Who wants to join the $200,000 club of elected officials?

State Attorney, Public Defender, and Clerk of Courts are all up in 2024.

There’s a lucrative pension, health benefits that can’t be beat, plus $202,400 annually for SAO & PDO, and $203,466 for the Clerk. And don’t forget – all the free rubber chicken you can eat on the banquet circuit.

Harold Pryor has already submitted his paperwork for a 2024 run, and Brenda Forman has too. Gordon Weekes will also most assuredly be seeking reelection.

Will the elite, highest paid constitutional officers in the Broward courthouse face opposition in 2024? Or will they go unopposed?

WAIT AND SEE …

Salaries of Elected County Constitutional Officers 2022-23

COMING SOON – $1500 bonus, or a an $18,000 raise?; Say it ain’t so, Joe D’Amico!; Harold Pryor’s Report Card; “Fan sites, web logs or blogs and portable websites do not qualify as media“; JAABLOG Judge By Judge – Rate The Broward Judges:

LA TIMES – How a convicted murderer’s bid for freedom sparked a fight between L.A. County judges

As L.A. County Superior Court Judge Daniel Lowenthal was weighing the case — including the discovery of information that arguably should have been turned over to Flint more than 15 years ago — he received a motion to disqualify him from hearing the proceedings.

The motion wasn’t written by the prosecutor in the case. Its author was Connolly, his fellow justice …

*UPDATE*:

____________________________________________________________

A cameraman and what appears to be a producer or development type person have been stationed in Liz Scherer’s courtroom all morning. The producer/development type was dour, and both her and the cameraman steadfastly refused to offer up any information or even hints as to their mission. The cameraman stated “Im working for myself,” while the woman was taking long, detailed notes as the morning progressed.

As the docket concluded, we asked for permission to take a photo of the media activity. The request was granted by Liz in part, after the woman told the judge she didn’t want her picture taken, despite being part of a team filming everyone else all morning. For his part, the cameraman agreed to have his picture taken, while promptly hiding behind his equipment, as pictured above.

JAABLOG was then escorted from the courtroom as it was being locked, with the camera crew being allowed to remain after requesting access to a conference room.

Additionally, the bailiff today was in full dress, and the judge was her usual highly telegenic self.

We’ve made a public records request to Court Administrator Joe D’Amico as to the identity of the crew, and will update when we get a response …

*UPDATE* –

Press Release (5/17)

SS – DeSantis appoints four new South Florida judges (5/17)

_________________________________________

We’re told are Broward’s newest circuit court judges, replacing Linda Alley and Charlie Greene …

(JAABLOG will update following the official announcement from the Governor’s Office)

COMING SOON – three more new circuit court judges …

LA TIMES – Inmates leaving California prisons may be armed with Narcan to reduce overdose risk

*UPDATE UPDATE* – the following questions were emailed to the judicial assistant for Liz Scherer at 12:09 PM. As of 2:09 PM, there has been no response. We’ll update upon receiving any additional information:

” … (I)s Judge Scherer sick?  Will she be in court tomorrow? … “

_____________________________________

*UPDATE* – 9:07 AM email:

__________________________________

Liz Scherer has once again canceled court with minutes to spare before the scheduled docket start time, following Friday’s pre-scheduled day off …

Court TV breaks it. The Sun Sentinel’s Rafael Olmeda had it too, and is publishing a more in depth article soon …

SS – Judge Elizabeth Scherer, who oversaw Parkland mass shooting trial, resigns

Liz Scherer has once again canceled court this morning with extremely short notice.

One Defendant is present with her family, who was also canceled last week …

CORRECTION – Last week’s last minute cancelation was Monday, not Wednesday, as previously reported.

Concerning today’s interviews, the deadline for submission of a JNC short list has been extended, pending Ron Desantis’ decisions on replacing Linda Alley and Charlie Greene:

COMING SOON – PAYBACK?

SS – Florida’s new death penalty law gets applied to old cases in Broward

Another last minute docket cancelation this morning for Liz Scherer. Court staff and members of the public are leaving the courtroom at this time.

Last week Monday, it was the same thing. Another last minute cancelation.

Friday, of course, was a pre-scheduled day off.

Meanwhile, it’s nearly a daily occurrence recently wherein we’ve been called or texted that Scherer’s resignation letter from the circuit bench has been received somewhere in officialdom, with a last day of June 1st or June 30th.

But no one has a copy.

Does Liz’s rumored impending resignation have something to do with her legendarily light court schedule? Is she Hollywood or private practice bound? Or is she staying put, with the attendance rules which apply to all other judges somehow not at issue?

WAIT AND SEE …

COMING SOON – Bryson v. Scherer update: