It looks to me as if this judge has clearly shown that he must recuse himself. That said, his commentary in open court is pretty reliable evidence that the Miami cops were — as has been suggested here before — waaaay over the line in trying to corral the FTAA protestors:
A judge presiding over the cases of free trade protesters said in court that he saw ''no less than 20 felonies committed by police officers'' during the November demonstrations, adding to a chorus of complaints about police conduct.
Judge Richard Margolius, 60, made the remarks in open court last week, saying he was taken aback by what he witnessed while attending the protests.
''Pretty disgraceful what I saw with my own eyes. And I have always supported the police during my entire career,'' he said, according to a court transcript. “This was a real eye-opener. A disgrace for the community.''
In the transcript, he also said he may have to remove himself from any additional cases involving arrests made during the Free Trade Area of the Americas summit.
''I probably would have been arrested myself if it had not been for a police officer who recognized me,'' said the judge, who wears his hair in a graying ponytail.
Note that Judge Margolius is a state court judge, not a federal judge.
