ON THE HORIZON
2010 General Election
Circuit Court Judges
Aleman, Carney, Gates, Greenhawt, Imperato, Lebow, Luzzo,
O'Connor, Tieman-Bristol, Vitale, Williams
County Court Judges
Beller, Cowart, Dishowitz, Ireland, Lazarus, Pollack, Pratt, Robinson,
Seidman, Shutter, Skolnik, Trachman
(Please post a comment if any 2010 courthouse public servants have been forgotten)
Why hasn't JAAB Blog posted the pictures of the three candidates running for the very important Office of the Public Defender?
I surely hope it isn't because JAAB and Finkelstein are in cohoots.
Hospital district lawyer received sharp criticism before quitting
She quit after sharp criticism from chairman
By Anthony Man | Political Writer
9:23 PM EDT, May 6, 2008
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Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Fark Google Newsvine Reddit Yahoo Print Reprints Post comment Text size: The North Broward Hospital District's chairman reprimanded the agency's then-general counsel last month for a string of "performance deficiencies," including bad management and poor legal advice. Miguel "Mike" Fernandez warned Laura R. Seidman at a special board meeting that she might be fired if she didn't improve.
Among the issues detailed by Fernandez were "excessive absenteeism," "little or no comprehension of the day to day operations" of the legal department, and "lack of substantive knowledge of health care laws." The latter was demonstrated "on numerous occasions … where the general counsel has either stayed silent or provided incorrect advice."
Less than three weeks after Fernandez's warning, at a meeting that included Seidman and six of the seven hospital district commissioners, the board agreed to Seidman's immediate resignation. The taxpayer-supported hospital district, one of Broward County's largest government agencies, will pay her $228,000 annual salary through late March 2009.
Seidman will also get $10,000 toward legal expenses. She won't, however, get a bonus, which added $63,000 to her base salary last year.
Seidman's departure comes less than four months after Alan Levine resigned as the hospital district's president and chief executive to take over Louisiana's health agency.
So far, the hospital district hasn't provided much information about Seidman's April 24 resignation. The deputy general counsel, Troy Kishbaugh, who was assigned Seidman's duties after her departure, said he couldn't provide the settlement agreement because it hadn't been signed by all the parties.
The hospital district collects taxes and operates four public hospitals, including Broward General Medical Center, and dozens of other health facilities in the northern two-thirds of the county. The hospital district has been associated for years with political controversy, and it now uses the brand name Broward Health.
In response to a public records request, the hospital district provided an audio recording and minutes of the April 7 meeting to discuss Seidman's performance. It consists almost entirely of Fernandez reading a lengthy list of problems. No other commissioner spoke.
He began by warning Seidman that "We are extremely concerned about the level of performance this board has been receiving from you, and we want you to be aware that your failure to correct your performance deficiencies could lead to the termination of your employment agreement."
Fernandez concluded by asking Seidman: "Do you understand what you need to do in this situation? Do you have any questions?"
Seidman responded: "I understand." Her only other
fair haired girl wrote:
Is it my imagination that if Howard stopped short there would at least five attorneys who would get jammed in his ass?
And why didn't the blog post the news articles about Gary and Alex challenging Howard? Why has the blog put puff pieces about Howard on the blog in the last few weeks?
Is the blog neutral?
We know that Bill, Jeff, Kevin, Marshall, et al are good friends with Howard, but if the blog is shilling for him just come out and say so.
84847
Fernandez concluded by asking Seidman: "Do you understand what you need to do in this situation? Do you have any questions?"
Seidman responded: "I understand." Her only other comment was, "I will need a copy" of the list read by Fernandez.
Seidman could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Her attorney, Karen Amlong, declined to comment on the issues cited by Fernandez, who also declined to comment Tuesday.
The performance problems Fernandez detailed contrast with Seidman's most recent annual evaluation, dated August 2007.
Of 10 areas on the evaluation, Seidman was ranked "exceeds expectation" in eight and "meets expectation" in two. She wasn't given "requires improvement" in any area.
The performance appraisal includes these comments: "Laura has set the tone for the Legal Department of service coming first" and "Laura continues to look for ways to increase operational efficiency and cut costs while continuing to provide excellent legal service."
Sara M. Howley, vice president of corporate communications and marketing, said Seidman filled out the evaluation and wrote the comments herself, which is the typical procedure for high-level district employees. Seidman's evaluation was discussed by four hospital district board members and then signed by Commissioner Rebecca Stoll, who briefly served as chairwoman last year.
Seidman's evaluation came under previous board leadership. Fernandez and Commissioner Joseph M. Cobo were named to the board in September by Gov. Charlie Crist, replacing two of the seven commissioners appointed by former Gov. Jeb Bush.
(Though appointed by Bush, a third member of the seven-person board is loyal to Crist; Maureen Jaeger runs Crist's Fort Lauderdale office.)
The general counsel reports directly to the commissioners, and Seidman was hired two years ago by the previous, all-Bush board. She had no background in health-care law, but did have political connections from her involvement in the local Republican Party and as a donor to Republican candidates. Her husband is County Court Judge Jay Seidman.
In the April meeting, Fernandez said he had asked Seidman in January to provide a business plan for the legal department, detailing how she would improve operations in several areas, and said she had not done so.
The business plan was requested a month after hospital district commissioners received an outside review that included findings critical of Seidman's performance.
The Miami law firm Rafferty, Stolzenberg, Gelles, Tenenholtz & Flynn was hired to look into Stoll's complaints about Levine and Seidman. Stoll said Seidman's legal advice led to mistakes on "many occasions."
Rafferty Stolzenberg found that Seidman could have issued different legal advice on some occasions, but said the district didn't suffer any harm as a result.
Staff Researcher William Lucey contributed to this report.
I recently heard Sheriff Al Lamberti give a speech where bragged about having coffee with Howard. The Sheriff went on about their new wonderful friendship and that no Sheriff had ever had Coffee with Howard before. Lamberti said Howard told him he is scared by how cold and scary the latest defendants are that he represents. Who knew Howard was such a friend of Republicans like Lamberti
What judges want to move out of Criminal?
A. Judge O'Connor
B. Judge Gardiner
C. Judge Levenson
D. A and C but not B
E. All the above
The first person to buzz in with the correct answer will win 2 front row seats to Judge Gardiner's JQC trial.
Sheriff Lamberti ain't the only Republican Howard has beening cozying up to. Howard has been reaching out to some he has screwed over in the past.
Sorry Howard, but you know what they say; "Payback is a bitch"
What I find really funny is Finkeltein and Co in a tizzy. I can feel it man. He's gonna go back to the blow. Dude, I told you. This is bad. Howard's gonna go back to the blow (sniff, sniff, sniff). Pass the tin foil man.
Dale Levey aka Dale Cohen in 2014
Mardi Ann Levey Cohen Kaplan Goldberg Jewy Jewenstein Fingleheimer Schmitt in 2014.
Dale does not tell Mardi what to do; Don't take it out on him. Hahahahahaha
What happened to Rumors? IT ALL ABOUT THE RUMORS!!!
Are Bill Gelin, MW, Jeff alive? Are they hiding? Hunkered down? In a bunker somewhere? Funny as I walked along the courthouse I must have seen 6-7 judges. Judges, judges everywhere, with smiles on their face.
HAS ANYONE SEEN HELP ME HOWEIRD?
Can someone tell me who the underling linked to Lee Cohen is and what the supervising ASAs are alleged to have done to "cover up?"
39 year old jewish brazilian ASA now in sao juvenile division. she was taken out of county court to hide the improper affair.
Oh, so she's the one (allegedly)? OK, I can totally see that.
Is Howie hiding, things are quiet on the blog, why isn't there more written about finkelstei'n opposition, satz who didn't draw any opponents would have been blogged into eternity by the pd's. Is howie taking care of his business outside the courthouse, hope so.
.........to do your homework
Guess you don't get out much! Who's hiding where? Stepping on out...
Guys at my high school never did their homework. It was no big deal.
sounds like there is not much good out there to write about when its about the opposition in that race, you couldnt be more correct
Aleman, O'Connor, Greenhawt challenged in 2010/Lazarus retires
is it gelin and finkystein
Sheriff Lamberti will meet with any constritutional officer and he might blow some smoke up Howies rear but rule #1 is the Sheriff is in a race of his own and all his advisors including himself will tell him you have your own race don't get involved with any other race. #2 The Republicans want the constitutional officer public def to be Republican it is a feather in their cap and they are embarrassed by snowblind. #3 The lawyers in broward county are injured by howies antics as public def he diminishes the Judges and the Lawyers #4 The hispanic population is also chomping at the bit for payback #5 The african american community knows that howie has attacked the Judiciary in effect lowering the expectations of his clients recieving a better deal - he has hurt his clients by being so hostile towards the judiciary (The Judges are ALL SMILING OF HOWIE BEING DEFEATED AT THE POLLS) and each Judge has a solid constiuency that runs deep and wide and no matter how much money howie spends it will not affect his standing with this group. All of these pieces will create the perfect storm and you will see a major upset, but the wise heads of both parties already recognize that a Republican will win in November, the momentum is in the Republican corner, Howard's band of character assassins are known and he can't hide, he can't detach himself from it anymore. The average atty on the street knows they are being diminished by howard's antics. Bye bye Howard.
Many citizens are quietly rallying against greenhawt. Greenhawt sealed the divorce records of prosecuter howard Scheinberg. Rae Chorowski owned a house with Greenhawt. Rae Chorowski was one of the attorneys in the Sheinberg case.
After Miami Herald reporters started sniffing around they sold the million dollar house. Now Greenhawt has a mortgage with Jan Faust, Psychologist who is often recommended as a therapist in Greenhawt's courtroom.
She's a Jeb Bush nominee (Figure that one out) Dr. Greenhawt dad contributed to the campaign. She doesn't know the meaning of "ethical".
(All of the above can be found in public records)
If anyone runs against her, they will have a team of supporters.
What is it Howie said in the Sun Sentinel, only someone that is bad has someone running against you, what does it say about howie the public defender having 2 not 1, 2 running against him, hmmm, maybe just a little bad
Is Carny a judge or someone who sleeps under the ferris wheel and gets paid in Budweiser?
mila v. hope: the sequel in 2010???
Well what do ya think, just a little, maybe! What happened to the bloggers, were they blogging on office time, is that official office business, maybe computers should be checked Michaelson. Mila v Finkelstein next round, now you know he is vulnerable, and we are sure she can't stand, howie.
ex-judge, current thief ,JAY SPECHLER/Rhonda Hollander are still judge pimping for MOMBACH BOYLE HARDIN.
Get a clue moron. Howie wins in a landslide, is set for life as PD and TV star. Invigorated, totally self confident, runs the courthouse for the next 20 years.
Miscalculation by the Dale gang I think. They have taken such a beating at Howie's hands. Now they hurt him with the Ostrow/Arreaza cheapshot designed to pull him off the air, they know they can't win in the end. The rest of the judges pay the price for it for the next 20 kissing his ring.
I don't even feel bad for Howie. He expected it and now the courthouse slimy dealings will be aired out in public through November (or whenever Ostrow quits). Just part of the package when dealing with the Dale payback squad I think. Hopefully this will end their influence once and for all.
"Her husband is County Court Judge Jay Seidman."
the couldn't even get his honor's name right. i guess that shows how un-important "jay" really is.
Judge Vitale is also retiring at the end of her term in 2010.