SS WEIGHS IN …

You know there’s trouble when the local editorial board cites the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct, and calls for a JQC investigation into Liz Scherer’s treatment of public defenders.

In a blistering editorial, the Sun Sentinel is also advocating for FACDL to file a JQC complaint against Scherer if the defense organization doesn’t get a “satisfactory” response from their letter to Jack Tuter, with the newspaper essentially joining the chorus asking for the Parkland judge’s reassignment out of the criminal division.

Additionally, there’s a reference to earlier corrective actions taken by Tuter against Scherer regarding non-Cruz related complaints by the Public Defender’s Office (PDO), believed to be about comments she made concerning a Jamaican developed religion that JAABLOG happened to witness, and other issues that we did not.

From the editorial:

“… (T)he Office of Public Defender had a legal, moral and professional responsibility to defend Cruz in every ethical way. That is what they did. That is what all good lawyers do.

It is similar to the responsibility of doctors, nurses, first responders and educators toward everyone in their care — notorious or infamous, rich or poor, personable or repugnant. Lawyers in private practice can be selective about their clients. Public defenders don’t have that luxury

The American justice system depends upon the constitutional right to a fair trial and the competent assistance of counsel. The guiltier that someone seems to be, the more urgent are their constitutional rights. Otherwise, our courts would be no better than Russia’s

Responding to complaints from the defense bar, Tuter praised all parties for their professionalism during the Cruz trial.

But Scherer’s was not entirely praiseworthy. She missed the opportunity — and the duty — to remind the critics that Weekes and his staff were as essential to the trial as the prosecution and the judge were … “

Now, going forward, all eyes are on Tuter to see if he will take personal responsibility and reassign Scherer, or wait until the PDO’s mass recusal motions, rumored to be filed in the upcoming week, are ruled on by Scherer, and potentially, the Fourth District Court of Appeal …

WAIT AND SEE …

SS – Jury used WhatsApp and a documentary to decide Broward death penalty case ahead of deliberations, one juror claims

108 thoughts on “SS WEIGHS IN …”

  1. 5

    1

    They don’t want her in Civil. Sentinel is delusional. Criminal is the dumping ground. She stays.

    1. 5

      0

      This is the first time the Scum Sentinel has ever done anything but back the left wing political agenda ! Even though it looks like they are jumping on the bandwagon a little after the ball had already started rolling.

      1. 10

        6

        Judge Elizabeth Scherer may have made
        a mistake hugging some of the prosecutors
        and the Parkland victims’ family members
        after the sentencing when the case was
        over. But earlier it was not a mistake to
        shut down Gordon Weekes who showed up
        at the televised sentencing and said
        in front of the Parkland families that
        “no one in this courtroom has endured
        what the defense has endured”.

        1. 2

          1

          Gordon Weekes’ assistant laughing
          with the Parkland murderer at her
          shooting the bird in the courtroom

      2. 4

        4

        Like anybody gives a shit what the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board has to say about anything. We can thank that scum sucking rag for the condition of the political whorehouse Broward has been for years !!!

      3. 0

        0

        Over the years I have come to believe the editorial board of the Sun Sentinel has its own agenda of which I do not subscribe. . Too many times its been proven beyond any doubt. This recent article only proves my point.

    2. 5

      0

      She would fare about as well as the entitled and obnoxious Judge Holmes did in Civil. The heavy hitters bounced her out of there toot sweet. She was like a boomerang back to the minor leagues. Queen Elizabeth would hardly fare any better. Only they may be afraid to put any pressure on. They may be as deferential to Conrad and Scherer as the Judges. It means maybe she could go there because Queen Elizabeth isn’t a big nobody like Judge Holmes was.

  2. 13

    4

    Wow I’m impressed the SS ran that. Good for them. Finally someone said what we have all been stewing over. You don’t treat a surgeon this way who has the obligation to save a serial killer’s life. People take the Hippocratic oath more seriously than the oath attorneys take to uphold our constitution. Newsflash—without PDs or criminal defense attorneys in general, out system would in fact be no better than Russia’s. She had obligation to remind the courtroom that. Instead she stoked the fire of venom. Disgraceful.

    1. 12

      3

      Liz go to Civil ? Now that is a good one ! She’s been way over her head since she took the bench.

  3. 9

    3

    Did the JQC get involved with Greene when he made the “NHI” comment? I don’t think they did. I might be wrong, but I think he just got reassigned to probate and he is 1000x the Judge that Scherer is. I think he voluntarily went. He knew he messed up. I don’t think Scherer will go voluntarily.

    So the options are:

    1) Dependency – the public defender still works the delinquency cases intertwined with the dependency cases. So that might be a no go. She was already horrible there. Why do it again?

    2) Family – This isn’t difficult. Move DePrimo to criminal and Scherer to family. That would be a nightmare for the family law bar. If she can’t stay neutral in criminal, how is she going to stay neutral with all of her past and allegedly present family law drama?

    3) Civil – too many mega donors in civil for her to end up there.

    4) Probate – It would be easy to move her to probate, move a probate Judge to family, and a family judge to criminal.

    My bet is that she ends up in probate or family after fighting this for a while a la Contini.

    Let us all bow our heads and pray for her to be reassigned to probate.

    1. 10

      2

      Let me get this straight. All the good Judges work their butts off for years to finally get a sweet assignment like Probate. Now she might get it as a reward? After making us all look like Broward fools again? After all the years of progress? That doesn’t sit right.

      1. 2

        0

        Judge Elijah Williams …
        “I AIN’T GOING TO CARRY THE WHITE MAN’S WATER”
        But he did. And all in an attempt to save Judge Green from his NHI statement once it went viral. That’s to his everlasting shame.
        These are the type of judges we have in Broward. They’d sell their souls to keep the robe and collect a paycheck.

        1. 3

          0

          I remember the scandal involving Green when Williams was sent in by Grossman as a black judge to smooth things over and after his initial protestations proceeded to do exactly what he was told to do, to provide cover for Green while they shuffled him out of Criminal and into Civil while things blew over. It’s disturbing to know things haven’t changed at all under Tuter and his corrupt cronies in robes.

  4. 2

    1

    But hear me out…what if the Supreme Court removes her altogether?? Anyone on that bench who owes a favor to bill scherer? Don’t attack me for being delusional please? I just want to dream.

    1. 4

      0

      They don’t remove Judges for screwing up big cases.

      They just blame the lawyers…………………….

    2. 2

      0

      Judge Elizabeth Scherer isn’t going anywhere. Judge Tuter will ignore the letter and the Scum Sentinel Article and they’ll all crawl back down their holes.
      Tuter owes everything to Bill Scherer and there’s only one thing you can count on in this scenario, and that’s that the leapfrogs will stick together.

  5. 3

    2

    The JNC strikes again. Her appointment is the poster child of what’s wrong with the JNC system.

    1. 6

      0

      It sure didn’t take Scherer to crash, did it ? Many predicted this outcome when she first took the bench.

  6. 6

    1

    Say what you want but read the comments in the Sunsentinel article. The Broward Community loves Scherer!!!!

    1. 5

      3

      Sure. Lots of people believe Jan 6 was justified too. It’s about the Rule of Law. People who aren’t lawyers aren’t supposed to get all the intricacies. But lawyers and Judges certainly are. She gets moved I hope, or it’ll look as bad as the cynics in and out of the profession who don’t trust lawyers and Judges think it is.

      1. 4

        9

        Yea I agree but if they move Scherer out of criminal they should banish the PDS from Practicing law in any courthouse. Their behavior was Deplorable, unprofessional and vile.

  7. 7

    0

    You can’t argue that Liz Scherer screwed up the case. Just that she doesn’t have the maturity to have been the best judge to sit on a case of this complexity and high-profile. Judge Tuter should have known this, but instead allowed what would become this Travesty of Justice. He bears the ultimate responsibility of this debacle.
    Many of the actions of the defense team including the intrusion of Gordon Weekes into the trial warrant Bar Investigations and should be pursued vigorously.

    1. 7

      0

      1. Judge Tuter doesn’t move her for political reasons.
      2. Judge Scherer denies any motions.
      3. The DCA grants writs the with a long and thoughtful opinion about the unique and traumatic nature of the Parkland case. The opinion gives Judge Scherer a lot of credit and a soft landing and helps with any JQC action the PD’s may be planning.
      4. The opinion also helps with any Florida Bar actions against any APD.

      1. 3

        0

        “My 4 Cents” makes sense, with amendment:

        1. Judge Tuter doesn’t cave to moving her;
        she was impartial in her rulings on admissibility of evidence, and she did not publicly disrespect the
        families of the 34 victims as did Gordon Weekes.
        2. Judge Scherer denies any motions for recusal.
        3. The DCA writes a thoughtful opinion about the
        unique and traumatic nature of the Parkland case.
        The opinion gives Judge Scherer a lot of credit and
        a soft landing and helps with any JQC action the
        PD’s may be planning.
        4. The opinion also helps with any Florida Bar actions against any APD.

        1. 8

          1

          Mr. Weekes should apologize, but he should clarify what he meant to say was “no lawyers involved in this case had to endure………..” That’s what he meant to say. He stuck his foot in his mouth when he was under extreme pressure with a badly behaving Judge. He/They should have never have been in that position to start with but it doesn’t change the fact he misspoke and he should apologize. Her impartiality isn’t the issue either (at this point). Everyone knows her temperament and behavior and absenteeism in Criminal warranted a reassignment ages ago. This entire disgusting episode only cements it. Chief should move her not only because it’s the right thing to do but because the other Criminal Judges have had enough as well.

          1. 9

            3

            He put her on notice to protect his lawyers. All the shame lies with the judge. She should be punished by the JQC. Maybe the State should have done a better job during jury selection, as well. Perhaps the three jurors were disgusted at the way the court handled the case and the manner in which the Defense attorneys were treated and became overly sympathetic. The way she read the verdict was also a ridiculous show of her angst with the decision by the jury. She does not belong on the bench, not even traffic court.

            1. 5

              2

              She wasn’t behaving badly.
              That fat fuck Wheeler was acting like a petulant child. “wahhh wahhh my kids!!!”
              No one mentioned his fat, pathetic progeny.

              “I have thick skin!!!” No, boy, what you have is thick adipose tissue. He got what he deserved – thrown out of court for being a retard. Unsurprising behavior considering what came from that table of morons.

              Weekes had no business inserting himself and didn’t belong there. “Oh boohoo muh lawyers!!!” Fucking retard lmao.

              1. 0

                0

                I agree completely with the above post !
                Wheeler is a jellybean on steroids with the intelligence of a can of aspic. And I don’t get why Weekes felt it was in the least bit necessary to insert himself into the proceedings where he didn’t belong and then whimper out like a scolded pup.
                They are both retards along with the other two McNeill and Curtis barnacles!

  8. 0

    5

    Celebrate with ABOTA and the 17th Judicial Circuit and we unveil Chief Judge Jack Tuter’s official portrait in the Ceremonial Courtroom on the 17th floor.
    
    Dates: Friday, November 18th
    Time: 12:00 – 1:30 PM
    Location: Broward Central Courthouse Ceremonial Courtroom 17150

    REGISTER / For More Information contact Braulio Rosa, BCBA Executive Director at braulio@browardbar.org

    1. 3

      1

      You’ll be in good company Jackie
      Most of us just did it for the money
      Broward Judges are a breed all our own

    2. 6

      0

      THIS SHOULD BE JACK TUTER’S PORTRAIT AFTER THE SHAME HE’S BROUGHT TO THE BROWARD JUDICIARY

    3. 7

      0

      Portrait unveiling??? What in the egotistical, fame whoring, Hollywood wannabe, queen of England bullshit is this? We do portrait unveilings now?? For what?!! I’m so sick of this weird self congratulatory black mirror milieu we have built in broward. Tuter should have been ashamed over the courtroom naming. Now this?? If he thinks this is his key to immortality, I will make sure I live at least exactly one day longer than him just so I can make sure the name of that court room is changed. I’ve found my purpose. The future is bright. Fuck off tutes. You’re an embarrassment. I’m embarrassed for you.

      1. 0

        0

        Maybe he can ground her for two weeks with no horses so this whole thing can be put behind.

      2. 0

        0

        Maybe he can ground her for two weeks with no horses so this whole thing can be put behind.

  9. 6

    0

    The real question is whether Bill Scherer commissioned it ???

    1. 3

      2

      Which rulings did they not agree with? I didn’t think she granted anything the defense asked for. Didn’t she even limit mitigation and third party negligence.

    2. 14

      6

      The fact that you parkland families are going so far out of your way to make Scherer’s reputation your pet project only proves that she was 100% skewed toward your side and you know it. If she was just “fair” you would have called her terrible names, among them variations of the word UNfair. She had to jump the shark so far to your side in order for you to call her “fair.” She wasn’t fair. You are a little gang of reputation assassins and you feel justified in the things you say because you think you are the first to experience victimhood and loss. Grow up. This blog is for lawyers, not for you guys. You guys have a million confirmation bias platforms to circle jerk around. Leave us alone.

      1. 7

        7

        The way you insult grieving parents lets me know all I need to know about you. You must be a horrible heartless person. Your opinion is irrelevant, because you have shown you are a POS. Who insults people who had their kids butchered like this? Only a garbage human

        1. 12

          6

          Your entitlement and distance from reality is showing. They lost their kids five years ago. That doesn’t give them cart blanch to be assholes. Newsflash—you can suffer tragedy and still be an asshole. Rich white people victims are the worst kind. I have a great deal of empathy for people. Especially those who are decent and good in the face of adversity. The ones who make vengeance their entire personality trait because something bad happened don’t need my empathy. Their ability to milk their victimhood will ensure they get plenty of that from all the tragedy vultures for as long as they want it. What’s funny is that these are the same people who will tell poor people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, no empathy, who cares if you got raped every day of your childhood, both physically and emotionally, get over it, man up, the world doesn’t owe you anything. But then they suffer a tragedy, five years ago, and they will be immune from scrutiny forever? You can miss me with that bullshit.

          1. 6

            3

            You are an asshole. These people had their children massacred. Then had the lawyers for the monster laugh with him, massage him and stick their middle finger up at them.
            They are entitled to their rage. You are still an asshole.

            1. 6

              5

              You are a troubled person. Don’t you see that as why you are so angry because they did their job and they saved his life. A lot of people don’t believe in the death penalty, and make it their life effort to fight against it. You’re complaining about a laugh and a middle finger, that’s a f****** joke. These defense attorneys including Ms. Curtis were the perfect team in every aspect in his case. They did their job and they did it well and they fought against prosecutors and to judge that was biased from day one. Seek therapy for the rage or just be a miserable person for the rest of your life and pick on public servants who uphold the rule of law. Name calling undermines your efforts and brings you further down the spiral of your PTSD, or you’re just a week minded fool. Either way therapy will help.

              1. 3

                1

                Most people empathize with parents who lost their kids to a sociopath. You don’t. I get it. You think it was ok to stick their middle finger up at them, or laugh with the murderer. We are just different

              2. 2

                1

                Regardless of the outcome, Its the way they did their jobs that’s an embarrassment to the entire legal system. I thought the judge showed real restraint in dealing with a bunch of disrespectful grandstanding idiots. They should all be disciplined accordingly by the Bar.

      2. 12

        4

        Agreed to an extent. Scherer was blatantly biased. Why? She is a prosecutor in a black robe? Rich white people vote and donate lots of money to candidates? It is hard to say how any of us would react in that situation. That being said, you had a bunch of rich white people who are not used to any opposition, witness vigorous opposition to their position from the defense. Rich white people in Parkland get their way and aren’t used to being told no. Take the “we always get what we want” attitude, combine that with the death of a child, and you’re not really surprised at the behavior you witness.

        The thing that I find ironic is that BSO generally doesn’t arrest kids in Parkland. The higher the crime rate, the lower the property values. So everything gets “handled” without delinquency or criminal charges. This is the way they like it. They are treated special because they are rich and white. Their kids are treated special because they are rich and white. Property values stay through the roof. The same special treatment the demand is also why Cruz suffered no consequences. That special treatment ended up being a double edged sword.

    3. 6

      3

      This screams prosecutor. “Stick this in your pipe and smoke it”—really? The article isn’t even an article. It’s just opinion of family members. What exactly does this prove? Oh that’s right, nothing. A prosecutors favorite thing: pointing to absolutely nothing and screaming “fact!!!!” So loud that people believe it.

      1. 1

        0

        Facts do not exist anymore.
        Fact I have a penis. I’m a male
        Fact I have a vagina. I’m a female.
        Not in our world today
        So tell me what the term FACT means?
        I’ll leave it at that very simple example of what fact means and does not mean.

  10. 6

    9

    I quite frankly think Judge Elizabeth Scherer did a fine job in managing the outrageous behavior exhibited from all of the Defense Team. I was shocked at what I saw and heard coming from members of the Public Defender’s Office. The lack of professionalism and disrespect shown from Cruz’ Defense Team towards the Judge and members of the Prosecution Team showed how little respect they have for the process and their fellow attorneys. Although I don’t really agree with the jury in this case, I certainly don’t agree with the demeanor of any of the Defense Attorneys. They should all be disciplined by the Bar including Gordon Weekes who perhaps was the most despicable grandstanding participant of them all. He certainly will not be receiving my vote for Public Defender when his term is up.

    1. 11

      3

      You are obviously not an attorney. All of us pretty much admit that she was a disaster in this trial. The only dispute is to what degree of disaster.

      “I was shocked at what I saw and heard coming from members of the Public Defender’s Office.” – A defense??? That’s their job.

      “The lack of professionalism and disrespect shown from Cruz’ Defense Team towards the Judge and members of the Prosecution Team showed how little respect they have for the process and their fellow attorneys.” – The middle finger was unprofessional, but wasn’t directed at the court or the family. As far as other “unprofessional” conduct, there wasn’t any. Respect is a two way street.

      “They should all be disciplined by the Bar including Gordon Weekes who perhaps was the most despicable grandstanding participant of them all.” – Disciplined for what?? You clearly have no idea what you’re talking about.

      If your goal is to protect Scherer’s reputation, which never was that good, campaign for her, give money to her campaign, but don’t try to bs everybody. She did a horrible job, but you think it was to your benefit.

    2. 2

      2

      Other than the bird shot by one PD during a break, please tell us what other unprofessional behavior you saw from the defense team. We will wait.

      1. 3

        1

        The constant fondling of Cruz by McNeill and Wheeler didn’t help but inflame the sentiments of the victims’ families. I think that has to be taken into account. I’ve never seen that type of behavior by defense counsel in any court proceeding. It was very weird to say the least.

  11. 5

    1

    What Joke. Since when have judicial Canons, 1 and 3, as well as 2, ever mattered, in Broward—- in reality, aren’t they just “guidelines” as the pirates say, with no real or legal import; sinche when has Bar Rule 4, especially 4.3 and 4.4 honesty, ever been a serious concern in Broward particularly for satz and his assas, including those who take it to the bench level when they want to railroad people into convictions? You all know who you and they are. All you lawyers, especially defense attys, have sat back on you asses and allowed it, even against you own clients. So why compolain now that your status quo has come home to roost.

  12. 2

    1

    Sincw when did Canons 1 & 3, let alone, including canon 2, mean a thing to the Broward Judiciary or the the loathsome lawyers of the BACD (or the FACDL), when their clients get screwed, let alone Bar Rule 4–especially the “honesty” sections. Your current huff and puff stuff.

  13. 2

    2

    .
    Bill Gelin and Gary Ostrow two of a kind : legends in their own minds.

Comments are closed.