NO COMMENT!

Mike Satz waits for Liz Scherer to start Zoom court

Given the extended closures, and the long awaited announcement of additional in-custody Zoom links, which, we’re told, should be implemented shortly, frustrations are at an all-time high in the 17th Circuit.

With the jail cap creeping up to 76% of capacity with roughly 3300 inmates still on widespread lockdowns due to social distancing measures, scared and angry prisoners, together with their families, lawyers, and oftentimes judges, have an awful sense of foreboding about where the Broward County judicial system is heading over the next few months. Cases are simply not being worked out preemptively like they are in neighboring jurisdictions Palm Beach and Miami, and things are at a boiling point with the holiday vacation season and SAO transition on the horizon.

Compounding the problems are a chorus of complaints about Liz Scherer, who, no stranger to late starts when the courthouse is operating normally, has continued to indulge old habits even on her few and far between assigned in-custody Zoom days.

Accordingly, since stakeholder Mike Satz is a first-hand witness to his former employee’s late arrivals on Zoom, the following email was sent earlier today to the SAO’s PIO:

____________________________________________________________

(A)n attorney with thirty-five years experience has spoken with both Chief Judge Tuter and Administrative Judge Circuit Criminal Siegel concerning Judge Scherer’s tardiness yesterday on the in-custody Zoom AM docket.  He voiced concerns shared by many individuals that given the scarcity of in-custody Zoom dockets, no judge should be showing up thirty minutes late, and then resetting cases at the BSO 12:00 noon cutoff for defendants who had to wait weeks or possibly even months for their hearings.


I believe both you and Mr. Satz were witnesses to yesterday’s late start, as the Parkland case was also noticed for 8:30 AM, and that Mr. Satz has also been kept waiting on Zoom by Judge Scherer starting late for in-custody Zoom hearings on prior occasions.


As the county’s top law enforcement officer who is in agreement as a stakeholder to keep the courthouse closed, does Mr. Satz feel it is appropriate for a judge to regularly start her three monthly in-custody Zoom dockets late, and have to reset hearings at the BSO cutoff?


Does Mr. Satz feel it is appropriate for the Parkland case, where there is no chance of release for Mr. Cruz, to utilize long periods of precious in-custody Zoom court time that could be dedicated to other defendants who may be releasable?


Does Mr. Satz feel it is acceptable to have only two Zoom links available for in-custody defendants more than eight months into the pandemic closures, and what is he doing to help create more accessibility to courts for inmates given his agreement as a stakeholder to keep the courthouse closed?


Lastly, will Mr. Satz be voicing his concerns to Judge Scherer, Judge Tuter, or Judge Siegel concerning Judge Scherer’s habit for tardiness, or does he believe that’s best left to the private bar?

_____________________________________________________________________

Unfortunately, and predictably, anyone looking for leadership on any of these issues will have to swallow the SAO’s response:

___________________________________________________________________

We have no comment.

______________________________________________________________________

Gordon Weekes, Public Defender-elect, who was also witness to Scherer’s late start yesterday, had this to say when asked about the judge:

____________________________________________________________________

I would hope that she uses the time allotted for a docket, given the pandemic, more effectively and efficiently to maximize the number of cases heard. It seems odd to waste that valuable court time having people wait as she often shows up late for a virtual docket.

______________________________________________________________________

So there you have it. It’s up to the private bar and the PDO to let Jack Tuter know what’s going on with his judges, if what little in-custody court time available is to be used efficiently.

We’ll be contacting Bill Barner, head of BACDL, to see if they can help too. In the meantime, contact Tuter with your concerns or personal observations, and suggestions for improvement.

Lastly, as previously stated, additional Zoom links should be forthcoming any day now for in-custody extended hearings, so let’s hope the judiciary can pull together as a team, shorten their traditional holiday breaks, and move some of the backlog of in-custody cases before the whole place goes up in flames.

IT’S ONLY FAIR …

110 thoughts on “NO COMMENT!”

  1. 31

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    God forbid any judge in Broward be disciplined for shrugging off his or her duties and keeping everyone waiting thus denying justice to those accused of a crime.
    This circuit is such a clownhouse with the major players like judges shirking their responsibilities.
    Then the question arises of a Chief Judge who is either entirely incapable of or just not disposed to rectifying the situation appropriately.
    If Liz Scherer can’t take the bench on time, she needs to step down and take her “Let them eat cake attitude” with her.
    I’ve never thought much of her as a judge and this showing up late problem is not new.

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      Mr. Pryor ran on the promise of change. He should keep his promise. Anyone could prosecute the Parkland case and keeping Satz on is an insult to all who voted for Mr. Pryor.

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      This so called Transition Team is as pathetic as it looks and sounds ! Transition from what ? Its the same stale junkers with the same bad performance records putting what they think will fly with a different spin on it.
      Transition from what to what ?
      The lack of imagination and talent within this bunch of bureaucratic morons is simply astounding !

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      Sure, but that selfish man will continue to work that case like a whirling dervish to justify his continued relevance. There’s no reason to be clogging dockets with it. But that’s who he is.

  2. Everyone file a Demand For Speedy Trial In Unison (after Executive Order is lifted). This should clear up the dockets. says:

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    I know how this can be cleared up. When the lock down is lifted. The executive order is lifted. All defendants should request a Faretta Inquiry to represent themselves…

    After that…

    All of them should file a Demand for Speedy trial in unison. This would have alot of cases thrown out. Clear up the docket for the serious offenders only.

    All these backed up cases to prosecute it overwhelming.

    1. 9

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      A MAN FAMILIAR WITH A WOMAN’S DOMAIN
      “MAYBE I SHOULD OPEN A DAYCARE CENTER FOR BROWARD JUDGES”

  3. 14

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    Was it Scherer that sentenced someone on a zoom VOP to four years in prison instead of a reinstatement that was being requested.

    1. 5

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      Reinstatement. Righto. The SAO asks for jail or prison on everything in there. That’s their courtroom.

  4. 5

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    Anyone hearing all this?
    Maria Schneider to Homicide?; Gina Faulk #1 (Jeff Marcus job)?; Neva Rainford-Smith #2?; ASA Steinberg out of County?; Sarahnell Murphy to modified Hofheinz position?; Jamel Marshall head of Juvy?; A. Urruela out of CF?

  5. 9

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    ….Hello Chief Tuter, I’d like to speak about Judge Scherer
    ….Did you say Scherer?…..I have an appointment I think…….I got to go……

    1. 9

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      Liz has always been a super-lightweight. One might say bordering on vapid. She’s way over her head and thus the lousy acting job she does when she finally does get to the bench. Daddy needs to have a good long talk with her in the woodshed.

  6. 19

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    I thinkits time the Supreme Court folded Broward into the 11th or 15th Circuit. Its such a backwater. If left to own devices it won’t improve.

  7. 6

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    Perhaps some of the folks voicing comments about demanding a speedy trial and other obstructionists activities should re-review the oath you took when you were sworn in as an attorney. If one isn’t fully prepared for trial, or won’t be within the prescribed time period you’re violating the oath you took to become an attorney. I could make other arguments but don’t feel the need to waste my time and effort. Grow up and put your big girl/boy pants on. Our CJS isn’t perfect, but it’s the best in the world. Work to improve it and not destroy it. Thanks

  8. 11

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    I saw that nonsense yesterday. Why was Mike’s case called first? BSO says so? And why does BSO say who gets called anyway? First it was the shoes for trial and now the Judges are at their beck and call? This election wave was about much more than reform. It was the end of the Judges having any say about anything. They’ve never looked or been weaker. I’m afraid it’s only going to get worse. All this bending over for Sheriff Acid Trip has a price.

      1. 1

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        They are all stupid and corrupt. How they ever finished even a low rate law school or passed the bar is amazing

  9. 6

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    Satz to the front of the line. The defendant wasn’t even present. Half hour late. Ridiculous.

    1. 2

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      I don’t know why this is so surprising. Liz has always been a ridiculous joke. Only in Broward could u have such a bunch of lazy, inept judges.

      1. 16

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        Big Mouth Ilona didn’t last 5 minutes over there. There’s power and then there’s money power. The Civil Bar puts Judges in office and pushes them out if they sin. They wouldn’t tolerate Queen Lizzie anymore then they did McCarthy or Big Mouth Ilona. Crim is where they go and stay.

  10. 16

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    COUNTY JUDGES ARE DOING NEXT TO NOTHING NOW

    WHY IS TUTER PAYING GOOD MONEY FOR LAWYERS TO SIT AS TRAFFIC MAGISTRATES DURING THE CLOSURES

    FOR ONCE THINK OF THE TAXPAYERS FIRST

    SUSPEND THE TRAFFIC MAGISTRATES PROGRAM AND MAKE THE COUNTY JUDGES DO THEIR JOBS

    1. 9

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      You’d think she’d be more of an understanding Judge given all the wingnuts she’s had in her life.

        1. 19

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          D’oh! She was up this year, so enjoy it for another 6.

          If people would run against the judges who deserve opposition (like Bailey) rather then let them coast into reelection (like Scherer, Levenson, Bowman, Greene, Miller, Levey-Cohen, Levy, etc) we could have better judges.

          But the bottom dwellers that run are worse than the judges they run against and/or they pick to run against good judges with strange names (like Ledee, DePrimo, Kollra, Usan, Zaccor, Francois, etc.) or are minorities.

          and that, friends, is why we have the judges we do here in Broward.

          1. 9

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            It’s the pay. Decent lawyers won’t risk running their practices into the ground for a chance at serving, even with the excellent pension and health benefits. If the pay was mid-200’s, maybe, but that won’t happen given that Fed Judges don’t even make that.

            1. 0

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              most Criminal Defense lawyers are scrambling to make a buck and you know it so have the courage to do something about it or quit the yapping

          2. 8

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            The benefit, however, is that we get to see the sitting judges perverting and selling themselves out – ending up with poop stains forever inked on their nose for doing things like changing their name (much like Deprimo did – having her name shortened to “Tasha” when her name was added to that $500k flyer sent to the black voters).

            As an added bonus we get to watch them spend almost a quarter million dollars of their own money to keep a job that pays a fraction of that.

            Sad, yes,,, but fun to watch!

            1. 16

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              Didn’t Zaccor get his ass handed to him when he got unelected?

              The way most of us see it is when a judge is appointed by the governor they sure as hell better be ready to be ran against because that’s not a job for life.
              Zaccor learned that.

              Shit, every sitting judge needs to be worried that a black lawyer may just throw in against em. The Broward blacks proved that they only vote based on skin color, not qualifications.

              1. 11

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                Why would voting on skin color matter? #1 the new Black Judges couldn’t possibly do worse than the egregious traditional conduct the 17th is known for and #2 hasn’t the JNC been appointing mostly based on skin color for almost the entirety of 170 years since FL became a state?

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                  If you’re not caucasian you weren’t even considered until like ten years back. It’s true.

              2. 17

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                Laughable qualifications! 5 years as a practicing attorney ? Just enough time for most of the losers who take the bench in Broward to have either gone broke or figure its too much work and want the EAZY STREET life of a judge with lots of time on his or her hands, super easy work schedules, and a horde of ass-kissers ready to take their side when they fuk up. Including a moron chief judge whose only real job is to cover your butt and keep the wagons circled !
                Don’t even try to talk to me about the qualifications of the judges we’ve got here in Broward.

            2. 8

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              Most sold their souls when they became judges with the exception of a few. They become political prostitutes for what they consider to be financial security. Although I see that changing rapidly. Now they’re not so secure as newbies pick them off and its becomes even more competitive.
              Its like cleaning out a judicial pig pen in Broward with way too many scabs trying desperately to hold on to what they’ve got.

          3. 0

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            It’s amazing what some people will do for a few G’s a week. I’d rather earn $500 per and contribute something to society.

          4. 0

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            How does one suggest we “let Tuter know” when judges mismanaging docket time????? Some of us need deets

      1. 1

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        SHOWS YOU THE EXTENT OF HER BAD JUDGEMENT
        AND WE WANT THIS KIND OF PERSON DECIDING CASES???

    1. 12

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      Why hasn’t this stuff been reported by the national media doing profiles of her about Cruz case. They really should.

    1. 29

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      The only thing I can say is: If Tuter did as little as he does as Chief Judge of this circuit as he did when he worked for Scherer, no wonder he was kicked to the curb and steered into politics.
      Two operational zoom dockets in a circuit this large and judges that can’t make it to the bench in time ? And a Covid plan that could be better put together by a kid in kindergarten… Is it any wonder why this circuit is so poorly administered? It really is a circus run by a guy that’s totally lost.

    2. 4

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      The natives are getting restless. His Pandemic response is beyond pathetic. Will the newer Judge’s rise up, finally? Unlikely. It’s not called Chickentown for nothing.

  11. 5

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    Flying under the radar, time to retire.

    Mayor Jim Naugle has been married (1993) to Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips. Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips was appointed to the 17th Judicial Circuit, which serves Broward County, in 2003.

    Another politically appointed hack hiding under the black robe.

    1. 9

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      Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips:
      She was appointed by former Governor Jeb Bush in 2003. She was re-elected in 2006 and 2012. Her current term expires in January of 2019.

      Jim Naugle:
      Naugle has been a registered Democrat since he was 18, but he frequently supports Republican candidates. He co-chaired George W. Bush’s presidential campaign in 2000 and Jeb Bush’s bid for Governor in 1998. In past presidential elections, he supported Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Bob Dole—all Republicans. Described as a “renegade Democrat” by The Washington Post, he said in 2000 that he votes for the candidate, not just the party. He contributed $1,000 to Fred Thompson in the 2008 Republican Presidential primary race. ReAsked why he never became a Republican, he said that as a non-partisan office holder, he did not see a reason to change, but that he would have to do “some soul-searching” if he ran for other offices. He qualifies himself as very conservative and willing to limit government.

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        Naugle has said that the American Civil Liberties Union acronym ACLU means “Atheists and Criminal Lobbying Union” and that a proposal for reducing greenhouse gases was “hate-America stuff” concocted by “a bunch of scientists meeting in Paris who’ve had too much wine.” His view regarding homosexuality is that it is a sin and he has defended anti-sodomy laws. He stated that he does not support gay rights, but noted his working relationship with gay-rights activist Robin Bodiford as an example of his tolerance of differing viewpoints. Comments Naugle made about alleged use of a planned $250,000 robotic toilet in Fort Lauderdale’s beach to prevent sexual encounters between men caused protests from the local community.

        Naugle has had a long-running dispute with his constituency’s largest regional newspaper, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel; he has claimed it should be called Rainbow Sentinel because of what he perceives as a majority of gay people on its staff, or Scum-Sentinel because they are “an advertising tabloid newsblog”. He has stated “the day I take advice from a company that has vagrants selling their products in the middle of the street, we’re all in trouble”, referring to the publication’s practice of employing homeless people as street salespeople.

        Naugle denounced the LGBT Stonewall Library & Archives in 2007, because it contained pornographic materials. Executive Director Jack Rutland noted that the three titles singled out by Naugle were all part of the library’s non-circulating archive of 7000 titles, maintained for historical and research purposes only. On July 10, 2007, the Fort Lauderdale city commission voted to allow the library to occupy a space in a building that is city-owned, but under long-term lease to Broward county. On August 28, 2007 the Broward (County) Tourism Development Council expelled Naugle due to his controversial remarks against the gay community. Estimates indicate that gay visitors pump approximately $1 billion in revenue into Broward County annually.

        Naugle suggested that Bill Clinton should be investigated for raping Monica Lewinsky.

    1. 10

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      THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN U HAVE A TWIT BECOME A JUDGE
      IF PARTY GIRL CANT MAKE IT TO THE BENCH IN TIME
      ITS TIME TO REPLACE HER WITH SOMEONE WHO WILL TAKE THE POSITION SERIOUSLY
      THE BROWARD JUDICIARY IS A COMPLETE EMBARRASSMENT FROM ITS CHIEF JUDGE TO TWITS LIKE LIZ SCHERER

  12. 0

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    PUT THE BROWARD JUDGES BACK TO WORK

    CANCEL THE TRAFFIC MAGISTRATES PROGRAM

    BROWARD JUDGES DO NOTHING ALL DAY

    STOP ROBBING THE TAXPAYERS

  13. 8

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    Black Lives Matter, but not in Broward where one can’t even get a court date and the Blacks in power could care less. Pryor should put judicial admin in its place. But he won’t. Bet it.

  14. 5

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    Should have been a Docta!! Happy Friday!!

    1. 0

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      The only lawyer making real money understands finance and science. The rest is lining up for government handout jobs. Some of them is called Judge or is calling someone Your Honor.

  15. 5

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    Hawkins may as well have resigned herself to defeat the moment she was exposed as having lied about the illegal touching of a courthouse employee. She was doomed from that moment.
    I commend JAAB for having followed up on exposing the corruption and arrogance of Broward Judges that should not be sitting in judgement when their actions clearly indicate their unsuitability.
    Good work and please continue the struggle against institutional arrogance and racism.

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