JAABCAM: GOVERNMENT IN THE DARK EDITION
1.) Where your tax dollars are going - a bunch of technocrats are currently going over the building plans for the new courthouse. The meeting is a semi-secret all day affair, held in the Broward County Main Library Auditorium, since Chief Judge Victor Tobin has successfully moved all public meetings out of the courthouse to thwart your humble author. Commissioner Ilene Lieberman's office came clean on the time and location, so we stopped by after court; 2.) The plans for the new structure, which will cost hundreds of millions of tax payer dollars. Some clown in the audience objected out loud when a tax paying member of the general public walked up and started looking through the public record plans, maybe a minute or two after the above picture was snapped (yup, it was us). Two County technical guys then asked nicely to talk in the hallway, accompanied by 3.) BSO's Sgt. Bonaby, who was just itching for the takedown signal to be issued. The County guys proceeded to explain that the meeting was simply to review the plans to date, and requested that pictures of the unfinished drawings not be published. The County folks acknowledged that these meetings are never Sunshined. In any event, we were able to eventually satisfy our burning curiosity by confirming from the plans that judges will be sharing special judges' only bathrooms near their offices on each floor, even though judicial staff will also have special bathrooms nearby (apparently our classy Broward judges can't void near underpaid subordinates); 4.) BSO Marine Cadets in the house Thursday; 5.) Potential cannibal alert - an unknown felony defendant left an underlined copy of The Silence of the Lambs in a courtroom last week; 6.) Candidate Oliver Parker really does look like a cross between WC Fields and Wimpy from Popeye.
NO NEW COURTHOUSE UNTIL SATZ STOPS
FILING RESIDUE CASES
All the tired horses in the sun ...
"NO NEW COURTHOUSE UNTIL SATZ STOPS IMPRISONING MINORITIES FOR THE SAME DRUG CRIMES WHITES COMMIT EVERY DAY"
Talk about non sequitur. The county either needs a new courthouse or it doesn't. The policies of the SAO are completely irrelevant to that.
A new courthouse is not needed. If they want an unwarranted prize the least they can do is cleanup the racism that is apparent to anyone who walks into a criminal courtroom (not a civil one in the old courthouse since they are always empty anyway).
parker also looks like the skipper from gilligan's isle
Parker is sexy!!! Damn!! Feren has competition in the looks department now.
Deborah you and your boyfriend Brian Reidy must have a lot of late night fun joking about children who are victims of child abuse. I was not shocked last night of your attacks on the family of a girl who was sexually abused. Heck it was your boyfriend Brian Reidy that called a young boy who was sodomized a "wide receiver" joking about him being gay.
So where is help me Howard on all of this? Does he not care that victims of crimes are being used a pawns for his employee candidates running for Judge?
Is Reidy and Steinstalz just the tip of the iceberg of how it is deemed humorous to make fun of victims of sexual abuse?
County Court needs a Judge who is level headed, mature, experienced and not a racist. As you will see below John Fry is none of these things
Margate Ex-officer Loses On Grievance
June 13, 2001|By Jeremy Milarsky Staff Writer
MARGATE — Police investigators last week effectively dismissed a complaint by a former police sergeant, who argued the department in late 1999 treated him unfairly by forcing him to resign under pressure for punching a drunken-driving suspect.
Former police Sgt. John Fry had said another officer, Jerry Calliano, lied to detectives and prosecutors almost two years ago during the investigation of the beating of Paul D. Wood at an August 1999 traffic stop.
In his complaint to police administrators, Fry accused Calliano of changing his story several times and lying to investigators about an unrelated case months before Wood was stopped by officers at Coconut Creek Parkway and Banks Road. Fry also accused police Sgt. Dana Watson, who is the equivalent of an internal affairs detective for Margate police, of dereliction of duty.
But police Lt. Ron Fromkin wrote in a memorandum June 4 to Police Chief Jerry A. Blough that Fry's complaint was unfounded, and department investigators were right to punish Fry for the beating of Wood and to suspend Calliano instead.
Neither Blough nor Fromkin could be reached for comment Tuesday. Calliano, who remains a Margate police officer, declined to comment through a department spokesman.
Fry, 34, was not surprised by the outcome of the investigation, but he said it was unfortunate.
"Lt. Fromkin, assuming he types well, put 10 hours minimum into this complaint," Fry said. "The only thing I asked for was for him to spend 15 minutes asking police officers if a specific event happened at a specific time."
Fry wanted Fromkin to ask other police officers about a June 1999 incident in which Calliano, during an interview with Watson several months later, accused Fry of kicking Matthew Ernst, a man who was on the ground in handcuffs. No other officers backed Calliano's story, and the complaint was dismissed.
A third police officer involved in the Wood incident, Steven Adler, was fired in January 2000. He has filed a grievance with the police union to get his job back.
Calliano was suspended for 80.5 hours for the beating of Wood. Department investigators found he had irresponsibly placed a handcuff on Wood's wrist while Wood was in his truck, giving Wood a deadly weapon to fight officers with. Calliano also did not wait for another officer to back him up before pulling Wood over, investigators reported.
Calliano had effectively accused Fry of kicking Ernst during the unrelated incident while Watson was talking with him about the Wood case.
Fromkin recommended Calliano should be trained further in street safety tactics.
Blough, in a letter to City Manager Len Golub, said the outcome of Fromkin's investigation proved his department works well.
what racism u said it now be more explicit as to your meaning or intent,, r u speaking of race per judges, defendants, victims, employees etc, defend yourself u anonymous whatever.
I have been to a few of the candidate nights and came away leaving that something was not quite right with John Fry. I read the article above and that sealed it for me that he is not the best choice to be our County Court Judge.
With all the potential changes with the Broward Judges we need someone who has more professional and life experience than eith of his opponents. A Judge needs to keep is his bias in check and be able to control their temper. Reading the article about how John Fry beat someone just scares me.
I say PUT HOWES IN THE COURTHOUSE>>>
http://howes4judge.com/
Re: Gelin "stopped by after court".
As the lead attorney, how many jury trials to verdict have you had Bill?
jaablog never ceases to amuse
Why are these hearings in re a new courthouse not being made public? Why NO TRANSPARENCY? And last but not least WHY is A NEW COURTHOUSE BEING BUILT WHEN ONE IS NOT NEEDED?
People of Broward unite against official corruption.
Half the commissioners who voted for it will be in prison before the first shovel of dirt.
Why do people let Bill Gelin aka Jaablog get away with his ridiculous idea that Broward doesn't need a new courthouse? The lawyers on here all know otherwise as do the many staffers and and other people that work there or spend a decent amount of time there. The place is digusting. Its falling apart. The wiring sucks. The plumbing breaks or leaks. Numerous people have developed respiratory problems from it. These above facts are not disputed. Ok so maybe there are a lot of unused courtrooms..thats an issue if dockets are getting high. Not for a lack of need in replacing them. As a lawyer who travels the state and appears in other county courthouses very frequently I'm really ashamed of our situation. I truly believe that Broward has many of the best and brightest attorneys in the state. Also despite all the scandals, Broward definitely has many of the best judges in the state. The problem is that the judges are, for the most part conservative, and Bill Gelin is a liberal. There's nothing wrong with being a liberal, don't get me wrong, but his anger is misplaced. Thinking that you are getting back at the judges and State Attorney Satz for the treatment of minorities by trying to deny all the rest of the lawyers and citizens of Broward county a decent courthouse is really ignorant. They estimate that the new courthouse will cost each taxpayer approximately 8 dollars a year. And, given that a prior county tax of eight dollars is expiring and we won't have to pay it, the new eight dollars won't even raise our existing tax bill. I'd like to hear if others that read this blog truly feel the same way about the new courthouse as Bill/ Jaablog does. If not, then come on everybody. If not, then come on people...support it on here and let everyone who reads this blog know that we are not alone.
Thanks
Dutchman
John Fry sounds as if he needs a little anger management counseling. He persona is one of a little too much self-confidence, too.
I always liked John Howes. I found him to be even-tempered and enjoyable to be around.
The courthouse is a disintegrating unsanitary dangerous shithole. The idea that Gelin declares the public should be held hostage to this place based on what the SAO does is absurd.
Of course we need a new courthouse...but somehow it is Satz's fault? Gotta love Gelin logic...he's a zero who has never tried a jury trial and has no law practice; as a consequence he rails against others to make himself seem legitimate.
The secrecy involved in this new courthouse project defies description. First voters soundly defeated the idea of spending millions and millions of tax payer dollars on a courthouse which in their view (and a large segment of the public is familiar with their own courthouse) was not needed at a time when budgetary concerns have mounted to such a degree that many hard working teachers and firemen are being in fact laid off in numbers never before seen in Broward County.
Then you have this body that remains unidentified to the public, overseeing against the publics wishes, plans of a new courthouse.
Broward is in fact one of the most corrupt places in the nation where the media also ignores the desire of the public who will be paying for this white elephant of a building project, while pandering to the big wigs who stand to make allot of money from such an idea.
Most Broward Courtrooms remain empty most of the time, and still no reporting of our underutilized courthouse or the names of the people who are actually making this happen in secret without notice so the public can express its outrage for this wholly unneeded public expenditure.
Broward County should whole sale clean out the crooked judges and Commissioners who are backing this idea.
In the Courthouse of course!
John Howes kicks butt...in court
John Fry kicks minorities in the head
No Choice it's Howes in the Courthouse
Support Domestic Violence. Re-Elect Peter Skolnik!
Deb is a blogging machine. I guess she knows she stepped on her pecker when she tried to use the good name of Ron Book to further her political career. These blogs will not help her. Ron is the wrong person to cross. His reputation is state wide and he cannot stand back and let some twit urinate on his family name. What he will do remains to be seen but we can all be sure it will be something. Deb should be paying off more condo commandos and not spending so much time on this blog. In short, we know it is you, Deb, writing these blogs. No one else cares enough about you to blog for you. Alteratively, you can find some paying clients so you can open your own checking account. That is what a big girl would do. By big, I am not referring to your size, just your age.
This allegatation is slanderous/libelous. There may be a subpoena issued to find your name. There is no real anonimity on this site. An immediate apology is hereby demanded.
Reidy likes the fattys
Couldn't make Roshawn Banks' birthday shin-dig in downtown Hollywood tonight. Did anyone go? How was it? Good crowd, many checks?
Happy birthday, Roshawn. You look good.
Go Roshawn!
Why are these clandestine meetings concerning the new courthouse project not in the SUNSHINE?
Why do we have a Chief Judge that is pandering to developers and builders?
Why have those intimately connected to this project not been made public?
Why with the arrests and investigations of various Broward County Commissioners has this matter not been examined closely to determine financial interests of those involved?
Why are various governmental officials in Broward allowed to thwart the will of Broward County Voters?
Why hasn't a comparison study been done to determine the cost of refurbishing the present courthouse?
These and many more questions remain to be answered to satisfactorily explain the reason Broward needs a New Courthouse to the tune of over 380 million dollars of tax payers money.
Don't flatter yourself Gelin. You and your blog are a non entity. I agree with 7/30/2010 5:50 pm. The meeting belongs for the people to review at the main library where people go not at the courthouse where lawyers work. You are a misguided and uninformed lawyer.
jim, i'll see you at maguires.got your piece???can't wait. do me me a favor, bring melon head tommie with you. kind of two birds with one stone happening.
.
Ten anonymous's can't equal one Jim Tylock in courage or in heart
bill is this the same character u threw off the blog in th past for making threats, seems like hes at it again, and to this asshole, i dont know you, i do not have a gun and im pushing 70 but just tell me who and where u are, typical coward
How dare these elitist politicians and judges shove a new courthouse down the taxpayers throats! Then they have the gall to do it in secrecy?? All these public employees on here screaming how they need a new courthouse should get a clue! The taxpayers said no and they are the ones who have to pay for it! The economy sucks in the real world out there and people are hurting. Now is not the time for a new courthouse. This "let them eat cake" attitude will come back to haunt these arrogant politicians and judges who don't care about anyone or anything else except what they want.
Boy they really get nervous when you start to mess with the money players.
Of course they don't care what happens when screw the blacks. They profit from building more jails in fact. But put the pressure on them if you want real change. They call the shots and they don't want any publicity.
Parker also looks a little like Hermann Goering from the side
Broward County Courts screw anyone of any color that cant afford an attorney.
P.A.s always trying to get defendants to take a plea. My son was arrested & offered a plea bargain & told this offer is only for today! Even though he had yet to see a police report, talk to a PA or get any legal advice & because he didnt except it then, its off the table. How is this fair? Hes charged with a felony Marijuana charge & only committed a misdeameanor. & even though we have been trying to get the courts to weigh the marijuana, this offer was taken away. Wake up broward before all our children get a felony record for the same shit we got a stern warning for as kids!!!
Bill Gelin is right and also very bright. He graduated from Berkeley and Stanford - top rated schools unlike the fourth quarter schools of Florida where anyone can graduate if you pay the outrageous tuition.
The Broward Couthouse is a dump, and will always be a dump. The courthouse employees fit in with this dump with their homeless style clothes. Maybe, Scott Rothstein can re-model the courthouse with the millions that he stole.
After reading that article, and doing some more digging on the web, it has become apparent to me that it would be completely irresponsible to vote John Fry into the courthouse. This guy has based much of his campaign on the fact that he was a police officer and knows the system from all ends. Well guess what, Fry was forced to retire from the force because he could not handle the responsibility that the job requires. He showed no discretion when he decided to savagely participate in the group beating of an unarmed and handcuffed DUI suspect. I for one cannot vote a man into a position of enormous responsibility who has shown that he lacks judgment or even simple human decency.
I don't know much about Howes or Rosner, but I do know that either one of them has to be a better choice than Fry.
but everyone has the right to defend himself.