THE CONWAY/ALEMAN SAGA COMES TO AN END
SENTINEL
Lawyer who blasted judge will get public reprimand
Topix: Sentinel Comments
Mike Mayo On The Side Blog: Lawyer backs down from risky fight
"A Fort Lauderdale defense attorney facing a Bar complaint for decrying a Broward Circuit judge as an "evil, unfair witch" on a courthouse blog has agreed to resolve his case with a public reprimand.
Sean Conway, 36, will receive the reprimand from the president of The Florida Bar on a date yet to be determined. Conway declined to comment Tuesday...
In the Halloween 2006 posting on Jaablog, an Internet site devoted to Broward County Courthouse issues, Conway denounced embattled Judge Cheryl Alemán for what he called an "ugly, condescending attitude" and questioned her mental stability. Driving the criticism, Conway said, was Alemán's unlawful practice of forcing attorneys to choose between unreasonable trial dates or waiving their clients' rights to a speedy trial...
Alemán has faced criticism before.
The state agency that polices judicial conduct cited what it termed Alemán's "arrogant, discourteous and impatient" conduct when it took her to trial in December.
After a three-day proceeding, the Judicial Qualifications Commission found that Alemán, 50, taunted defense attorneys with her contempt powers and set unreasonable time limits for lawyers to prepare important court documents. It recommended that the Florida Supreme Court discipline Alemán with a public reprimand.
Alemán is appealing that decision. She could not be reached for comment Tuesday."
Lawyer who blasted judge will get public reprimand
Topix: Sentinel Comments
Mike Mayo On The Side Blog: Lawyer backs down from risky fight
"A Fort Lauderdale defense attorney facing a Bar complaint for decrying a Broward Circuit judge as an "evil, unfair witch" on a courthouse blog has agreed to resolve his case with a public reprimand.
Sean Conway, 36, will receive the reprimand from the president of The Florida Bar on a date yet to be determined. Conway declined to comment Tuesday...
In the Halloween 2006 posting on Jaablog, an Internet site devoted to Broward County Courthouse issues, Conway denounced embattled Judge Cheryl Alemán for what he called an "ugly, condescending attitude" and questioned her mental stability. Driving the criticism, Conway said, was Alemán's unlawful practice of forcing attorneys to choose between unreasonable trial dates or waiving their clients' rights to a speedy trial...
Alemán has faced criticism before.
The state agency that polices judicial conduct cited what it termed Alemán's "arrogant, discourteous and impatient" conduct when it took her to trial in December.
After a three-day proceeding, the Judicial Qualifications Commission found that Alemán, 50, taunted defense attorneys with her contempt powers and set unreasonable time limits for lawyers to prepare important court documents. It recommended that the Florida Supreme Court discipline Alemán with a public reprimand.
Alemán is appealing that decision. She could not be reached for comment Tuesday."
So much for Conway leading the charge for 1st Amendment protection. I find it particularly funny what Haddad said – which was conveniently left off the synopsis provided here:
Conway's attorney, Fred Haddad, said he was prepared to fight.
"Resolving the case was not my position, and it was not the position that I ever took," Haddad said Tuesday. "However, the lawyer does not make all the decisions."
What a shock Conway took the easy way out and decided to forgo trial – shocking.
Where are all the Conway supporters now.
Sean Conway is a better man than you'll ever be. I suppose Sean did what he thought was right which is more than I can say about you.
Weasels never take a stand, they just squirm their way through life looking like nothing but the common opportunists they are, spineless invertebrates trying to act tough. That's alright. You don't have it in you to be anything else.
Don't you people sleep. It is a shame Conway did not take this fight to the 12th round. Haddad is a fighter and would have done a great job. The precedent for blogging would have been significant and this Judge (and, others) might have thought twice before treating members of the bar in such an unprofessional manner.
aleman, gardner, goldenberg, 3 screaming judges/witches. what is the connection? they are all women. would a lawyer be jammed if he had said about a male judge he was a tyrant, or a dictator? this is the kind of sexism, gender bias against men, that is rampant and pervasive in our society.(see tv shows and ads and movies where men are not only ridiculed non-stop, but are hit by women as a joke- see scrubs rerun last nite, 40 first dates nd baseball bat scene, the wine country comedy where the asian woman beats the guy with a motorcycle helmet and that is supposed to be funny. think of the last time a man was shown hitting a woman in a tv show or movies and that was supposed to be funny. never?). want to see gender bias at its worst, go to
so-called family court, especially goldenberg, tutor and the rest. they behave like terrorists targeting men and fathers. now disbar me!
Bwahahahaahahahahaahahahahaahaha.
Conway cops a plea....lol.....What a little bitch........
For all his fussing and mussing he turns out to be the coward that many knew he was.
First amendment advocate? Free Speecherman? Blah.
Now he gets to walk around and continue to practice his "profession" (man-purse and all) and whenever anyone looks at his bar record, it will clearly say he's been disciplined for wrongful conduct.
Congrats Sean. Way to take a stand. I guess ALL your posts will now be anonymous.
Conway is the man...good for him, he has always been in control of the situation and navigated through the process brilliantly...he keeps kicking ass in court and you all wish you had the balls he does. Good for him, at least the judge that was the subject of his case was found guilty of the exact action he described. He can stand by his words, unlike many of you.
why do u have to attack conway for settling--u all know what the system can do to u.
if the judge had a good reputation to begin with, she could have withstood some criticism. that's the problem are there any judges that are truly trustworthy
what happened to free speech
For my view, click here:
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/mayo/blog/2008/06/lawyer_backs_down_from_risky_f.html
I hope those poor clients he gets off the dependency wheel know w they have a lawyer with a questionable bar record.
Rumor has it that he was about to be deposed and the Bar got wind about his trips to help the kids in costa rica and the domincan republic.
what do you expect from a meet em n plea em kinda guy
well the people on hear believe in cheap shot--free speech. how many of u would have went to trial or had the guts to talk about the corruption in our judges.
easy to criticize not so easy to be a stand up guy
i guess that loser a-turd is back on the blog...just when you though he was gone. get a life, loser. sean has more guts than you've ever showed in your miserable pathetic life.
Conway is a good example of how the system works. They loaded him up with many charges. They would have dragged him over the coals for years. Who can afford that? It's the same for poor people in the criminal system. Cops and the state load up a guy with as many charges as they can. The cases are frequently overcharged and the cops often break the rules or outright lie about the arrest. The state doesn't care, the elected judges for the most part cower before the cops and the guy is leveraged into taking a deal when he could have proven his innocence if he had unlimited cash. It stinks.
A young boy was heading into Rome with his father Senator Tiberius Maximus. He spotted a dandelion. The boy exclaimed "the flower is yellow father." Tiberius Maximus responded by viciously beating the boy. "Thou shall never tell the truth foolish child. Do not jeopardize the fortunes of our families who rule Rome."
Good job Sean. You have more stones than anyone else in blogland. Sincerely signed by ANONYMOUS.
we need help--someone to start a movement for accountability. lets get polygraphs and drug testing--great place to start--then when someone makes charges against these egomaniacs we would have a test --a standard of truth. we need change and not the obahma kind. lets start a revolution make them shake in their boots-or we will continue right straight to this hel we call justice
Conway's decision did not bother me until I read the following quotes he made to to Mayo -
“The right of every lawyer to expose injustice is at stake,” Conway told me at the time. “The Bill of Rights is at stake. And my license to practice law is at stake.”
He told me how he heard from lawyers all over the country, including one in Ohio suspended six months and fined $18,000 by the Ohio Bar for denigrating a judge.
“This has put more stress on me than I want to deal with,” Conway said at the time. “I want to go back to running a small, one-person firm. I don't even have a secretary.”
I didn't realized he was such a small potatoes, small-in-scope-and-vision kind of guy. So what, you can't practice for six months and have to pay out some cash...in the end you have your license...you have your dignity...you have the respect of the bar...you have set precedent...you can tell your clients you are a fighter...you have the respect (or, more importantly fear) from the judges...and, in the end...you don't look like a pu*sy, which unfortunately he does right now. My call...bad call Conway
Anyone remember the hugest loser in the class? What was his name??
Saw Ratboy and Cyberblob laughing loudly outside the cafeteria. Overheard the fatman calling someone a Pu@sy. Great job Sean you had such potential. Score one for Ross Spechler Aleman and Co.
WE CAN TELL WHERE UR BALLS ARE--DON'T SEE U OUT THERE TAKING A STAND OR POSTING UR NAME. I WISH HE WOULD HAVE WENT TO THE MAT BUT IF HE WOULD HAVE WOULD U HAVE BEEN THERE IN THE OPEN HELPING OR JUST SIT BACK AND CRITICIZE. I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE FIGHT AND THE HELL THEY GO THROUGH--REAL MEN AND SOME END UP COMPLETELY RUINED AFTER OUR BAR-JQC AND SUPREME COURT FINISHES WITH THEM. WE BETTER UNITE AND DO SOMETHING NOT CRITICIZE
He's always been a kiss butt tool. Don't worry about him Sean. You are braver than anyone around this cesspool.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HURT EVERYONES EYES WITH ITALICS TO GET THE POINT ACROSS THAT YOU ARE A MANIC,DELUSIONAL IGNORAMUS, WHO HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE STANDS FOR....
David
You are far better then this Conway guy. You put your name on your posts you were not afraid of Ross & Co. Sean asked for this fight an then ran scared. This is not about how or what others would have done to back him up. This is about standing behind your right to free speech despite who may disagree with you. He had one of the best lawyer working for free and he caved. I don't always agree with you David but you don't back down despite how much crap people give you. Sean sadly can no longer say that.
I have to agree with the last post. I think most people who know Sean Conway are just disappointed that he caved because he did put himself in this position, he spoke about the importance of his right to freedom of speech and then took the easy way out. Why? Because he was afraid to lose money? Yikes! I think most people would be hard presssed to make the choice he did because at the end of the day he has a reprimand on his record by the Bar anyway, and no good explination for the repremand other than - I decided not to fight, I took the plea.
Also, his lawyer, Fred Haddad never charges a fee to defend a lawyer under these circumstances (he even was disappointed with Sean Conway's decision to back down from the fight).
This is not personal David, believe me. Just disappointing. I think most self-respecting members of the bar would have taken the path less chosen.
DON'T CATER TO THAT IDIOT LINDSEY!
I can't believe some of you. Sean did what our clients do every day: he measured the risk of trial versus the sure thing of a plea deal, and he took the deal. All it is going to cost him is one day out of the practice, a trip at his expense (probably to Orlando) to see the Bar Governors, and some Bar costs. A suspension would have forced him to notify all clients (in other words, lose them), stop work, and then start over trying to build the practice. We may all hate the Bar for their hypocritical position (the First Amendment is a great thing, it just does not apply to us), but don't hate Sean because he did the right thing for his practice.
If Sean would have just said he was sorry at the outset he would have probably got nothing. He decided to be a martyr when it got him attention and press. He brought he fight onto himself and caved. He wanted the pub and then he couldn't take the pressure. Either your stand up for what you believe in or you don't. He didn't and wussed out.
Clear where you stand - Right in the pu*sy line. Hey, money is the stuff of life, right?
Think about it. Conway, shuts down his practice for awhile (friends come to his aid to work his cases). He reopens stronger. Why? Because the reality is that other lawyers would be eager to help him out for the position he took. Where is he now? He is going to actually lose money and potential business because his reputation is forever cast as a quitter and a guy who runs from a fight. You know how people are and the gossip around the legal community. He's done. It's sad.
Anonymous wrote:
"I can't believe some of you. Sean did what our clients do every day: he measured the risk of trial versus the sure thing of a plea deal, and he took the deal."
What are you talking about? This is not the case of some guilty crack monster denying the stem is his. Conway put himself out as a champion of the 1st amendment, and then failed to pull the trigger when the time comes to fight.
Bad analogy.
I saw Conway walking around WM late last night wearing all black, sobbing. I guess he was looking for some affection from someone, anyone...since he knew he was going to get flamed for his cowardice.
I guess the man-purse matches the rest of the outfit and the vagina he's packing in his pants.
ok - ross and company started the cesspool that is the broward county justice system, but do you want to know who keeps that cesspool swirling? JAAB. ask Sean Conway how many of his JAAB colleagues/ posters offered to publicly stand shoulder to shoulder with him and share his lumps. i don't know him personally, but i bet his answer would be zero.
why all the harsh criticism about his decision to accept a public reprimand? Had he pressed forward and received something worse than that, he would've suffered the consequences alone. All the anonymous instigators would still have their bar numbers, their livelihoods, their good names, etc.
until more "outraged" anonymous posters are willing to publicly take a few lumps for the good of positive change in Broward County, please shut the hell up.
Another pathetic example of the Third Reich in action! A public reprimand for exercising our precious first amendment right to free speech? I thought truth was a defense to any potential defamatory statements. So, Moldoff skates for bribing a material witness in a homicide case and Conway gets publicly reprimanded? If the whole thing wasnt such a complete farce and injustice, their finding just might actually have meaning!
I HATE TO TAKE THE FLCUS OFF THE SHAM BUT WHY DOESNT ONE CHEIF OR OTHERWISE JUDGE OE ANY BLOGGER FOR THAT MATTER SIMPLY AS THE QUESION .....>>>That out of 47 motions to suppress litigated before the court in question, none were granted, I see a bit of a problem. Now lets be fair and say some iissues werent dispositive even, but in those cases i would hope there would be some sham rulings for appearances...Iwould go as far to say that unqualified judges like oconner, powwell, levinson (MAYBE SOME MEANINGLESS VICTRIES) WLOULD BE UNFIT AND MAYBE READY FOR CICIL IF THERE RECORD SHOWS A TOTAL AND UTTER DISREGARD FOR MINOR THINGS LIKE SEARCH ABD SEIZURE ABS STUFF.......UNACCERTABLE!! SO, EITHER TOBIN IS TO LAZY TO CRUNCK THE NUMERS OR IOTS POSSIBLE THIS GUY WOULD NOT GIVE A SHIT IF A JUDGE HEARD A SIGNIFICANT N UMBER OF CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATOIONS AND FOUND MERIT IN MEANINGLESS RULINGS YET A PAttertn of a lack of resoect for the very p[riniciples our country was founded on........what say someone? there is no excuse aso get the hell on it!!I
The problem is, Conway was disciplined for telling a truth that the JQC declared so, and that does not violate the Rules to warrant discipline. Conway was disciplined for "whistleblowing" which clearly speks for the Bar's position regarding its own Rules, especially when they sabotage, circumvent and dismiss proven complaints of using known perjured testimony and false and fabricated evidence and total dishonesty toward a tribunal. They do NOT consider this as "conduct" violations of the Rules and will willingly LIE to you in writing about it. But speak out truthfully about the proven malpractice of a judge or another attorney, and THAT is considered a serious breach of ethics. It violates the "honor among thieves" credo that really runs the Broward Bar and the Broward judiciary cesspools that is considered a breach of ethics to expose as Conway did, outside of any right to free speech. Crushing criticism is the prime directive--not crushing criminal malpractice in the practice of law.