Congratulations to Judge Dittmer

Congrats to Rob Dittmer, Pinellas County’s newest judicial appointment.  This local attorney should make a great addition to the local judiciary once he becomes a little more local.   Judge Dittmer will need to move into the county before he takes the bench.  It seems credentials including experience as a prosecutor and insurance defense lawyer are ideal for Gov. Bush.  Luckily, Judge Dittmer has an ideal temperament and a lot of common sense.

Sour Orange Awards

Here is a great compilation of some of Florida’s most idiotic criminals from the St. Petersburg Times.  Only in Florida could these stories be true.

Two sides of Florida Penal System

Two very different stories from Florida’s prisons are in the St. Pete Times today.  First, it looks like some of the ladies are getting a little break from the rigors of incarceration via an etiquette class.  On the flip-side,  looks like there are more questions regarding the administration of Florida’s death penalty.  The 34 minute timeline recounting the execution is very uncomfortable to read.  It may make you think twice if you are in favor of the death penalty.  Both stories beg the question–
Is man a savage at heart, skinned o’er with fragile Manners?  Or is savagery but a faint taint in the natural man’s gentility, which erupts now and again like pimples on an angel’s arse?  ~John Barth, The Sot-Weed Factor, 1960

“White Trash” Tattoo + Stolen Motorcycle Parts = Busted

If you are going to tattoo “White Trash” on your toes, you might want to wear shoes before you put photos of stolen motorcycle parts on Ebay.  Seems this genius was busted when cops id’d his toe tattoos on the auction site.

Turning the Other Cheek

Rev. Henry Lyons is back trying to regain control of the National Baptist Convention.  In 1999, Lyons was convicted on grand theft and racketeering and found guilty of bilking the religious organization, its corporate partners and donor charities of millions.  I’m all for forgiving, but I don’t think it a good idea to put a guy back into a position when he couldn’t resist the temptation the first time around.  If you’ll recall, things went downhill for the good Reverend when his wife burned down a $700,00 house Lyons owned with another woman.

Judge Farnell Recuses Self

Unfortunately, Judge Farnell has recused himself in the DCF case.  It is unfortunate because something must be done to protect these citizens who have very little in the way of protection.  Letting the mentally ill languish in a jail that cannot accommodate their medical needs is cruel and will make for bigger problems down the road.  Judge Farnell’s efforts to enforce the law as the legislature intended should not be chided as “activism” or a “judicial temper tantrum”, they should be applauded.  It was a poor decision to talk about a pending case with reporters.  Hopefully, it will achieve a greater good.

Former Bad Cop Gone Worse

At least this guy is no longer on the force. Seems he was not good law enforcement material to start with.

No, no, no, no I don’t smoke it no more

Glad to see Hillsborough is serious about stamping out hypocrisy in the State Attorneys Office. I love the response of the busted prosecutors. The first one was there, but didn’t inhale. The second was “evasive”. Sounds like they’ve learned something at the office.

Does Cash Buy Judges?

Some interesting figures regarding the money required in judicial races. I’ve never seen this be an issue. I do think Judge Farmer’s opinion covers any situation where it is perceived to be a conflict.

Judge Gary M. Farmer of the 4th District Court of Appeal is worried that the current system creates problems. “Any reasonable person could understandably fear a judge’s impartiality when the opposition gave money or served on her election committee,” Farmer wrote in a 2005 opinion.

Farmer urged judges to recuse themselves in cases in which attorneys have made campaign contributions.

“If such a regime is too disruptive to the operation of courts, well then maybe we should rethink our dedication to the direct election of judges,” he wrote.

Congrats to Tampa Bay’s newest Judges

Congratulations to Tampa Bay’s newest Circuit judges, Shawn Crane and Pam Campbell. Judge Crane certainly deserved the move from County Court to Circuit and Judge Campbell is a welcome addition to the bench. I think their quotes in the paper are most telling-

Judge Crane said, “First, you need to be patient. You need to appreciate the situation of people who find themselves in front of you. And you have to be fair. I hope to bring all of that to the circuit bench.”

And Judge Campbell said, “For everyone who appears before the court, I would like them to feel their case is being heard objectively and fairly and that someone is listening and cares about the outcome of the ruling.”

I don’t think there is much more you could ask for from these new jurists. Pam Campbell is an outstanding lawyer in St. Petersburg, respected and like by everyone who knows her. Judge Crane first cut his teeth as a prosecutor and learned a great deal of patience training young prosecutors (like myself) how to handle misdemeanor cases.

Congrats to both!