JQC v. WATSON - it's almost over, folks. The JQC has rested, and the Defense already started with its character witnesses. Tuesday saw Tom Lynch and Watson's childhood friend/JNC member Terrence O'Connor going to bat for the embattled judge. Star witness Jack Seiler takes the stand tomorrow at nine, with the whole mess wrapping up shortly thereafter.
Is this a clear cut case of the Florida Barpunting on a serious matter, or is the JQC railroad running full steam, as some claim? It's still hard for us to tell exactly what this whole thing is about, and judging from the confused looks on some panel members' faces, we're not the only ones. One thing's for sure, when juror Mayanne Downs, past president of the Florida Bar, asked Watson if she had checked with the Bar's 1-800-ETHICSanonymous hotline to make sure a complicated contract indemnity provision passed muster, it really made the JQC look bad.
And to think the Supreme Court still hasn't been able to deal with the egregious and insulting conclusions in Gardiner's Bar case, while Watson's convoluted JQC matter has thus far proceeded with lightning speed ...
"Don't Blame Us" - in all fairness, it seems some of the GardinerOpinion delay is due to Respondent's answer brief not being filed in the appropriatefont. Got that?
From the Supreme Court's docket in Bar v. Gardiner:
Respondent's answer brief, which was filed with this Court on July 12, 2013, does not comply with Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.210 and is hereby stricken. Respondent is hereby directed, on or before February 5, 2014, to serve an amended answer brief which is double-spaced and submitted in either Times New Roman 14 point font or Courier New 12 point font ...
Come on. It's not going to hurt that bad, is it? ...
"Beyond the Pale" - that's how Howard Finkelstein categorizes reports of attorney Bradford Cohen's recent outbursts against this here blog, and developments in his own ongoing dispute with psychologist Michael Brannon.
You can read about Bradford Cohen v. JAABLOGover at BrowardBeat.com, and you can see an affidavit here from psychologist Trudy Block-Garfield, detailing her former colleague Brannon allegedly making physical threats against Finkelstein back in 2007, still of great concern to the Public Defender in light of continuing litigation. The affidavit has been filed in at least one recent circuit court criminal case thus far, and was forwarded in Januaryto Satz, as part of a follow-up general request for investigation into a variety of issues. Satz's blustery responses are found here, signed, of course, by underlings.
So, are there valid reasons for licensed professionals to behave as alleged? Are elected officials and bloggers who take strong positions, and vigorously defend them, really so threatening?
Here's what Finkelstein had to say earlier today:
"Lawyers and professionals do this work because we all have taken an oath to decide important, life impacting issues through reason and law. There is no room for threats of physical harm, whether explicit or implied."
Lastly, referring specifically to Satz's refusal to look into Block-Garfield's concerns, Finkelstein said:
"It took a lot of courage for Trudy to come forward. The State Attorney put her on the stand for years and relied upon her testimony before juries, but now she suddenly doesn't exist."
And the beat goes on ...
Hey Bradford! - nobody EVER used the F-Word. We'll take a poly, will you?
Coming Soon - A bunch of cell phone camera pictures ...
SDFL: Judge Richard Rosenbaum
Is this a clear cut case of the Florida Barpunting on a serious matter, or is the JQC railroad running full steam, as some claim? It's still hard for us to tell exactly what this whole thing is about, and judging from the confused looks on some panel members' faces, we're not the only ones. One thing's for sure, when juror Mayanne Downs, past president of the Florida Bar, asked Watson if she had checked with the Bar's 1-800-ETHICSanonymous hotline to make sure a complicated contract indemnity provision passed muster, it really made the JQC look bad.
And to think the Supreme Court still hasn't been able to deal with the egregious and insulting conclusions in Gardiner's Bar case, while Watson's convoluted JQC matter has thus far proceeded with lightning speed ...
"Don't Blame Us" - in all fairness, it seems some of the GardinerOpinion delay is due to Respondent's answer brief not being filed in the appropriatefont. Got that?
From the Supreme Court's docket in Bar v. Gardiner:
Respondent's answer brief, which was filed with this Court on July 12, 2013, does not comply with Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.210 and is hereby stricken. Respondent is hereby directed, on or before February 5, 2014, to serve an amended answer brief which is double-spaced and submitted in either Times New Roman 14 point font or Courier New 12 point font ...
Come on. It's not going to hurt that bad, is it? ...
"Beyond the Pale" - that's how Howard Finkelstein categorizes reports of attorney Bradford Cohen's recent outbursts against this here blog, and developments in his own ongoing dispute with psychologist Michael Brannon.
You can read about Bradford Cohen v. JAABLOGover at BrowardBeat.com, and you can see an affidavit here from psychologist Trudy Block-Garfield, detailing her former colleague Brannon allegedly making physical threats against Finkelstein back in 2007, still of great concern to the Public Defender in light of continuing litigation. The affidavit has been filed in at least one recent circuit court criminal case thus far, and was forwarded in Januaryto Satz, as part of a follow-up general request for investigation into a variety of issues. Satz's blustery responses are found here, signed, of course, by underlings.
So, are there valid reasons for licensed professionals to behave as alleged? Are elected officials and bloggers who take strong positions, and vigorously defend them, really so threatening?
Here's what Finkelstein had to say earlier today:
"Lawyers and professionals do this work because we all have taken an oath to decide important, life impacting issues through reason and law. There is no room for threats of physical harm, whether explicit or implied."
Lastly, referring specifically to Satz's refusal to look into Block-Garfield's concerns, Finkelstein said:
"It took a lot of courage for Trudy to come forward. The State Attorney put her on the stand for years and relied upon her testimony before juries, but now she suddenly doesn't exist."
And the beat goes on ...
Hey Bradford! - nobody EVER used the F-Word. We'll take a poly, will you?
Coming Soon - A bunch of cell phone camera pictures ...
SDFL: Judge Richard Rosenbaum