THE ADVENTURES OF PAUL BACKMAN, JQC PANEL CHAIR
FT. MYERS NEWS-PRESS
Panel to consider whether judge violated nine ethics rules
"Illicit sex. Profane outbursts. Lies.
And that's just the judges.
The trial of Michael Allen, a 1st District Court of Appeal judge, is expected to begin today. He could be removed from the bench if the Judicial Qualifications Commission finds that the charges against him have merit.
His case - that flamed into public when he called out a fellow judge in the usually staid pages of a court opinion - has roiled the state's largest, most influential court for more than four years."
PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL
Judges take oath as Allen ethics trial begins
"TALLAHASSEE -- A parade of judges from the 1st District Court of Appeal appeared in a courtroom Monday, but none of them wore robes...
Broward County Judge Paul Backman, chair of the JQC panel, has ruled that evidence and testimony in the case must be before June 28, 2006, when Allen’s opinion was released.
After that date, Kahn’s extramarital affairs were part of a complaint filed by other judges of the court. The JQC did not find probable cause to pursue that case, but Kahn stepped down as chief judge."
JQC DOCKETS AND FILINGS
Baby Backman in 2010? That's the word. Imagine two of them.
I don't think the JQC does it's job very well. Do they ever find PC on any of these goof balls? Not with Backman trying as he may to keep them insulated from any real penalty and then plays the broker. Gimme a break. Talk about a lack of integrity. The worst. Hypocrisy in spades.
Shouldn't it be called the Misadventures of Paul Backman? His former girlfriends have appeared in newspaper articles more than he has, and for much different reasons. Shoplifting charges, Possession of controlled substances.. The list goes on. There's good judgment for you.
He has nailed more former and sitting Judges then Gardiner nailed asa's and defense attorneys. Well, maybe not.
The saga continues with the familiar games of Backman. Broward has some fine judges, don't you think? Refer to Diaper Diaries, Chapter 8 for details.
Do we think it is ok for finkelstein to use state employees (michaelson) to do the help me howard research, no. Michaelson is one or is the finkelstein high paid asst. chief of the pd's office, how does he decide how much to pay michaelson for the work that he does on the show, michaelson has told so many people that he does the research and so many people have said that he has requested their assistance for hmh during office hours, this really needs to be looked into, not to mention the other employees that have mentioned that they too have been told to do the research. And noone can compare to little howie and his former drug problems.
Why aren't we looking into what is going on in the public defender's office, howie using michaelson to do the help me howard research, when I think in a recent sun sentinel article finkelstein or channel 7 people stated that they use their own people from channel 7. Michaelson is one of howard (public defender) highest paid or is the highest paid chief asst in the public defender's office, their is def. a conflict hear and could be criminal, this needs to be looked into.
Why isn't the agencies looking at the public defender's office, specifically, the irs, florida ethics commission, fcc and above all the state atty's office for his admitted use of state employees for the help me howard segment.
As long as Backman sits on the JQC problem judges just keep comming back.
imagine that, judges judging judges, and they let them off. just like our politicians taking --the pork--no one is going to say the other guy is breaking the law. the american judicial system--is now the joke of the world.everyone sits and talks about high gas prices--why doesn't the name--world bank ever come up. ever ask why we don't tap in to all of oil we have--centuries worth--then we can demand that the gov get going on alternative energy--not going to happen--world bank---then the idiots that say raise gas prices that will solve the problems. everyone is
asleep and the judges and politicians know it
These judges need to seriously consider how they are affecting the public's view of the law. How dare they act as if they are above justice, while at the same time handing out sentences, fines, probation and the like. It's shameful, and while the public wrestles with the idea of how to deal with new and varying laws in the 21st century, these judges hearken back to the days when back room deals made for the law of the land.
John B. Thompson, Attorney at Law
5721 Riviera Drive
Coral Gables, Florida 33146
305-666-4366
amendmentone@comcast.net
June 10, 2008
Justice Raoul Cantero
Florida Supreme Court
500 South Duval Street
Tallahassee, Florida Via Fax
Re: Resignation, Recusal, and Judicial Improprieties
Dear Justice Cantero:
You have met with law firms that have cases before the court to arrange for your employment when you leave the court. This conduct has not only been reported by South Florida media, but people in one of these law firms have confirmed this.
This violates numerous specific Judicial Canons, most notably Canon 3.
This is shocking, illegal, unethical behavior on your part. You must resign from the court immediately, not in September, now.
Regards, Jack Thompson
Copy: JQC
Isn't that the truth. These judges have only just begun to realize that their actions will not go unnoticed. Backman has no justification to hear any complaints against judges in the 17th. The very appearance of impropriety smacks in the face of close scrutiny under the circumstances. Backman has been the subject of questions regarding this type of behavior before. Apparently he thinks he's above any question. He'll find that not to be the case one of these days. Some leaders these people are.
Ask him about all the free sports tickets he took from attorneys appearing before him on cases he heard. Yeah, this guy is a real gem.
Weren't there a handful of private attorneys that made a lot of money from his spd appointments?
The same ones he got campaign contributions from you mean?
"imagine that, judges judging judges, and they let them off."
The creation of the JQC in the 1968 constitution substituted the appearance of greater accountability for the reality of it. It confines expectations of process to the judicial sandbox. But keep in mind that it did not do away with legislative impeachment, nor does it require the Legislature to defer to the JQC (though they generally like passing the buck in practice).
From the Justice Building Blog
http://www.justicebuilding.blogspot.com/
Below is the link to the coverage of the JQC trial of 1st DCA Judge Michael Allen who finds himself the defendant because he wrote an appellate opinion criticising fellow 1st DCA Judge Charles Kahn. Khan did not disqualify himself from a case involving the appeal of the felony convictions of former Florida Senate President W.D Childers, and Allen wrote an opinion critical of Kahn's actions.
It seems clear that Khan, who had close political and personal ties to Childers should never have sat on the case. And somehow, although it was Khan who should have recused himself, and although it was Khan who had extra martial affairs with court personnel and lashed out at judges and court employees, it is Judge Allen who finds himself before the JQC.
And to add insult to injury, it is none other than North of the Border Judge Paul Backman who is the chief judge of the JQC panel. This is admittedly a personal opinion, but we have never had a judge in Broward be more rude, condescending, and downright nasty to us and our clients than Judge Backman. And he's on the JQC!!!!
Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
You have to read carefully to see who the lies, profane outbursts, and illicit sex apply to. It looks like the wrong judge is one trial at the JQC.
ENOUGH ALLEGATIONS TO HANG HIM NOW ALL U HAVE TO DO IS STEP FORWARD
SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...SHUT UP...
Allen case set for closing arguments
Defense and prosecution wrapped up their cases Tuesday in the ethics and perjury trial of 1st District Court of Appeal Judge Michael Allen, setting up for closing arguments this morning.
But Allen's lawyers concluded Tuesday's action with a motion to remove one of the Judicial Qualifications Commission panel members, saying his questioning of witnesses was prejudicial. Bruce Rogow, Allen's attorney, asked the panel's chair, Broward County Judge Paul Backman, to take Miles McGrane III off the case.
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"It was his adversarial questioning of witnesses," Rogow said. "These people are sitting as judges. They don't argue with witnesses."
Backman said he would rule on the motion this morning.
The 58-year-old Allen faces charges that he violated nine judicial-ethics rules and one charge of perjury. It's for a concurring opinion he wrote in 2006 that said fellow Judge Charles Kahn, by failing to recuse himself in the appeal of W.D. Childers, could have raised questions about the court's impartiality.
JQC attorneys have consistently characterized Allen's opinion as tantamount to calling Kahn corrupt. Allen has just as steadfastly argued that, instead, his opinion explained why the full court took on the case to avoid what could have been the appearance of impropriety.
Kahn, 57, was on the three-judge panel that heard Childers' initial appeal of his bribery conviction. The panel, with an opinion written by Kahn, was days away from a decision that would have overturned Childers' conviction. Judges instead decided that the entire court should take up the case.
Eventually, the full court upheld Childers' conviction and he's now in prison.
"More suspicious members of the public would have assumed that Judge Kahn had simply returned past favors provided to him by Mr. Levin and Mr. Childers, thus allowing them, once again, to 'snooker the bastards,' " Allen wrote in his opinion.
McGrane, a Coral Gables attorney and former president of the Florida Bar, twice asked witnesses if, save for Allen's opinion, anyone in the public would have known about Kahn's involvement or had any reason to question the court's impartiality.
Twice Rogow asked witnesses to read from a Kahn dissent in which he revealed his vote to overturn Childers' conviction in the original panel.
"The original panel decision has never seen the light of day," McGrane said to Judge Philip Padovano, who testified for the defense. "The only way that this has seen the light of day is through this decision. . . . The point is that the harsh information was never known to the public except through Judge Allen's" opinion.
McGrane asked the same question of Judge Peter VanNortwick three hours later....
http://www.floridacapitalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/CAPITOLNEWS/806110357&theme=
If only chief thieves ; fred lewis.... dale ross and victor tobin had done their jobs when conrad boyle///// bruce rogow//// barry spechler////// jay selltzer began their criminal careers....... the world would have been a better place........ and THE BAR would charge less for its protection racket.
BRUCE ROGOW IS ANNOYED BECAUSE HE PAID TEN THOUSAND TO FIX A CASE WITH EX-JUDGE JAY SPECHLER ............... now spechler has been banished over a lovers quarrel with TOBIN ....... and spechler won't give the bribe back to bruce rogow....... no honor among lawyers...... or other thieves.