CASUALTY OF WAR
Judge Julio Gonzalez, Jr.Raise your glass to the hard working people
Let's drink to the uncounted heads
Let's think of the wavering millions
Who need leaders but get gamblers instead
-Jagger/Richards from Beggar's Banquet
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JAABlog: CASUALTY OF WAR
Judge Julio Gonzalez, Jr.Raise your glass to the hard working people
Let's drink to the uncounted heads
Let's think of the wavering millions
Who need leaders but get gamblers instead
-Jagger/Richards from Beggar's Banquet
I guess being the highest rated judge for legal knowledge and judicial temperment means nothing.
The other two had it coming, but Judge Gonzalez will be missed.
Utterly ridiculous. One of the most competent and most liked judges in the county, great temperament, as shown by the judicial poll results--and this result. Shameful.
This place is a joke. So what. He tried and we as a whole are making progress. Love him.
A really bad time to be an incumbent, and a really bad time to be a POS Republican appointee. No matter how good you were, how could you expect to transcend the deeds of the Bush clan? What were you thinking?
The same organization that attacks the governor for not appointing minorities - sought candidates to oust minorites and now is jumping up and down when minorities are not re-elected.
Your true colors are shining through.
We will soon have one of the whites judiciaries in the state - regardless of the nonsense that that minorities are the majority.
We have really achieved something here - like putting Broward back 20 years.
Great Judge - Great Guy, Yes!
But, practiced law in Dade County, raised zero money early on. Give me a beak; even Elijah Williams raised $50,000.00 early on to ward off any challengers. The guy hardly had $8,000.00 in the bank at first - half of it was his own money.
Good luck Judge - you were the best qualified with the worst result.
He took the worst division in the courthouse - the one we were least happy about getting cases in, and made it a pleasure. Efficient, fair, great temperament.
Now we get someone who would do and say anything to get on the bench. We will never forget how you maligned Giselle Pollack. Whatever her faults, she did not deserve your slander. That was no way to get a robe.
Gonzalez in 12! You were done dirty. Too busy being a Judge to put money in his fund. I wish the other Judges made that mistake!
You racist demorats , condo people and guys like you buddy, voted him out. Republicans didn't vote him out. Demorats are racists, don't believe their inclusion crap. STFU
Broward wakes up to a new kind of revolution, a judicial one. Nothin like this has happened in 30 years.
Ratings mean nothing. Hard work on the bench means nothing. There are so many others with robe fever who deserve to be off the bench, not Julio.
He will be greatly missed, but have no doubt we will see his name around again.
Elijah Williams turned his back to Richards because of politics, Holmes walked Avalos to her church and inroduced her due to politics. Not much unity in Broward. You two should be ashamed of yourselves. Wait till its your turn.
It is a reality that "our world" does not elect judges. All our world asks for are Judges that have a good judicial temperment, be fair to your client, and have some compassion. Judge Gonzalez had all these traits, and more. In trial, he would LISTEN,[hint here to some other judges], and would sentence accordingly, not just hand down a jail/prison sentence to send fear to other defendants, and lawyers, to reduce his case count. It is a travesty that one of Broward's best jurists will not be on the bench come January. If there is really a rally cry then I would suggest that the Broward bar, Jaab Blog, BACDL, Hispanic Bar, and all other organizations rally behind him and lets get his name back up to the governor so he can again serve as Judge. I am sure there will be open Judicial spots shortly due to retiring Judges. If there is really is an interest in getting him back on the bench then let me know. I will start the process and report back to all in the blog. Of course, Judge Gonzalez would have to approve. To Judge Gonzalez:..thanks for being an intelligent compassionate human being!!!! don't lost it b/c of this election!
Regarding 6:57 AM and 7:42AM
WAIT TILL IT'S WHO'S TURN?
Who are you threatening?
You are a racist. I'm sorry you're not happy with the results but the people spoke in a fair election. That is what America is all about, fair elections; not the results. Didn't you learn that in American History. Both Catalina and Pedro appear to have been in extremely tight races but they lost. The fact the results were so close demonstrate their results had nothing to do with Racism. Clean up your own house before you call others racist. Again I ask, who are you threatening. Be part of the solution instead of the problem.
Russell Williams is right. The bad news is Julio Gonzalez lost. The good news is all judges must start to behave like adults and neutral arbiters. No one wants an opponent, and no one is 100% safe any longer.
And now this coming from the guy that Ross rolled out for a favorable blurb in the newspaper? Give me a break. You're a little late, Russ, to joining a fight that's been going on while you looked the other way. You've got allot of answering to do.
Now the BACDL wants to weigh in? You guys are indeed laughable. When you took all the cases the corrupt judges could give, it didn't matter what they did. Now you see the end approaching for the wrapped up judicial races and you want to make ammends?
Is this about the BACDL? SPD cases or about Jusge Gonzalez? I am confused. First the current Board of the BACDL consists of fairly new lawyers. I, Brad, Ken, or Barry never made a living off of SPD cases..you can check the records. I was stepping up to organize to get Julio back on the bench, as it seems from these comments, no one wants to see him leave. I see everyone here whining and no one doing anything. Thats the way it is in this courthouse..everyone whines[anonymously] and no one takes action. I agree the tide is turning..perhaps for the better..As for the BACDL before I can use the organization I must get board approval..I made my comments personally, hoping there can be a rally,and hoping the board will support me. Julio needs to be on board for anything we do anyway...BTW the BACDL is sponsoring a party at the JIB room tonight for happy hour...
Is that the now infamous Barry Butin you're talking about, Russ? You know, the same that overbilled for a case he admitted was way over his head? You've got a very short memory, buddy.
Dont delude yourself. You are 100% safe if your last name is not hispanic. Please, if it had been levenson getting opposition (deserved) he would have won. This is a racist county that has shown its true colors. It sends no message to the judges-it just sends a message to hispanic people- DONT TRY TO BE A JUDGE!!
Is it racist? Or is it simply no one is organized and no one cares?
10% turnout means only old Jewish ladies bothered to vote. Everyone votes for names like their own.
Why is it their fault that the Hipanics and others in Broward didn't bother to vote?
the bottom line is that the process is flawed. of course democracy is the goal, but no one outside the court system really knows anything at all about the candidates, incumbent or challenger. i've been practicing law in this county for 13 years, and my own wife asked me monday night, "oh, who should i vote for tomorrow?" that says it all. by the way, i would like to again suggest that those who post use their real names. anonymous posts are not only cowardly, but are given very little credibility. julio will survive. no matter what, the cream still rises to the top. no matter the layers of junk in the way, honesty, integrity, fairness, compassion, and common sense still stand tall in the end.
Judge Gonzalez was everything BOTH sides should want in a judge, and that's sadly all too rare in this county. I doubt there's a single person in the courthouse who knows him or just knows of him by reputation who voted against him. Julio for the next open spot, county or circuit.
Simple solution: BACDL, Reddick Bar, and Hispanic Bar should join forces with Jaab to create a super lobby/judicial PAC to protect the good judges and ignore or oppose the bad apples.
Julio had no name, no money, wrong party, was in a high profile division. Pedro should have stayed in the Restraining Order Division until after the election. He wanted to play with the big boys/girls and got his but handed to him on a jewish/cuban platter. Bernie's Dad was great out at Century Village, and his Brother is a great Hollywood Mayor/Speaker.
Good Luck Bernie.
I have to agree with LLoyd, it is a shame that the process can be so flawed. It's not only pitiful that one of the best Judges we have, the State thinks so, the defense thinks so and so do most of the defendants, but it is also embarassing that once again the Broward courthouse is in focus not because of the great work being done here but because our system is so bad.
Don't know that it's the system as much as the people seeking most of these positions. Whether through the appointment process of the elective one, there are bound to be allot of people seeking these seats for the wrong reasons, not least of which is the pension. People used to want to be judges at the end of their successful practice bringing with them greater knowledge of the law and life experience. Now it's all politics. The facts are the facts. Look at what we have on the bench for the most part.
Judge Gonzalez is truly what I had hoped judges would be when I was still idealistic in law school. He is a man who had compassion, which is hard to come by, especially in the division to which he was assigned. I saw him genuinely care about how the system treated the defendants, especially those with mental health issues. Since he couldn't transfer those cases to courtrooms designed to deal with them, he sought out ways for them to receive assitance anyway. (The infinite wisdom of the judiciary to create an administrative order disallowing the transfer to mental health cases from the domestic violence division would be the topic of another whole rant.) I respect Judge Gonzalez and everything he did from the bench. I think there are other judges who could learn from the example he has set. Russell, give me a call if Judge Gonzalez wants the rally you spoke about. I'll be happy to help any way I can.