No trial tax here ... Destry imposing sentence

Deeeep discounts at Macy's (for a limited time only) - ASA Martina Herretes won a guilty verdict today before Judge Destry.  Defendant Karelia Rodrigueztorres got caught sponsoring her own clearance sales at Macy's, in her former capacity as a sales clerk.  She would ring up merchandise at normal sale prices, then tack on up to 70% more in discounts via manual register overrides, resulting in Wal-Mart style prices.  The funny thing about it?  Neither Rodrigueztorres, her friends, or her family benefitted from the scam.  "I gave them an extra discount so they could be happy and come back to shop more," she told police.  Defense attorney Matt Glassman pointed out that Rodrigueztorres didn't work on commission, and actually hurt her own sales quotas by the giveaways.  Alas, the evidence was too strong, resulting in an unfortunate guilty as charged.  Destry and Herretes came through in the end, however.  "I'm not going to punish you for exercising your constitutional right to trial," the good judge said, after ordering the deputy to remove the post-verdict cuffs.  He gave her a withhold and ordered her to make restitution, with a year of probation (she had no priors).  Herretes, for her part, wasn't out for a "you made me go to trial" pound of flesh, seemingly content that Destry had exactly matched her original offer to Rodrigueztorres.  Well done!

The county is  offering solutions that don't cost $328 million - Click here for the Chief Judge's stinging rebuke of the county's suggestions to solve the problem of parading shackled juveniles throughout the courthouse.  Their ideas include holding hearings at the Detention Center, utilization of the judicial elevators, video hearings (which the PD won't allow), and the creation of a separate juvenile courthouse entrance.  Tobin's sticking to his guns on this one, so far.  Still, we have to wonder.  If he finds the parade of juveniles so inhumane, why can't he sacrifice the judicial elevators for very small periods of time until his precious Taj Mahal can be built?  Anyone?

JAABLOG POP QUIZ:

Why is the SAO, after thirty years of no action, finally going after politicians?

A.) They have been humiliated, shamed, and pressured by the Feds.

B.) Satz is not running for reelection, and isn't afraid of alienating the powerbrokers 
      who keep him in office any longer.

C.) Satz is running for reelection, and needs to restore credibility by appearing like 
      he's tough on corruption.

D.) Who cares! (too little, too late)

                (Answer: D)

Pulp: State Attorney Serves Subpoenas in Wasserman-Rubin Criminal Case

" ... it's about time the State Attorney's Office took it seriously. A lot of it happened five years ago, after all, it's been more than two years since Wasserman-Rubin was fined for it by the ethics commission ... It seems that a fire has been lit under State Attorney Michael Satz since the feds came in and rattled his turf with the arrests of a county commissioner (Josephus Eggelletion), a School Board member (Beverly Gallagher), and others in the fall ... "

BACDL PRESENTS ROY BLACK - February 19th from 1:00 to 2:30 PM.  Trial tips and war stories in the Broward Courthouse Jury Room.  Free!

BBeat: Attorney Ralph Behr Says Check Whether PD Clients Have $$$