Judge William Hoeveler's Passing. By Geniusofdespair

Judge Hoeveler....long time ago - 1981

A Federal Judge in Miami Dade County, Judge William Hoeveler, has passed.

I wrote about him December 3rd 2006:

Last night at a dinner party I was asked whether there was anyone I admired. I mentioned Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. I thought again about it, do I have a more current hero? One living perhaps.

I now see a new hero emerge: Federal Judge William Hoeveler. Why do I keep picking Federal Judges as my heroes? Maybe it is because they can be purer of heart. They don’t have to worry about who butters their bread and what is best for the economy. They can figure out what is wrong and right based on truth. I have been in Judge Hoeveler’s Court Room. He is a towering man. A giant among men. I wish everyone could have such a hero.

We wrote many times about Judge Hoeveler. A sample of Judge Hoeveler's writing follows:

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
CASE NO.: 88-1886-CIV-HOEVELER

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ET AL., v. SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT, ET AL.
ORDER

THIS CAUSE comes before the Court upon a hearing held on May 2, 2003 called by this Court to address state legislation concerning the Everglades restoration efforts which, as of the date of this Order, the bill in question had not yet been signed by the Governor into law. The Court now feels compelled to comment on the present situation, and take action, as described below.

During the hearing, the state parties repeatedly reassured this Court that the new state legislation, should it become law, will have no effect on the hard-won agreement reached by the parties more than a decade ago, and entered by this Court as a Consent Decree. To be clear, I wish to reiterate in the strongest possible terms that insofar as the new legislation, proves inconsistent with the Decree, the parties' obligations as yet forth in the Decree remain unaltered. The agreement embodied in that Decree remains binding upon the parties, and I intend to enforce it as it currently reads, unqualified.

This Court does not yet have cause to attempt to apply the legislation, and I sincerely hope I am never obliged to do so, for the bill is clearly defective in many respects. The loose language it employs in describing compliance with its own mandates, such as ""maximum extent practicable," robs it of meaning or binding effect. It opens the door to ten or more extra years with no showing that such a lengthy extension is necessary.

While I am deeply troubled by the content of the bill, I am dismayed by the process that led to its passage. The bill was moved quickly through the legislative process, reportedly at the behest of more then forty lobbyists for the sugar industry. There simply is no acceptable explanation for the speed by which this was accomplished, given the fact that the deadlines remain three and a half years off and given the State's assurances much of the cleanup project is proceeding on track. The important issues addressed, namely, the plan for funding and completing the restoration project, warranted serious consideration by Florida's elected representatives.

Moreover, the sponsors of the bill should have allowed time to consider input from the broad range of interests impacted. Yet the treatment of the bill seemed calculated to avoid federal participation or public scrutiny.

I am also concerned about the effect this turn of events will have on the partnership between the federal and state governments. Last tine we met, in October, the presentations her the United States and the state parties suggested a spirit of successful collaboration and shared optimism. The presentation by counsel for the United States at last week's hearing was cautious, to say the least. In a carefully worded statement, counsel for the United States described the bill as "Indeterminate" and "Puzzling." I agree.

I share the federal government's concerns that the state's commitment has been attenuated. And now, it is my understanding that the Governor intends to sign the bill. Apparently, he has been misled by persons who do not have the best interests of the Everglades at heart. It Is my fervent hope that he has the opportunity to compare the bill with the one it would replace, the Everglades Forever Act, and consider whether the derogation of its mandates and deadlines is necessary, or wise.

I and the parties have spent several years laboring over this process, during which I have heard from the best scientists on the progress of the Everglades restoration. Until now, most of the experts, with some exceptions, were satisfied that the work would be completed by December 31, 2006. While there was some caution expressed about that date, the hope was that we would make it. If not, I would think that additional time needed would not be great. Now, the proponents of the new Act talk about ten years, or more.

Because I fear the state's support has been withdrawn, I have decided to take action. Having delayed resolution of this issue some time now, I have decided to appoint a Special Master in this case, as I am convinced that further oversight over the administration of the Decree is necessary. I do not intend to entertain further discussion as to whether a Special Master is warranted, but I recognize the necessity of clearly defining the scope of the position's authority, and identifying the most appropriate candidate. When this issue arose previously, several parties requested additional time "to brief the issues raised, including authority and costs. To that end, I invite the parties to do so, and come prepared on June 10 with additional proposals for candidates.

In conclusion, as far as the federal lands are concerned, it is this Court's position that the new legislation, if passed by the Governor, will have no effect. The hearing set for June 10 will proceed as scheduled, and will address the parties' progress toward meeting the Consent Decree's interim deadlines, which are imminent. At that time, I will also hear argument on the proper role for the Special Master and the parties' positions on the most appropriate candidates.

In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, "Conservation means development as much as it does protection, I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land, but I do recognize the right to waste them or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us."

Which Judges to vote for in Miami Dade County? By Geniusofdespair

Some great analysis of judicial candidates on Discourse.net by Michael Froomkin, Law Professor at University of Miami.

His choice of judges are close to my picks:

Summary of Froomkin's County Court recommendations

Group 5: Milena Abreu (line 94)
Group 7: Ed Newman (line 97)
Group 15: Linda Luce (line 99)
Group 35: Wendell Graham (line 100)

I don't agree with his Group 5 pick and he doesn't seem so sure either. I voted for Fred Seraphin.

Froomkin's picks for 11 Circuit Court:

Group 9: Jason Edward Bloch (line 80)
Group 34: Renee Gordon (line 83)
Group 52: Carol “Jodie” Breece (line 87)
Group 66: Robert Joshua Luck (line 90)
Group 74: George “Jorge” A Sarduy (line 93)

I disagreed on 34, I voted for Mark Blumstein, but I do not have strong feelings on my pick.

If you go to the links you will get an analysis of each of his picks.

2016 Miami Dade Election: Which Judges Do I Vote For? By Geniusofdespair

The problem with voting for judges is, they are not allowed to give opinions. So they can't debate. There really isn't much to go on except lawyers experience with the judges, but then you have to trust the lawyers. And then if you ask two lawyers you know they might have competing opinions. At one time I did judge interviews for endorsements with a C3, and you could tell a lot by the kind of questions we asked. If you don't know which judge to vote for, I am tempted to say do not vote for any. But enough people will be voting for them that know even less than you, they will be voting on just  the vowels in their name.

I tend to vote for incumbents -- Judges that have been in office for a long time. I always would look at the bar judicial poll, but I don't see one for this year on the Dade County Bar Association Website. I went to many of the websites/facebook pages of the candidates. Honestly, you can make a decision if you look at both of them together and read about them. It helped me. I decided on Wendell Graham from reading his website and I decided against Elena Ortega-Tauler from reading hers.

Circuit Judge 11th
Judicial Circuit Groups:

9 Jason Bloch (I), Marcia Del Rey (Here I endorse Bloch, mainly because a boletera admitted she was working for Del Rey)

34 Mark Blumstein and Renee Gordon


52 Rosy A. Aponte (OMG the stuff I read about her) , Carol Breece she has a lot of endorsements, Oscar Rodriguez-Fonts

66 Robert Luck (I), Yolly Roberson (Here I endorsed Luck)

74 Elena Ortega-Tauler and George Sarduy (I)


County Judge Groups:

5 Fred Seraphin (I) and Milena Abreu (Fred great website)

7 Lizzet Martinez and Ed Newman (I) (Lizette your page sucks, I went to about you and there was nothing there)

15 Ruben Alcoba and Linda Luce (the incumbent is not running)

35 Wendell Graham (I) and Antonio Jimenez

Judges recommended to me by lawyer friends: Graham, Bloch, Luck, Gordon, Sarduy, Seraphin.

JUDGES I WILL VOTE FOR......

I Support Robert Luck For Circuit Court Judge. By Geniusofdespair

Yolly Roberson is out of her league on this one.

Robert J. Luck

Circuit Civil Division, Section: CA 32
Dade County

* Bachelor of Arts in Economics, University of Florida, with Highest Honors
* Juris Doctor, University of Florida, Magna Cum Laude, Order of the Coif, Editor in Chief of the Florida Law Review
* Member of the Florida and Alabama Bars
* Greenberg Traurig
* Law Clerk/Staff Attorney, Judge Ed Carnes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
* Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Florida
* Circuit Court Judge, 2013

Eye on Miami Saturday Editorial May 16th. By Geniusofdespair

Eat your heart out Miami Herald, we took over your glaring oversight: Saturday

JUDICIAL EXEMPT FROM LAW?

You need a tree removal permit to cut down a tree in Miami Dade County. Is ignorance of the law an excuse? I don't know, lets ask Judge Antonio Marin of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court since it is his tree. I am told there were other trees as well. Good mulch, good fine.

A tree removal/relocation permit is required for the removal or relocation of any tree within Miami-Dade County not specifically exempt under the Environmental Code of Miami-Dade County.

HOMESTEAD:

What is a week without news from Hudstead? Got any?

This is really not Hudstead news but since Lynda Bell is Chairman of the Board of National Right to Life, I thought you might find this choice of their email address, for their PAC, amusing:

LITTLE KNOWN FACTOID:

Did you know Florida Right to Life President (On their website) Carrie Eisnaugle is married to Eric Eisnaugle who serves in the Florida Legislature?
Here are the ORLANDO area Representative's Committee assignments:

Rules, Calendar & Ethics Committee Vice Chair
Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee
Justice Appropriations Subcommittee
Local & Federal Affairs Committee
Rulemaking Oversight & Repeal Subcommittee

I wonder how he votes on all those wacky Anti-Abortion bills? This is a link to his sponsored bills.

Join in Donating Contents for Book in Honor of Federal Judge William Hoeveler. By Geniusofdespair

Federal Judge William Hoeveler

Norman Moscowitz said:

Dear Colleague:

A number of us have been sharing recollections of our appearances before Judge Hoeveler and our encounters with him over the years. It became clear to us that such stories from the members of our legal community "could fill a book," and so, with the cooperation of Judge Hoeveler's staff, that is precisely what we would like to do. We are preparing a book of such reminiscences which we hope and expect the Judge will enjoy, and we invite you to submit a story for inclusion in this book.

At some time in early 2015, St. Thomas University School of Law will be hosting an event to honor Judge Hoeveler and to announce that its Law Library has been selected as the repository for his trial notebooks, correspondence, and other judicial memorabilia. We are pleased to announce that St. Thomas has agreed to publish this book and to present it to Judge Hoeveler at that ceremony. (It is intended to be a surprise to the Judge.) After that, copies will be made available to the public. As you may know, The Florida Bar annually awards the William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award to an outstanding jurist in Florida, and copies of this book will be presented to the Hoeveler Award recipients in future years.

We hope to include in this book stories about Judge Hoeveler, both from the time when he was practicing as a lawyer and during his 37 years of service on the bench. We are not looking for tributes or general praise, but rather anecdotes and "war stories" which by their narratives, and not by their adjectives, will say something about the kind of lawyer, jurist and person he is. These stories may be serious or funny, they may relate to personal encounters or things which took place in the courtroom during routine or more significant matters. Whether submissions emphasize his grace, patience, diligence, kindness or sense of humor, we believe that the collection as a whole will say something important about him and we hope that it will be a fitting tribute to his legendary career as a lawyer and trial judge.

Judge Hoeveler in 1990 (Random Pixels)

Your submission should be double-spaced in Word, in Courier New, 12 point, and preferably no longer than a single page. Please identify yourself by name and affiliation, and give context for your submission. Please send it to: HOEVELERSTORIES@gmail.com HOEVELERSTORIES@gmail.com. Professor Gary Kravitz at St. Thomas and Barbara Junge, Judge Hoeveler's former law clerk, will collect the stories and prepare them for publication. Also, in your email message please identify the specific character trait(s) your story highlights, e.g., grace, patience, diligence, kindness, sense of humor, integrity, faith, hard-working, or others, as this will help us assemble the stories in the collection.

Please send your submission no later than January 20, 2015. Unlike Judge Hoeveler, we will not be liberal in granting extensions, although for a good excuse and a good submission exceptions will be made. Please forward this solicitation to friends and colleagues who may not have received it directly.

Genius: Get to know him...  I wrote about him being my hero December 3, 2006 (such a Groupie...)

(Judge Hoevler on video - see him in action)

Bar complaint filed against judicial candidate Renier Diaz de la Portilla

A complaint has been filed against Renier Diaz de la Portilla, to the Florida Bar and to the Judicial Qualifications Committee.

RDLP Bar Complaint (00144701xC4495)

RDLP JQC Complaint (00144702xC4495)

Important Judicial Election Forum: August 4th. By Geniusofdespair

The Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Dade County Alumnae Chapter and the National Action Network - Miami-Dade Chapter is having a free community judicial candidate forum on Monday, August 4, 2014, at 6:00 pm at New Birth Baptist Cathedral of Faith International at 2300 NW 135th Street, Miami, FL 33167.

"While judges do not write laws in the same way legislators do, to the extent that they interpret and apply the law, a judge's role is equally important - especially to the people directly affected by their decisions.

We urge voters to come out to learn about the judges and candidates who seek this privilege and responsibility. Refreshments will be provided and candidates will be available to meet and greet members of the community. The forum is free and all are invited."

I went to one of these judicial events and they are a must! I knew who I wanted to vote for after hearing the Judicial Candidate speak and then talking with the judges. Thank you for having this event and telling Eye on Miami about it! I wish I were going to be in Miami to go to it.

About Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association:

GSCBWLA is named after Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry, an attorney who also was the State of Florida’s first black female state legislator. GSCBWLA is nonpartisan and is seeking to improve the voters’ knowledge about judges and how they are elected. We seek to follow in Gwen Cherry's footsteps and be champions of justice.


For more information, please direct inquiries to:

Cynthia Henry Duval, President, Cynthia.duval@gmail.com

I blame the Democrats and of Course Marco Rubio For the Thomas-Gayles Maneuver. By Geniusofdespair

Darrin P. Gayles - Florida Circuit Court Judge - Soon to be US District Judge

Judge William Thomas

Marco Rubio pulled his support of Judge William Thomas in August or September - he wouldn't blue slip him (approve him). Thomas is not only black but also gay. Rubio sullied Thomas's reputation with some bizarre arguments that lawyers and other judges dismissed as trumped up. Instead of the Democrats fighting for Thomas they chose  - what I call the bobble-head solution - treating people like bobble-heads, where heads are just treated as interchangeable.  The Obama administration found another gay, black judge, thus forcing Rubio to support him. Rubio couldn't possibly reject two gay, black judges. It was smart of the Democrats but not without consequences.

Are judges that interchangeable?  Who suffers? Of course, William Thomas and maybe our judicial system. Thomas said he was once Judge William Thomas now he is known as the Gay, Black Judge William Thomas. He said his privacy and his life was changed dramatically by the incident.  I think Frederica Wilson should have stood by her man and given him more support instead of capitulating to the Democratic maneuver.  But the Democratic trick worked against a stubborn Marco Rubio, and all is done -- the Dems got their gay, black judge however they left William Thomas in the rubble.

The federal judiciary, control of the US Senate, and Florida … by gimleteye

If John McCain had won as president in 2008, only he would have stood between Sarah Palin -- his choice for vice president -- and nominations to the federal judiciary. Today, even Republicans recoil at Palin who lacked any suitable qualifications to the presidency other than her ease at delivering talking points. But then, there was lust by Republicans to put Palin a heartbeat from the power to shape the federal judiciary.

In November, the GOP could take control of the US Senate. Here is what is at stake for the federal judiciary and especially the federal appeals court.

By example, yesterday the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stinging rebuke of Florida Gov. Rick Scott's 11th hour attempt to purge of voter files in Florida in 2012. Daily Kos reports: "In fact, the purge engineered by Gov. Rick Scott's team was undertaken just 55 days before the November 2012 elections. So egregious was this move and so filled was it with mistakes that critics had predicted would occur that the state's 67 county election officials, including 30 Republicans refused to go along with it. And even if they hadn't, lawsuits finally thwarted the move." According to the Tampa Bay Times, "The decision by a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta invalidated efforts by the Department of State to identify and remove noncitizens from the voter rolls in advance of an election in which a Florida victory was crucial to President Barack Obama's re-election."

What's the big deal? Here it is.

As one commenter observes: "Judges matter. 3 Judges on this case: Beverly Martin, Adalberto Jordan, and Richard Suhrheinrich, a senior judge from Michigan. Martin and Jordan are Obama appointees and were the 2 majority votes. Richard Suhrheinrich was the dissenting vote and was appointed to the 6th Circuit by George HW Bush. He was filling in because the 11th Circuit has 4 vacancies out of 12 seats -the most in any Circuit. Of course, allowing Obama to fill the 4 vacancies on the Circuit that covers Florida, Georgia, and Alabama would give the court a 9-3 Democratic advantage, and we can't have that. Who knows what other crazy rulings they might make…"

Most voters are oblivious to the importance of the federal judiciary and how it is shaped by ideology in a Congress divided by extremists from the far right. Take just one issue that was heard by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals when it was the majority was represented by GOP vetted appointees: the pollution of Lake Okeechobee.

A federal Clean Water Act lawsuit against pumping into the lake severely polluted water by the sugar industry from canals filled with runoff, approved by the South Florida Water Management District (ie. State of Florida), was levied in the early 2000's by environmental groups (the organization I represent as president of the board, Friends of the Everglades, is a plaintiff.) Years of mismanagement of Lake Okeechobee, to serve industry, subsequently wrecked the quality of life and property values and put public health of citizens at severe risk on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Although the badly polluted lake is now a potent grass-roots organizing theme, its localized focus mostly fails to incorporate who, how and why voters so often vote against their own interests. After all, wealthy Republicans who can afford to own once-valuable coastal real estate on rivers and estuaries polluted by Lake Okeechobee are drastically paying for the intransigence of their own political party: an intransigence fueled by special interest money from Big Sugar. The payoff? Federal judges who continue to affirm that it is the right of the states to do whatever they want to the environment that affects all of us: a meme that repeats again and again in Florida.

The 11th Circuit Court -- that serves the southeast -- consistently proved hostile to environmental regulations that could protect Lake Okeechobee and harming, by extension, nearby property owners. The Lake Okeechobee back pumping case was recently re-heard on appeal by another federal circuit court that ruled affirmatively in the favor of environmental plaintiffs (who are, by the way, little loved by most Republican property owners who nevertheless in Florida vote time and again against their own interests.)

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta was a road block to environmental justice in the case of Lake Okeechobee. In another case in the early 2000's, the court considered and then refused to intervene in a highly controversial rule change approved by the federal EPA and challenged by environmentalists. At issue: the massive leakage of underground injected fluids through municipal waste disposal wells. Miami-Dade County, at the time, was the largest point source polluter in the entire nation through its South Dade plant. The ruling by the 11th Circuit -- allowing the rule change despite its clear threats to drinking water -- also paved the way for a gargantuan boom in fracking for natural gas, by erasing the prohibition of fluid movement between layers underground. Up to that point, the prohibition had been common sense and one of the bedrock principles of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

In "The Federal Judiciary in a Post-Nuclear World", the Washington Post writes, "… with the strong possibility of the Senate switching to Republican control for Obama’s last two years, the number of judicial confirmations likely will fall to a trickle at best, with perhaps only some district court judges picked by bipartisan commissions getting through."

There are 85 vacancies in the federal judiciary, and according to the Post, at least 21 judges who are preparing to retire.

Elections have consequences especially for the federal courts, but if voters aren't paying attention that means as a nation we have no idea what those consequences are. On the other hand, judging from Florida Gov. Rick Scott's passion to rig elections for the GOP, he and his financial backers understand those consequences perfectly well.

Our Hero of the Week: Federal Judge William J. Zloch. By Geniusofdespair

Judge William J. Zloch

I am impressed with what US Federal Court Judge William Zloch said at the Sweetwater Mayor Manny Maroño sentencing hearing.  When Marono said he made a mistake the judge corrected him and said "he pleaded guilty to a crime, not a mistake."

Most impressive was what the judge said to the U.S. Attorney, according to the Miami Herald:

But the judge devoted the main part of his sentencing hearing to denouncing the plague of public corruption in South Florida, calling it a “cancer.”

Zloch even challenged why federal prosecutors joined with the former mayor’s defense attorneys in recommending the low end of a sentencing guideline for Maroño: 37-to 46-months.

“Would you agree that public corruption has become commonplace in our society?” the judge asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Dwyer.

“I would agree with that,” Dwyer said.

The judge added 3 months to the sentence approved by both sides.

Ronald Reagan appointee, you are my hero of the week for stating the truth that everyone else appears to be avoiding and getting a U.S. Attorney to say it too. It seemed as though the Judge thought the U.S. Attorney protecting us, was going too easy on the defendant. I agree. We should have got him to sing like a bird in exchange for no fines.

Friggin' Marco Rubio and His Homophobia. By Geniusofdespair

I know Judge William Thomas and he is an outstanding man, smart, funny and charming and openly gay. I am very sad at what happened to him at the hands of Marco Rubio who refused to blue slip him for the Federal Judiciary.

As Fred Grimm said in the Miami Herald, "Rubio Stomps on judges reputation" besides killing his nomination to the federal judiciary. Grimm said:

Ovalle, who knows everything about that courthouse, insisted that Thomas is regarded as one of the hardest-working, most competent judges in the Miami-Dade criminal court division.

But all this is to pretend that Rubio had some reason other than crass Tea Party politics for sabotaging Judge Thomas’ reputation and aborting the confirmation process.

Judge Thomas: I am so sorry. I know how proud you were to be considered for this post. You deserved it. He was rated well qualified by the Miami Dade County Bar Association.

As Bradford E. Brown, PhD said:

Judge Thomas was an outstanding Federal Public Defender. He also volunteered to help the Miami Dade NAACP on Legal Redress issues when I was President and did a superb job. He has received high praises for his work on the Bench.

 Also read South Florida Lawyers on this subject. Really good take.

Don't kid yourself, this is all about Judge Thomas being gay. I guess it was bad enough he was black, it left Rubio's head spinning. Both Senators from Florida had to approve this appointment. Rubio is such a tool.

Spencer Multack Running for County Judge. By Geniusofdespair

Spencer Jet Multack is running for County Judge in group 31.  Rick Scott appointed him so that doesn't make me real happy about him. Abby Cynamon is currently the Group 31 Judge. I called to see why he was running in that particular Group since he is an incumbent in another Group now but he never called back. Is Abby not running? A sitting judge wouldn't move to another Group with a sitting judge, or would he?  He has $106,537 in his account thanks to a $100,000 loan to himself. Judges tend to put large amounts in their own accounts to discourage the competition.

Dirty Secret With Miami Dade Fraud - It's A Family Affair. By Geniusofdespair

Mothers and fathers are suppose to teach children to do the right thing. When you look at our elections here in Miami Dade County, the parents are being implicated with the children. Nice. The parent is scum and so is their demon off-spring. I really shouldn't be using Rosemary here in the photo, she was an innocent, it was the devil dad who was the creator of the evil child. Here in Miami Dade county, I think of the movie Rosemary's Baby, since we have many parents who participate in devilish behavior with their children.

You have Ana Alliegro's mother covering for her daughter's terrible behavior. "She's safe." Well, where? No wonder Ana has a 2007 arrest record -- mug shot, have a copy of it -- not sure if she was convicted. She proudly calls herself  a "Conservative bad girl" on her twitter account. That probably makes her mother proud. Heard her father might work in law enforcement. That is too hard for me to accept.

Rosemary's baby.

You then have U.S. Congressman David Rivera working out illegal/unethical deals with his mother and God mother.  All three knew what they were doing. No wonder David Rivera doesn't know right from wrong.  Shadow Banker, Former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina, has the example of his uncle who admits to collecting absentee ballots illegally for years  and the uncle even insisted to police that he won't ever stop. Now you have Commissioner Bovo's aide Anamary Pedrosa participating, together with her mother, in illegal absentee ballot collection.

What is wrong with these families?  What is the wiser generation teaching the younger generation? To cheat? To lie? To win at any cost? These people are dregs of humanity. The whole lot of them. 

And what of these Judges? The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald asked judges why didn't they report this illegal activity when approached by absentee ballot brokers SELLING votes and describing filling out ballots for oldsters in ALF's?  What did these judges learn about ethics, about right and wrong, about the law?  Apparently nothing. I don't want them judging me - EVER.

The whole bunch of them -- politicians, judges, the ballot brokers, the campaign strategists -- they all make me want to puke because their actions are stealing my vote.

I Am Sorry, I Lied. By Geniusofdespair

I thought a lot about my choice in the Greer Elaine Wallace and Andrea R. Wolfson Judgeship race that I expained in detail in my July 24th post.

To recap quickly, I rejected Wallace because of her husband Otis Wallace who is the Mayor of Florida City. I said: "Her husband has skeletons in his closet and there have been charges against him. If he gets arrested, do we want a judge with a husband in jail? Or worse, what if they decide not to prosecute because she is a judge? That would be a tragedy."

The other judge, Andrea Wolfson who will win, got the support of the Gay and Judge Hate Group Christian Family Coalition. That endorsement really bothered me even though she had a good rating with the Miami Dade Bar. I said I would vote for her anyway but I just couldn't. I sent in my ballot today and made a last second change. I ended up voting for the third candidate in the race Arthur Spiegel.

Excerpt from Arthur Spiegel's Miami Herald 2012 Judicial Candidates Questionaire

A Word to Misguided Judges Endorsed by the Christian Family Coalition. By Geniusofdespair

Anthony Verdugo

The Christian Family Coalition endorsement is a REAL problem for ALL JUDGES AND ALL JUDGE CANDIDATES unless they agree that trashing OTHER judges is acceptable rhetoric.  I really think judges/judge candidates with the Christian Family Coalition Endorsement are misguided and that they should renounce their CFC endorsement and here is why:

In a Press Release from the CFC dated 9/22/2010 (in response to the 3rd DCA opinion upholding Judge Lederman in the Gil adoption case) Anthony Verdugo said:

Corrupt Appeals Judges VIOLATE Oath of Office, Irrationally Attack Law Protectng Children! Florida Voters: Lawless Judges Must Be Impeached!

CFC Verdugo said further in the same press release - as if the above wasn't bad enough:

However, today, corrupt judges on a Third District Court of Appeals panel, Gerald B. Cope Jr., Frank A. Shepherd and Vance E. Salter, intentionally usurped the authority of the Florida State legislature and Florida voters by behaving as if they were "gods" and undemocratically imposing their warped prejudices and personal whims on 18 million Floridians.

How on earth could ANY judge/judge candidate be associated with a group that would say such inflammatory and untrue words against judges over their ruling? The subject of the case is irrelevant. The fact is, the 3 judges were doing their job. How could any judge who claims to be impartial, accept baseless charges against another judge over a ruling they made? The judges being endorsed didn't hear the testimony in the case so how could they put their good name with the CFC that makes baseless claims about other judges' conduct because they make rulings that disagree with CFC? Why would those endorsed ever allow another judge to be maligned - in the context of a ruling - by a group that endorsed them?  How could any judge or judge candidate bear witness to another judge being called 'corrupt' and 'lawless' for their opinion on a case? How could any judge or judge candidate take an endorsement from a group calling for the impeachment of a judge over his or her opinion on a case?

A Note to stupid judges/judge candidates with the CFC endorsement: Let me define corrupt for you --- it means "Having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain."

Do you think Judges Gerald B. Cope Jr., Frank A. Shepherd and Vance E. Salter acted dishonestly and took money or gained anything by their opinion? No?  Do you think they should be impeached? Then how can you take an endorsement by a group that says that they have and they should be? You must stand up for those in your profession that have to make those hard decisions every day, the men and women charged with following the rules of law.

I am calling ON ALL JUDGES and JUDGE CANDIDATES to renounce your CFC endorsement. Don't let this hate group co-opt your reputation and make you appear as hateful as they are. The Christian Family Coalition doesn't  just hate and attack Gay Groups...they hate and attack judges that don't side with their positions too.

I endorse Greer Wallace!

Otis Wallace's Wife Greer Elaine Wallace is Running for Judge. By Geniusofdespair

Who will cook my dinner?

Greer Elaine Wallace is running for County Court Judge in Group 24. Gloria Romero Roses gave to her campaign she must want Florida City's Mayor for Life Otis Wallace's support. Xavier Suarez gave to Wallace's wife too. Why? He is on Wolfson's website as a supporter. Sue Shiver gave to Greer. Esther Nuhfer (David Rivera's gal pal) also gave as did Cindy Lerner and Maurice Ferre. Barbara Hardemon and John Lorfils are running Wallace's campaign. She also has the hated absentee ballot queen, Sasha Tirador, working on her campaign.

I am voting for Andrea R. Wolfson for Group 24, even though I do have a MAJOR problem with her. The Dade County Bar gave her 51.90% exceptionally qualified, 40.11% qualified. Only 7.98% thought she was unqualified. To give you some idea how HIGH a rating that is, Enrique Yabor got 9.44% exceptionally qualified, 40.56% qualified and a whopping 50% unqualified. Greer Elaine Wallace got 23.86% exceptionally qualified, 46.67% qualified and 29.47% unqualified.

(OCT. 19TH -- I ACTUALLY VOTED FOR WALLACE IN THE ELECTION AS WOLFSON'S CFC ENDORSEMENT BOTHERED ME SO MUCH - THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT THE PRIMARY. SEE MY NEWER ARTICLE ON WOLFSON AND CFC. This article is a MUST READ before you vote for Judge because you will see why I had such a hard time deciding on this important race.)

As a judge, or judge candidate, they cannot answer any questions really as they are supposed to be impartial on just about anything and everything. What their peers think of them is important. The Miami Herald did endorse Wolfson too.  Wolfson is using David Custin the evil absentee ballot King (Fictitious Name DRC Consulting) for her campaign. It is unfortunate that our judges have to stoop so low in who they have to hire to win.

Wolfson was a big sister for two years and she was involved with the Hialeah Parks and Recreation department's Early Prevention and Intervention Youth program.

We already have Barbara Jordan, Otis Wallace's sister in office. Do we need his wife too? I don't think so.  The Miami Times (a Black publication) sank to new lows in their take on this race, talk about stereotyping voters:

"In a three-way race, Wallace stands a better chance of winning because the two Jewish candidates will fight over the Jewish vote and she should get all of the Black votes."

Do they just assume that no-one will just vote for the best candidate, forgetting about race and religion? Did they just assume the Catholic Wolfson is Jewish?

Not sure why this $500 is here on Wolfson's campaign report. Other candidates don't show it. Shirley Gibson never gave them money for the forum.

I spoke to Wolfson about the Christian Familly Coalition endorsement.  She feels she must be fair  to all segments of the population. I agree for a JUDGE as a judge can't say much to get the endorsement anyway. But not at a cost of $500 (It was on her campaign report - she says it is an ad). A group that charges that much does not deserve a visit by anyone. That is my only bone to pick with her.  You might believe you have to visit all groups Andrea, but not at prohibitive costs. And you might think about this: Judge Ethics Code Canon 7: A Judge or Candidate for Judicial Office Shall Refrain From Inappropriate Political Activity. I find it difficult to believe that she doesn't believe that a group that equates Save Dade with Nazi's and the Klan is suitable for accepting an endorsement from and giving $500 to.

I would LOVE to support the other candidate but I just can't. her husband has skeletons in his closet and there have been charges against him. If he gets arrested, do we want a judge with a husband in jail? Or worse, what if they decide not to prosecute because she is a judge? That would be a tragedy. Truthfully, I think they both suck.

Aug. 2nd: I voted today and I ended up voting for Arthur Spiegel.