Category Archives: Florida

Not the Smartest Thing to Wear to Court

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

A man accused of drug trafficking showed up for court Friday in Fort Lauderdale sporting a jacket that bore a cartoon-style recipe for cooking crack cocaine.

…

The man’s white jacket looked like a how-to guide for making crack cocaine, with a series of little pictures of a white substance with a spoon, a carton of baking soda and a little pot over a fire. The end product was a "rock," slang for the drug.

via MiamiHerald.com, Man wears ‘crack jacket’ to court.

My question is whether this sort of thing is common only in Broweird, as we so fondly call it, or is this more common? I sort of fear it might be national.

Posted in Florida, Law: Criminal Law, Law: Practice | Comments Off on Not the Smartest Thing to Wear to Court

Florida Supreme Court Axes Foreclosure Mandatory Mediation Program

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Michael Froomkin

I admit I haven’t been paying close attention recently, but I’m sort of shocked at this order from the Flordia Supreme Court terminating the mandatory mediation program for residential foreclosure cases.

To be sure, I had not been hearing that the program was anywhere near the success its proponents had hoped it would be. But this still seems very sudden. The reason given is this: “The Court has reviewed the reports on the program and determined it cannot justify continuation of the program. Accordingly, upon issuance of this administrative order, the statewide managed mediation program is terminated.”

Here’s the full text of the order:

IN RE: MANAGED MEDIATION PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE CASES

A statewide managed mediation program for residential mortgage foreclosure cases was established in 2009 by In re: Final Report and Recommendations on Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Cases, AOSC09-54, (Dec. 28, 2009). Program requirements were clarified in 20 I 0 by In Re: Guidance Concerning Managed Mediation Programs for Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Cases, AOSCIO-57 (Nov. 5,2010). The program was established as a means for the court system to address the overwhelming number of mortgage foreclosure cases coming into the system. The Court has reviewed the reports on the program and determined it cannot justify continuation of the program. Accordingly, upon issuance of this administrative order, the statewide managed mediation program is terminated.

Cases already referred to and pending in a mediation program on the date of this order pursuant to the statewide managed mediation program will remain in the program through completion of mediation. After the date of this order; no new cases may be referred to mediation pursuant to the statewide managed mediation program.

Circuit chief judges are vested under article V, section 2(d), Florida Constitution, with responsibility for the administrative supervision of their circuits. Section 43.26, Florida Statutes, authorizes circuit chief judges “to do everything necessary to promote the prompt and efficient administration of justice.” These authorities empower the circuit chief judges to adopt or employ any measures permitted by statute or court rule to manage pending and new residential mortgage foreclosure cases, including referral of cases to mediation on a case-by-case basis pursuant to section 44.102, Florida Statues, and Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.700(a).

DONE AND ORDERED at Tallahassee, Florida, on December 19, 2011.

As the order makes clear, judges can still order mediation on a case-by-case basis.

Anyone know the background to this?

Posted in Econ & Money: Mortgage Mess, Florida | 11 Comments

Another Example of Why 48 States See Florida as a Joke

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Michael Froomkin

It appears one of the three most powerful political figures in Florida, overseeing a nearly $70 billion budget, has an attention span rivaling an oat bag.

Jeepers, you would have an easier time getting a straight answer out of the dearly departed Moammar Gadhafi than Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos, who has taken prevarication, misdirection and willful amnesia to heights of fantasy Lewis Carroll could only dream of.

The noted author of the publicly funded $152,000 tome on Florida politics, Lassie Goes to Tallahassee, admitted a few days ago he fibbed, obfuscated and otherwise engaged in a full Pinocchio when he denied to a reporter knowing anything about a payoff to get rid of former state Republican Party chairman Jim Greer, who had treated the job as if he were a Kardashian on steroids.

But in a sworn deposition connected to a lawsuit brought by Greer against his former employers, Haridopolos now admits he was less than truthful about the proposed, but unconsummated, $124,000 settlement. The acclaimed author of Tallahassee: Indian for ‘Where’s My Check?’ said he thought he wasn’t supposed to talk about the back-room deal.

Why not? Everyone else was.

— Daniel Ruth, St. Petersburg Times, Haridopolos' selective amnesia.

PS. Why just 48? There’s always Alabama.

Posted in Florida, Politics: The Party of Sleaze | Comments Off on Another Example of Why 48 States See Florida as a Joke

Something Cheerful

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Michael Froomkin

SFDB has a heartwarming Duck Tale.

Posted in Florida | 1 Comment

Marco Rubio “Embellishes Facts”

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Michael Froomkin

I guess that’s as close to “lies” as the Washington Post will go about a Republican Senator.

During his rise to political prominence, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) frequently repeated a compelling version of his family’s history that had special resonance in South Florida. He was the “son of exiles,” he told audiences, Cuban Americans forced off their beloved island after “a thug,” Fidel Castro, took power.

But a review of documents — including naturalization papers and other official records — reveals that Rubio’s dramatic account of his family saga embellishes the facts. The documents show that Rubio’s parents came to the United States and were admitted for permanent residence more than 2 1/2 years before Castro’s forces overthrew the Cuban government and took power on New Year’s Day 1959.

via Marco Rubio’s compelling family story embellishes facts, documents show – The Washington Post

(Figured since I had one Marco-Rubio-related post already today, why not two?)

Posted in Florida, Politics: US | Comments Off on Marco Rubio “Embellishes Facts”

Florida Wins Again

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Michael Froomkin

If you are a technogeek you will enjoy this post on The 10 Most Bizarre and Annoying Causes of Fiber Cuts, much expanded by some great comments.

But of course the top incident involves Florida:

There was a landowner whose property stretched across the border between Georgia and Florida. He was mad at Florida DOT because he didn’t get enough money when they purchased the right-of-way to widen the highway that cut through his property. Level 3 had fiber in the right-of-way, so he was mad at us too. One day he decided on revenge, so he jumped onto his backhoe and drove across the state line from Georgia to Florida, right up to the edge of the ROW and dug a 2 foot wide by 10 foot long trench. He then got down in the hole and cut the fiber and the ducts. Then he moved 15 feet south and dug a second trench until he found more fiber and ducts and cut them in a second location.When our field techs got on the scene, Mr. Landowner was waiting on them with his 12 gauge shotgun! He refused to let anyone repair the fiber on threat of death! When law enforcement arrived, Mr. Landowner had moved back over to the Georgia side and claimed he had no idea how the damage had been done. He was out of their jurisdiction. There were no witnesses, and all the law enforcement could do was talk to him and try to get him to confess. At least we were able to repair the damage. But during the conversation with the law, Mr. Landowner spewed anger and said he was going to come back tomorrow and cut the fiber again. Well, that was admission of intent to commit a crime and the rules of jurisdiction didn’t apply anymore. Ha! He was arrested and we were able to see frontline justice after all

Posted in Florida, Sufficiently Advanced Technology | Comments Off on Florida Wins Again