We’re told David Smith has been awarded the 2019 Harry Gulkin Award by BACDL.
Congratulations!
AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN …
Anyone hoping to see Brenda swear an oath before Bill Altfield on January 31st and discuss her discredited and baseless claims against JAABLOG are out of luck. The hearing was dismissed sans colloquy last week.
The interesting thing is the near conniption displayed by her legal team at just the thought of Forman having to appear in court and answer a few questions.
Instead of a simple reply email to Altfield’s JA along the lines of “no thank you, Madam Clerk is too busy with her official duties to attend the proposed colloquy,” Tom Loffredo filed the previously posted Motion To Cancel January 31, 2019 Hearing, and on January 25th, this strongly worded anti-JAABLOG Petitioner’s Motion To Strike Respondent’s Objection To Petitioner’s Motion To Cancel January 31, 2019 Hearing in response to our previously posted Objection.
If you believe her lawyer, Brenda is the victim here. Let’s just hope he’s getting paid, so it’s not a total waste of GrayRobinson’s resources.
As for the rest of us, it’s time once again to grin and bear the latest example of an unprofessional and unaccountable Broward Constitutional Officer embarrassing her office and the judicial circuit, at least until 2020 …
Coming Soon – Where’s the DBR, and why?
SS – Howard Forman accuses estranged wife of frivolous incompetency claim (2018)
Tuesday’s hearing, which is set to resume Wednesday, continues the bitter end of a marriage that began to unravel publicly after Brenda Forman was elected to succeed her husband as clerk of courts.
Earlier on Tuesday, she faced the possibility of a contempt ruling for failing to show up for the Dec. 5 hearing that dismissed her incompetency petition. Through her lawyer, she told Speiser that she had withdrawn her petition that morning and that she was in Orlando at a mandatory training event for clerks. The judge accepted her explanation and did not hold her in contempt …
“I’M GOING TO GO FILE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGE”
The video (w/audio) from December 5th is now available, titled:
“I’m going to go file a domestic violence charge” … Gelin was at the BSO Substation in the main lobby of the courthouse, had met with Sgt. Hernandez and Deputy Francis, specifically to start the process for retrieving the Oct 16th video … ironically, right after the meeting, here comes Brenda for a public DL workshop, just in front of the BSO Substation.
Here’s what Brenda swore to in her original petition: (click to enlarge)
And here’s Dian Diaz’s statement from the supplemental affidavit filed December 13th:
Coming Soon – December 12th video!
FUN WITH VIDEO
Here’s the surveillance video from October 16th. We’ll be posting other videos from December 5th and 12th as time allows.
Video 1 – Far Away View … clearly shows Gelin coming off elevator … Forman puts hand up and says something along the lines of “Get this man out of my face!” while Gelin is taking out camera …
Video 2 – Close Up View … Starts with Brenda hugging BSO Deputy Francis on second floor … Gelin comes off elevator from court to take walking bridge over to felony … sees Forman and takes out camera … Forman quickly disappears into Clerk’s Office …
From Brenda’s restraining order petition: (click to enlarge)
From Brenda’s Bar Complaint and BSO report:
And Ed Hoeg in the Sun Sentinel:
MOTION TO CANCEL!
It appears Brenda really doesn’t want to answer any questions posed in open court by Bill Altfield.
Today her attorney Tom Loffredo filed this Petitioner’s Motion to Cancel January 31, 2019 Hearing. There’s even a footnote advising the court that Brenda will file a writ of prohibition if the motion isn’t granted.
Ed Hoeg was kind enough to file this objection, but since Altfield’s email concerning the proposed colloquy was simply a request, it’s likely we won’t be getting our day in court after all.
Should we now ask John Howes to formally and succinctly respond ready for trial in the still pending Bar matter, to ensure a full and fair public airing of this entire affair?
Wait and see …
Coming Soon – Surveillance Video!
Gregory Tony, Broward’s affable new Sheriff, poses for JAABCAM earlier today …
COLLOQUY!
Brenda may still have some explaining to do.
Miami’s Bill Altfield has not cancelled the January 31st hearing.
From an email sent earlier this week:
We are in receipt of the Voluntary Dismissal filed by the Petitioner. Judge Altfield is asking for the hearing set on Thursday, January 31st, @ 9 AM, remain scheduled. He would like to colloquy the petitioner.
What’s it all about?
Wait and see.
In the meantime, the Sun Sentinel’s Rafael Olmeda has updated his article for the upcoming print version, with additional choice comments from Ed Hoeg and John Howes, who has graciously offered his services to handle the pending Bar Complaint …
BRENDA BALKS
Ed Hoeg, Pro Bono Warrior
Brenda has quit her stalking complaint, as reported by the Sun Sentinel’s Rafael Olmeda.
Our thanks to Ed Hoeg, who knocked this out of the park for free. We’re also indebted to the other lawyers who lent a hand behind the scenes, all gratis, who wish to remain anonymous. In the end it cost us a few dollars for some fancy invitations, a court reporter fee, and some Amazon bonus points for this American Flag suit to wear at the now cancelled hearing. Oh well, at least we have some dandy souvenirs, even if we didn’t get a chance to depose Brenda and Dian Diaz on video, or watch Hoeg cross them in court.
In all seriousness, it’s on to the next step. The filing of a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal Without Prejudice (emphasis added) is not the end of this. What Brenda has done here is reprehensible, and it’s far from her first legal system rodeo. We hope to be posting soon some of the interesting background materials on Forman that have come our way since Brenda v. Blog began, as well as videos that mostly contradict what Brenda and her team claimed in their statements. We’ve got the ones mentioned in the Sun Sentinel’s article, and will be petitioning the County to release additional surveillance video from December 5th and 12th, which has been duly preserved. After that we’ll weigh all available options.
Here’s what Hoeg had to say:
It is anticlimactic that Ms. Forman withdrew her complaint. Knowledge is power. If we had litigated this case in an open courtroom, the people of Broward County would have benefitted because the Clerk’s abuse of the judicial process would have been exposed, and with that knowledge, the people of Broward could have voted accordingly in 2020.
Lastly, speaking of 2020, Howard Forman this morning confirmed rumors that he has been asked to run against his ex-wife, and that he “hasn’t decided just yet.” Brenda, when asked at 11:20 AM whether she would step aside if Howard ran for his old job back, failed to respond …
GRUDGE MATCH?
COMING SOON – Brenda/Florida Bar v. Blog Update!
THE INVITATIONS ARE PRINTED
We’ve only got two hundred of these, so please stop us in the hall or drop a line if you’d like one, and help spread the word …
Was a thousand dollar wedding, supposed to be held the other day, and with all the invitations sent, the young bride went away – Gram Parsons
SAVE THE DATE: 1/31/19
Here is Bill Altfield’s order setting Brenda v. Blog down for hearing on Thursday, January 31, 2019 at 9:00 AM in Room 10160 (10th Floor) of the Broward County Central Courthouse.
Altfield, like his predecessor judge, did not put a temporary injunction in place, despite Brenda’s “Supplemental Affidavit” filed on December 13th, which is linked in a prior post …
WILL BRENDA SHOW? WAIT AND SEE!
SHE’S NOT A JUDGE YET …
*12/28 UPDATE* – Here is Bill Altfield’s order allowing Jackie Powell’s deposition to proceed pretty much unfettered, issued yesterday. Accordingly, Powell was deposed, with a Gray Robinson representative for Brenda, and an Assistant AG in attendance for Jackie …
Miami’s Rumpole on Brenda v. Blog
______________________________________________________________________
SHE’S NOT A JUDGE YET… but the AG is fighting to stop Jackie Powell from telling everything she may know even before she takes the oath of office:
JUDGE JACKIE POWELL’S EMERGENCY MOTION FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER (filed 4:55 P.M. today)
Merry Christmas, Brenda!
