effort dedicated to improving the Broward justice system.
He said a few judges have been engaged in rumor-mongering reminiscent of middle school, but on the whole the judges are stellar and the public needs to realize that.
“If I can be helpful, I’d be very proud to serve,” Finkelstein said.
The lawyers also fear that political efforts to jump-start plans to build a new courthouse may become a casualty of months of questionable judicial conduct. With property taxes a top concern, county voters defeated a proposed $450 million courthouse bond last November.
Earlier this summer, elected officials raised doubts that taxpayers would support a County Commission effort to build a new courthouse as long as judges remained the center of controversies.
Broward judges have spent much of the past year in the headlines for embarrassing blunders, insensitive comments and judicial abuse and misconduct.
Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin drew national ridicule for weeping while presiding over the court fight to decide where the body of the late tabloid icon Anna Nicole Smith should be buried. He also faces a criminal investigation for allegedly asking a lawyer for gifts and financially exploiting an elderly woman.
Circuit Judge Lawrence Korda resigned after being caught smoking pot in a Hollywood park. County Judge Robert Zack faces an investigation for allegedly taking a loan from an attorney. Circuit Judge Cheryl Aleman faces ethics charges from the state Judicial Qualifications Commission for acting discourteously to defense attorneys.
Campbell said the combination of events motivated him and his peers to take action.
He said he also was approached at The Florida Bar convention in June by two Florida Supreme Court justices, who expressed frustration with the behavior of Broward judges and the taint it spread to the Florida bench as a whole.
Campbell declined to identify the justices.
“What can we do? We have to sit down with Judge Tobin to give encouragement that he has to be the parent of all these little kids,” Campbell said this week. “And get the kids to grow up.”
To supplement the effort, newly installed Broward County Bar Association president Barbara Sunshine said she assigned two committees to find solutions to the problems plaguing the bench.
She said the association’s bench-bar and professional responsibility committees will start working after members meet with Tobin in September.
Seiler said the county’s judiciary is one of the best in the state but is being dragged down by a handful of judges behaving badly. He said the group is needed to help promote a positive image of the bench.
“The media have been very tough on the judges lately, and we need to try to work hard to restore their image,” he said. “This is not any secret society, just a bunch of us talking and [asking] why can’t we all try to help out?”
Campbell and Pozzuoli of Tripp Scott in Fort Lauderdale said they plan to reach out to more attorneys to get involved and believe they are on the right track.
“The fact that a group of lawyers of this caliber has agreed to assist, I think that’s a good start,” Pozzuoli said. “Essentially, the idea is that we’re simply here to help where we can.” n
Jordana Mishory can be reached at jmishory@alm.com or at (954) 468-2616.
"Campbell and Pozzuoli of Tripp Scott"
Is Pozzuoli's wife on the JNC?
yes
What's the money set up to now?
Who was the recently departed JNC member who got the job in Tall? Didn't she used to work for Tripp too?
word is they put ahern on there as well
Scherer spent years on the JNC too. It makes sense, if the JNC members put judges in office, then they are the best hope to help judges get back on track.
Rob Hyman went to Tripp Scott from the SAO. Maybe he can set the judges straight.
doo doo dooo here comes the cavalry
Get used to more of this posturing. How does "Sheriff Skip" sound?
tell me why the mob is illegal again?
about as good as attorney general skip.
Why can't Scherer take a lesson from Ross and just go away quietly. Leave everybody alone already. Isn't he content collecting rent from the Public Defender and all the other tenants around the courthouse from the properties he owns? Now he's going to fix the judiciary after giving us Aleman and O'Connor and the here you go Dale Stacy Ross appointment? This town needs an enema from the FBI. Don't stop with Jenne I say.
Let me get this correct: The same political buffoons that in large part have created the problems with our judges now want to offer more of their help in solving the problems, and further they somehow feel the judiciary has suffered unwarranted blows from the media and they want to restore public confidence? Judges are supposed to be non-political, or so they like to say. These guys offering their help to Tobin are long time political hacks and businessmen with no real intention but to make money and further their own political agendas. I say the new chief judge can take care of the problems facing our judiciary without your kind of help. It's the likes of you that have really made a circus out of the judiciary and the justice system as a whole. Do you really think you are going to pull it off again? Thanks, but stay out of "fixing the judges". You've done a bad enough job as it is. Keep your fingers in your own pockets.
Diddle, diddle, diddle, here comes Jack with his fiddle !!! The FBI needs to look into this den of inequity closely.
Did our boss, Howard Finkelstein, really, truly say that on the whole our judges are STELLAR? Geez, that's not what he says in the office! It must be a different Howard Finkelstein.
PS: Why would anyone in their right mind want to restore confidence in this judiciary? The citizens should be disgusted with these fools. All we needs is a bunch of lawyers coming to their defense.
If I were Tobin I'd steer clear of this group. What does he need their help for anyway?
More insider nonsense on the table behind closed doors. Just what we need. Haven't these jokers contributed enough to the state of our judiciary? I'll bet they think they can still get a new courthouse built. I wonder who's pockets they're trying to line besides their own?
What do you expect? It's just what the judges have relied upon until now. Thank goodness for the media finally taking an interest in where things are going in our judiciary.
STELLAR? MORE LIKE A BLACK HOLE. CRONIES TO THE RESCUE? SOMEBODY'S IDEA OF A BAD JOKE.
If there were a trial held on the issue, they'd go down really hard.
Scherer should stay on his favorite barstool and out of the judge making business.
Don't forget he also gave us, gasp, GW Bush
That's enough all on its own to get him 20 to life.
funny how the same old group always ends up buzzing around the chief judgeship. so long dale, good to know ya, hello Vic!
can anyone confirm if the chief judge can assign judges to important civil trials?
Close to 400 innocent men, women and children died in Iraq the last 2 days.
Why doesn't David use his influence to clean up this town instead of propping up the sordid power structure?
Imagine if he got a subpoena??? The flights to South America would be booked for months......
7:01 "CRONIES TO THE RESCUE" lol!
you know what they call someone with $100 million?
a frustrated billionaire
Why dont some of you big talking annon writers call these people and ask to be placed on the Board. I didnt read anywhere they were not allowing others to the table. Looks like little Billy Gellin is mad because besides his girlfriends at the newspapers no one cares about him. He is more pissed because he was not asked. Just like your little questions to Ari Porth and now Skip, why dont you grow a pair and actually call these people up and state your views or can you only write them here?
As usual at the end of the day everyone will talk tough here and go back to the courthouse in the morning and kiss ass on all the people in this group and all the judges they like to rag on.
Dear Judge Tobin:
RE: The Group of Nine
These same *gentlemen* were the ones who allowed the corrupt good ol' boys to continue in power for years. Why would you meet with THEM? If they had had any guts and/or integrity Broward would not have suffered under Dale Ross for 17 years. Who needs their advice? After others break the corruption open, they want to follow in so that they can continue to be on the side of power. Get real!