Very early results indicate Lauren Alperstein defeats Andrea Gundersen; Bill Haury prevails over Alex Arreaza; and a real horserace between Mardi Levey Cohen and Kaysia Earley*:

BROWARD ELECTION RESULTS

UPDATE 7:44 PM:

UPDATE 8:09 PM:

FINAL UPDATE 11:00 PM (LEVEY COHEN BY .16% – MANUAL RECOUNT – 356 VOTE SPLIT):

Caryn Siperstein bests Alcolya St. Juste, and Paul Damico crushes Karen Velez, who just wouldn’t listen to anybody except the wrong people:

Former Broward ASA Scott Janowitz loses his judgeship in Miami (thanks to Anonymous at 4:51 PM):

NOVEMBER RUNOFFS:

Chris Brown v. Suzette Hyde (Solomon county seat)

Gary Farmer v. Tania Williams (McCarthy circuit seat)

Tamar Hamilton v. Lorena Mastrarrigo (Perlman circuit seat)

COMING SOON – Win the Primary, lose the General?

Living in the great Broward meritocracy means only the smartest, hardest-working candidates get through the JNC appointment process, or win at the polls. With that being said, Broward should have some new judges before the end of the day, with election results coming in this evening after the polls close:

The Broward county court match-ups for 2022 are:

Mike Ahearn v. Chris Brown v. Suzette Hyde (Solomon open seat)

Mardi Cohen v. Kaysia Earley

The Broward circuit match-ups for 2022 are:

Lauren Alperstein v. Andrea Gundersen

Alex Arreaza v. Bill Haury

Gary Farmer v. Rhoda Sokoloff v. Tania Williams (McCarthy open seat)

Tamar Hamilton v. Denise Kistner v. Lorena Mastrarrigo (Perlman open seat)

The Palm Beach match-ups are:

County: Paul Damico v. Karen Velez

Circuit: Caryn Siperstein v. Alcolya St. Juste (Kastrenakes open seat)

SS – Man attacks inmate in Broward courtroom

*UPDATE* – SS: Inmate held on sex assault charges is attacked in Broward courtroom

A little after 10:00 AM this morning in courtroom 5780 (Hunter Davis, presiding), the above inmate, Jorge Arias, was allegedly attacked by a man possibly related to the purported victim in the very serious pending sexual battery charges against him.

By all accounts BSO Deputy Latanya Phillips, pictured below, deftly controlled the situation before the cavalry arrived, but we’re told any media outlets with the time to pull the courtroom video will not be disappointed.

As of this post, the individual accused of the attack is still being processed by BSO …

COMING SOON – Election Fun!

Andy Newman, former long-term ASA under Mike Satz, has filed a discrimination lawsuit against Harold Pryor.

Andy was one of the few ASA’s who wasn’t retained by Pryor upon his swearing in as the first new State Attorney since 1976, and certainly the oldest of a group that had gray hairs to spare.

From the Complaint For Employment Discrimination:

The Complaint was filed on July 21st, but since the response we’ve been waiting for was motioned (unopposed) for extension yesterday off the original due date of August 22nd, we’re posting it now …

(Click this link for the full Complaint For Employment Discrimination)

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State v. Corey Gordon update (motions filed today, John Murphy presiding):

Should the Florida Supreme Court go along with the JQC’s recommendation of a 60 day suspension for Seminole County’s Wayne Culver, pictured above asking “a fuckin’ question, asshole!“

Or should the penalty be removal, because no matter how frustrating a day in county court may be, Culver’s reenactment of the stereotypical abusive and tyrannical Florida judge is simply unforgivable in 2022?

Click here for the full list of Culver’s offenses/JQC’s Findings and Recommendations of Discipline and You Make The Call!

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Should Pete Holden grant Mike Gottlieb’s Motion To Dismiss Predicated On Prosecutorial Misconduct filed today in State v. Corey Gordon?

If, taken as true as alleged in the motion (“I f**ked up bad”), do Katya Palmiotto’s actions rise to the level for dismissal? Or should the case go on to be tried a third time?

Read Mike’s full motion here, and You Make The Call!

SS/Rafael Olmeda – Prosecutor’s errant text message triggers mistrial in South Florida murder case

This is the second time the case against Gordon has ended in a mistrial. The first was in early May before Circuit Judge Lisa Porter, when the prosecution questioned a witness about the defendant’s refusal to give a statement. Juries in criminal trials are not permitted to consider a defendant’s silence as proof of guilt …

*UPDATE* – SS: Prosecutor’s errant text message triggers mistrial in South Florida murder case (8/17/22)

Corey Gordon’s trial on murder allegations abruptly ended in a mistrial yesterday afternoon, going into its second week. Prosecutor Katya Palmiotto (formerly Pisman) sent the group text pictured below during the trial to a bunch of current and former colleagues, including former judge Gina Hawkins,* and, unfortunately, the presiding judge, Pete Holden.

We’re told Palmiotto failed to bring her error to the attention of Holden or defense attorney Mike Gottlieb, and upon finding the ex parte blurb on his phone in his office during a court recess some time later, the judge was none too pleased. Straight shooter Holden immediately brought the matter to Gottlieb’s attention, asked the defense if they wanted a mistrial, and once affirmed, declared one based upon manifest necessity.

Gottlieb today had no comment, stating he would be following up with additional filings in the days to come …

Speaking of Gina Hawkins – CONDITIONAL GUILTY PLEA FOR CONSENT JUDGMENT (Bar v. Hawkins):

“Ninety-day suspension from the practice of law with
automatic reinstatement … “

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Full group text recipients