Former Broward ASA Scott Janowitz is now a county court judge in Miami.

A text from Scott on Tuesday night:

I am excited and humbled at this opportunity to serve. I am appreciative of all the ASAs, PDs, Judges, Clerks, lawyers, and everyone else who has been there along the journey (for both making me a better lawyer and supporting my candidacy over the years). I particularly thank Mike Satz, who gave me my first legal job. I thank Judges Cowart, Gates, S.Ross, and Towbin-Singer for their examples. To the Jaablog readers – please feel free to visit me whenever I get assigned.

WELL DONE!

From the Beginning (2006): Maister, Janowitz & JAABLOG …

*UPDATE* – Sample Docket entry:

By Ken Hassett:

Earlier today I attended a Zoom Bench & Bar meeting that included Broward Chief Judge Jack Tuter. Please be advised that I only type with two fingers so take the following with a grain of salt, including some of my own conclusions. Here are some of the highlights of what was discussed regarding criminal cases:

• Possible Zoom Jury Trials in the future
• Civil trials will take a back seat to the in custody criminal cases
• Broward Juvenile Detention center is closed (Kids moved to Dade?)
• Bond Hearings are on Zoom every day I believe this is the link
  https://17thflcourts.zoom.us/j/620446048
  Meeting ID: 620 446 048
• The release Motion/Hearings (discussed in prior emails) are still taking place
• No regular court hearings until after 5/29/2020
• If you file a NOH to notice someone of a Zoom hearing, do not use the courthouse address on the notice, place the Zoom information on the notice so people do not appear at the courthouse.
• Questions about the 17th Judicial circuit or about scheduling a hearing? http://www.17th.flcourts.org/court-faqs/ or Click here for Online Scheduling system help. For any technical problems you can e-mail the type of the problem to calendar@17th.flcourts.org, Include attorneys Florida Bar Member Number in all correspondence.
• Judge Tuter advised that we should not be back in the courthouse until it is safe. He did not seem to be in favor of future in person court hearings where everyone has to wear a mask. My take on his statements is that we will be on this Zoom thing for quite a while. At one point he discussed jurors. What would we do, issue 300 masks per day to jurors?
  He did not seem to be in favor of that idea at all. (My opinion)
• He spoke about a private attorney misdemeanor plea docket that will probably be up and running in a few weeks via Zoom.
• There are no rules yet for Zoom depos – Stay tuned
• All but essential employees have been sent home from the clerk’s office. Remember, their budget is determined by their revenue from collecting fines & costs. Obviously, they are collecting next to nothing at this point.
• DV Injunctions are still taking place. Petitioners still go to the courthouse to obtain TRO (I’m pretty sure they can do this online ahead of time https://www.browardclerk.org/Divisions/DomesticViolence#GeneralInformation). Judge’s Kaplan & Moon are making every attempt to hold the 15 day hearings via Zoom.
• Don’t send Judges snail mail. They are not going to receive it.
• Each Judge should now have a Zoom link here: http://www.17th.flcourts.org/online-schedule/
• It is unknown at this point whether the Landlord/Tenant issue will be continued beyond 5/29/2020
• The new Federal Courthouse in Broward has 4 potential sites. I’m pretty sure they narrowed it down to two. One next to the main Broward jail and one across the street from the Broward Bar. 2021 possible groundbreak.