Ponytailed throwback to the 60's
SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES
And he has a unique standing in unempowered black communities, where many say the 1960s is exactly where some measures of justice have gotten stuck.
http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1339&Itemid=1
And he has a unique standing in unempowered black communities, where many say the 1960s is exactly where some measures of justice have gotten stuck.
http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1339&Itemid=1
Already, as a result of a budget cut of more than $1 million in the current fiscal year, there are 22 vacancies in that office, Finkelstein said in a letter last month to Gov. Charlie Crist.
Ummmm....Howie.......those positions were already starting to become vacant due to the massive number of lawyers escaping like rats from a sinking ship LONG BEFORE these budget cuts. You weren't able to fill lawyer positions for the last couple of years.
The lack of packing boxes at the office for the past couple of years is ample evidnece of your skill as an administrator.
Stick to speeches and TV lawyering. It was what you were good at.
Let a pro run an office.
Self serving fraud.
I think we should have a Point, Counter Point with Stacey Honowitz and Howard Finkelstein in re: Judging Ana. Great stuff!
Thanks, Benny.
Howie has more enemies than the Nixon Administration.
Early representation should be named "early theft" for stealing business from the private bar.
We need a good electable Republican to run and do it soon.
Now that Kevin, Bill, et. al, have gone after the judges, how about going after someone who has taken aim at our business?
Give it up losers. Howard Finkelstein has done more for this community than any of these blood suckers. If we had more people like him, there'd be more equality and justice for all and less hype and corruption.
THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED = DECLINING CRIMINAL PRACTICE
I finally figured you out. You see, I was an APD for a few years when Big Al was the PD. It was a nice place to work and he treated us pretty good. My only complaint was that we got our cases after arraignments and most of our clients didn't get much in the way of representation until then. I never thought it was right but I was just a cog in a big machine. After a few years, partly out of frustration and partly because I needed a lot bigger pay check to support my family, I went to work for a medium size civil firm and haven't done any criminal law since, except when one of the partners relatives get in trouble.
I read that when Howard took over a few years back, he changed all that and started a special unit to start representing indigent clients right after an arrest. I'm not sure how he was able to do it, but good for him. Big Al used to tell people he didn't have the resources and so he had one old guy (I can't remember his name) doing magistrates. If I was an indigent defendant in court and I saw that old guy, I'd be begging all of my friends and relatives for money to hire a private attorney. So I guess by Howard doing his job, that some of the private defense attorneys aren't getting enough private clients. The solution is to branch out into other areas of the law. Try PI work or landlord-tenant. I here bankruptcy is pretty busy now. It's not that hard to expand your horizons. It didn't take me long to transition from criminal to civil. I have friends that do both criminal and other non-criminal matters. Stop your bitching and get to work.
As for Howard, I'd come right back to the PD's office, except for the fact that I can't afford it. The pay isn't enough. With what I hear about his budget cuts, I'm amazed at his ability to keep his doors open. My hats off to you Howard.
I would have posted my nme, but from what I've been reading, anytime somebody posts their real name, they're called a hoar, a slut, a liar, an incompetent, or worse. So I'll stay anonymous and you can feel free to say whatever you care to say about me.
John B. Thompson, Attorney at Law
5721 Riviera Drive
Coral Gables, Florida 33146
305-666-4366
amendmentone@comcast.net
April 25, 2008
Frank Angones
Florida Bar President
All Florida Bar Governors
Miami, Florida Via Fax to 305-371-3948 and e-mails
Re: The Florida Supreme Court and the “ Provision of Legal Services to Indigents”
Dear Mr. Angones and All Bar Governors:
The Florida Supreme Court has indicated in the past that it would like to see more effort by our profession to provide legal services to indigents. See http://www.floridaprobono.org/about/item.history-of-pro-bono-legal-assistance-in-florida and Florida Bar v. Furman.
This alleged position of our Justices is absolutely hilarious in light of the following:
• St. Lucie County Judge Cliff Barnes is being prosecuted by the JQC, with the blessing of the Supreme Court, because he wrote an op-ed critical of his Circuit’s failure to adequately provide legal services to indigents. The JQC wants him removed from office for expressing his views in this regard.
• The Bar is prosecuting Broward Attorney Sean Conway for his truthful criticism of Judge Aleman who was depriving criminal defendants of their rights.
• I offered to spend the next two years of my life doing nothing but representing indigent criminal defendants in order to get the Bar off my back. Bar Governor/designated reviewer Steve Chaykin, seemingly representing all the gay bars in the state, has refused even to respond to my offer. Mr. Chaykin puts the purity of his leftwing hatred of Christians ahead of the needs of indigent criminal defendants. I’m obsessed? Chaykin makes me look downright normal.
The Florida Bar and the Supreme Court have lost their way. Former “Public Defender” Dava Tunis has lost her way. I’m going to have a jury bring this Bar back to its senses and make it an indigent in the process. Get ready.
Regards, Jack Thompson
What the .... ? Sorry. New to the blog.
Most of the lawyers complaining about Finkelstein stealing their work never had any work that wasn't given to them from some of the gems on the bench for a favor or two down the road. I would agree with everything you said in your post. They all thought the political patronage game was going to last forever. They still sit on the lazy butts waiting for someone to drop something in their laps. Get to work is right. And shut your yaps about someone who is doing a great job with the PDs Office especially under the tough circumstances of these State-wide budget cuts. Get the sand out of your eyes, would you?
its a scam and a sham.
his runners go to the jail with paperwork already prepared (zeros for income and assets). the runner is allowed to interview anyone who wants a free lawyer.
they line up in droves.
there is NO verification as to the true assets or income.
then howard's office gets $40 a pop as an "application fee" (even if they do hire a private lawyer)if they stay with howard he then gets the PD fee on the back end.
not bad work if you can get it.
one more thing: did ya know that one runner who only goes to ONE jail brought in over 180k to the PD's office last year?
wake up, criminal defense is becoming socialized!
Most of the lawyers complaining about Finkelstein stealing their work never had any work that wasn't given to them
How do you know who is complaining?
How do you know that MOST of them got appointments?
Are you talking out of your A@#? How long have you worked for the public defender?
Hey 9:38--if the guy's in jail, he can't make his bond right?
To follow your logic, a guy will sit behind bars with his $180,000.00 and lie on an app. to get a P.D.?
If he doesn't need a P.D., he definitely needs Brannon.
You want him to sit until arraignment and wait for you to hand him a card? Nonsensical.
In need of Brannon? Yeah, right. Competent to Proceed on Aleman?
Howard sending minimum wage employees to the jail to help them beat the system to collect their $40 fees makes no sense and is probably a figment of someone's overeager imagination. I agree with 8:34am. If a guy is in jail and can't afford a bond, he's gonna need a PD and can't afford a private attorney. It makes no sense for someone to sit in jail for a day or two in order to get a PD if they have the money for a private attorney. Besides, anyone in jail over a day who hasn't already bonded will not only not be able to afford a private attorney, but he probably will never pay the $40 fee.
People who have money call a bail bondsman first. Why - they want to get the f**k out of jail ASAP. If you are a private attorney and upset about not getting enough business, stop blaming Howard and look at the bail bond industry. Many (but not all) bail bondsmen routinely refer only certain attorneys to the people they bond out. And you know there is money changing hands. If you are not paying off a bail bondsman, you are not getting that business. There are more attorneys than bail bondsman, so it sounds like 9:39pm is on the outside looking in.
It's not fair and I doubt even this blog can do anything about it. But it's going on and everybody knows it. The bail bondsmen and attorneys dealing with them won't admit it, so it is almost impossible to prove. It wouldn't be difficult to show statistically, but I'm sure the bail bondsman will say, sure, I recommend only certain lawyers because they are good, not because I'm getting money for it. And so it goes. Broward as usual. Personally, I've been approached by at least 2 bail bondsmen over the years and offered plenty of business if I only paid him cash, but I declined. I could have used the business, but I just didn't need it that bad. I expanding into offer areas of the law, as someone also suggested in an earlier post.
Howard sure does have a lot of apologist. Come Kathy, come Bob, come Steve and more, on Dougie, on Marshall and let's not forget De la Torr.
Good for Craig. At last he's found a vocation.
To 9:54
That is poetically funny. lmao
Howard does have a lot more attack dogs than Satz.
What's with Seidman's wife? Chances are she's going to a much more lucrative place.
Guess they don't know how he attacked Judge Ilona Holmes so she wouldn't give open pleas anymore.