GELIN FOR BOG

500 word Platform Statement by Bill Gelin for the 2022 Board of Governors election, to be published in the February printed Florida Bar News:

My name is William “Bill” Gelin, and I have practiced criminal law for the last twenty years. I am also the principal author of the award winning, corruption busting Broward Courthouse blog, JAABLOG.

Both facts are why I’m running for the Board of Governors (BOG).

As a criminal lawyer and journalist, I have dedicated my career to fighting against institutionalized racism and its byproduct, mass incarceration. Working primarily in Broward, known for traditions of draconian sentencing and an unparalleled level of JQC-worthy judicial bad behavior, I have seen in recent years beneficial strides made in both areas. Less people are going to prison for non-violent, low level, aggressively filed charges, and judges, for the most part, also are adhering to the same standards and rules of professionalism demanded of those appearing before them.

That being said, hard fought gains could disappear faster than our South Florida beaches are eroding if strong, outside voices are not immediately heard at the highest levels of The Florida Bar (TFB).

No less an authority than Jorge Labarga has highlighted some of the concerns being discussed throughout the legal community, most recently through a dissenting opinion in December, which serves as a candid criticism of his more conservative fellow justices on the Supreme Court.

From the dissent:

“(T)he majority’s decisions of late have ushered in a series of drastic changes in civil, criminal, and rulemaking contexts, and today’s decision by the majority only furthers this list.”

Labarga was moved to make his statement over a rule modification he believes will jeopardize further progress toward diversity in the legal profession, an area where so much improvement is still needed. Taken together with a recent ruling impacting constitutional rights of due process and against self-incrimination, and TFB new Rule 3-7.18, which many believe will severely chill and limit attorney free speech, these factors and others should cause concern for all those interested in criminal justice reform.

Criminal justice practitioners are woefully underrepresented on the BOG, something I hope can start to be remedied if I’m fortunate enough to be elected. However, the issues I am discussing affect all Bar members, and most importantly, the general public, for which TFB exists to protect.

TFB must switch gears and stand to preserve the ability of attorneys to zealously advocate for their clients, and to maintain the right to truthfully call out or criticize errant or unprofessional judges who embarrass us all, without the fear of retribution.

Unfortunately, traditional checks and balances continue to be eroded by the Bar and others, and without a strong outside voice on the BOG, the already precarious trust between the general public and the legal profession may be compromised.

It’s too important a time to maintain a business-as-usual attitude at TFB. New ideas and courage in support of honest attorneys trying to make a difference are needed, as opposed to representatives interested in networking and boosting their personal profiles and revenues. If elected, I will fight for you, and for the public we serve.

(Disclaimer/Unsolicited Mass Communications – anyone subscribed to JAABLOG not wishing to receive blogs regarding Bill Gelin’s candidacy for BOG Seat 17/1 of the Florida Bar should immediately UNSUBSCRIBE to JAABLOG. To Jay Kim: equal time is absolutely promised on JAABLOG, if so desired)

2020 Gelin Platform Statement

75 thoughts on “GELIN FOR BOG”

  1. 9

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    I hope he wins. The bar really could use someone like him. Most of the people are just there to network. He would actually care.

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      Dan Callahan
      DECEMBER 7, 2021 AT 5:27 PM

      BACDL is afraid of Bill, the Board that is made up of mostly past presidents who didn’t want his name on the ballot when I nominated him in the past. They new he was going to win so prior to the final ballot, they voted to remove his name from consideration, and they changed the bylaws I believe because of my nomination. Bunch of hypocrites if you ask me. But then again I think they all know how I felt at the meeting when none of them bothered to speak directly to me. As Boss man would say they can Stick It.

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        Oh right, Dan, the bacdl is “a bunch of hypocrites”?!

        But don’t you freely accept free office space from a bacdl member?

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          I believe BACDL serves a purpose, those who went in the back room for a private Board Meeting to vote Bill off the ballot are hypocrites. I am still a member and believe in the organization regardless of my opinion of those particular members. And might I ask who you are who wants to know my business affairs? Are you jealous or just a jerk dick who is afraid and hides behind anonymity. I think it’s a little bit of both.

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            Just checked out callahan ‘office’ address to see what 7:09 was referring to. Then I saw this pic.

            So odd of him to bash us at bacdl – when he is SO dependent on some of us

            1. 7

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              Even though Callahan originally said “bacdl are a bunch of hypocrites”, he claims it is limited to “all those past presidents” that are dicks and hypocrites.

              So it’s official. The county’s biggest brown noser, has declared that these following past BACDL presidents are a bunch of ‘dicks’ and ‘hypocrites’ who can ‘stick it’ (whatever that means?)

              Jason Blank
              Bill Laswell
              Jason Kaufman
              Brad Cohen (one who gives him free rent!)
              Raag Singal
              Norm Kent
              Hilly Moldof
              Eric Schwartzreich
              Brad Collins
              Deb Carpenter
              Jamie Benjamin

              Did I miss anyone Dan?

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                Perhaps you should seek some mental health treatment about your obsession with me. I do appreciate the fanfare and I’m pretty sure the secretary of bacdl and the notes would reflect who went back there, your list is completely incorrect. We know who they are, and my respect for many of them as trial attorneys still holds. But it’s pretty obvious who you are, just being the same dick you’ve always been. You should go get some professional help. But I’ll be your Huckleberry all day long.

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                  Wrong again Dan. I was there at that meeting and there was no collusion. That’s why I find it so absurd of you to bite the hands that feed you

                  We stick together at bacdl, big guy.
                  You mess with some of us, you get called out on it. Deal with it.

                    1. 5

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                      GLUMPKIN FOR CALLAHAN

                      HE NEVER WORKED FOR SATZ

                      BrokeAzzCowardlyDastardlyLosers

                      BROWN NOSY TROPHY ASSOCIATION

              2. 2

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                Give ol Dan a break. He’s just confused.

                His FB rants about Trump show he’s just drunk on Brandon’s Kool aid!

                1. 5

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                  Dan did say past “presidents”, plural

                  So who in the list are the ones he says are dicks and hypocrites?

                  Callahan thinks Huda is a dick?! It was plural, so which other past presidents, in addition to Huda, does Dan believe to be a dick?

                  I say we vote him out.

        2. 3

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          Hey Dan, I respect(ed) you.

          But a word of advice:
          Going around calling everyone a “dick” is a bad look. Comes across as very childish:

          “Waaa, the bacdl past presidents are dicks”
          “And you people making fun of me are dicks, too”

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              I CONCUR – -BACDL ARE A BUNCH OF USELESS DICKS
              A FLACCID BUNCH OF DICKS
              WHATS THERE TO ARGUE ?

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              Yeah Callahan, preach it!

              Those BACDL folks at that meeting are a bunch of Dicks

              That ought to teach them! A tongue lashing from Callahan must hurt real bad

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      BACDL is an org devoted to sucking azz so hard they often turn the subject of their actions inside-out. It’s a mutual azz-suck for unimaginative losers that hope against all the odds that somebody down the line will give them the rub sooner or later and if not steer a few nickels their way, maybe give them a gov slop job when they go under in their failing practice because they’ve spent all their time dedicated to azz sucking and not representing their clients with any degree of enthusiasm.

      I dumped that limp-dick bunch of scavengers years ago. I wouldn’t contribute a cent or a minute of my time to those whining azz-suckers.

  2. 7

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    If you think 34% was bad last time, just wait to see how bad you get crushed this time you pathetic asshole.

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      Plenty of time to post on his blog and beg for votes but no time to work on his cases.

  3. 5

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    pointing to a new list of defense witnesses that need to be deposed before jury selection gets underway

    SERIOUSLY?

        1. 7

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          HERBIE GLOSHNAK AWARD FOR MICHAEL J SATZ

          STOP THE CHARADE BACDL

          EVERYONE KNOWS THE SCORE

      1. 1

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        Maybe a bunch of neutered Yorkies looking for a bowl of kibbles… certainly no attack dogs !
        BACDL has served no purpose for as long as I can remember except to grease one another’s wands. It’s worthless.

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    Caller: Hello I’d like to talk to a prosecutor
    Answer: Sorry, they all quit because NO one will work for Pryor because he’s an incompetent lying POS that has no clue what the fuck he’s doing.

    🙂
    Fucking priceless

    1. 6

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      There isn’t one experienced competent ASA in that office who can fill that spot. There’s no one left. I feel so horrible for the victims of Broward County. Never if my lifetime did I think this would happen in Broward County. Pray for the people of this community. This idiot Pryor has managed to gut that office to the point people should no longer feel safe to walk the streets.

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        Why doesn’t he shut down DTU and put them to work there? All of them are on paid vacation.

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            Tool like no other that zaccor. Another Tony Loe in the making. Spends his days holding court in his office with his incompetent groupies like he is some sort of pimp. Just pathetic to watch it. Nothing spectacular about Zaccor. Just a washed up judicial reject living low on the states dime. Bring in a competent outsider to run that show HP.

              1. 0

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                Zach?

                Oh, I get it – that is Zach Galifianakis.

                Thought he’d fool us w the shaved head but I see right through the disguise

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              Zaccor is a great trial lawyer and a good person. Seems like he must have destroyed you in trial and you hold a grudge. Lol
              He is nothing like Loe.

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                I agree. He lost his election for one reason: because truly gifted warrior litigators don’t belong on the sidelines. It was a message to get off a bench crammed with neurotic milquetoast’s & milker’s and do something for society.

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