Be civil

Have you seen the joint resolution of 42 South Florida Voluntary Bar Associations and six chief judges in South Florida (federal and state) regarding lawyer civility?  Check it out here:

The South Florida VBAs jointly resolve that they shall work together to actively promote the Oath of Civility and adherence to accepted standards of professional courtesy across the South Florida VBAs’ respective counties;
The South Florida VBAs hereby resolve to jointly promote the above through a series of articles, seminars, membership lunches, press releases, and correspondence directed to members and non-members of the South Florida VBAs’ respective counties; and
The South Florida VBAs, through their respective Officers, Boards of Directors, and Professionalism Committees, shall work with the Chief Judges of South Florida’s courts to promote the above in a manner most likely to improve civility awareness and adherence to accepted standards of professional courtesy.
The South Florida VBAs resolve to promote the Oath of Civility and adherence to accepted standards of professional courtesy to attorneys appearing before the state and federal courts, government agencies, arbitrators and other quasi-judicial forums throughout South Florida.

Good stuff; I think the "civil" lawyers need it more than the criminal lawyers. 

I particularly like the footnote:  "The Addendum shall be a living document that will be intermittently updated as additional bar associations pledge their approval of this Joint Resolution."

In other district news, Claudio Osorio stipulated to pretrial detention yesterday.  The case is before Judge Altonaga so he won't have to wait too long for a trial (or plea).  Here's Jay Weaver's coverage of the case:

Claudio Osorio once lived in a Star Island mansion overlooking Biscayne Bay.
Today the accused international con man remains stuck in a tiny jail cell in downtown Miami.
Arrested earlier this month, Osorio is awaiting trial on federal charges accusing him of fleecing $50 million from investors and the U.S. government.
Osorio’s defense attorney, Orlando do Campo, said Monday his client chose not to challenge the government’s position that he should be held without bail, citing a recent problem in his bankruptcy case. Osorio, 54, is being held in the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami.
Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman originally granted Osorio a $1 million bond, including a $100,000 deposit to be made by his mother-in-law who lives in his native Venezuela. But the judge put it on hold so that a federal prosecutor, a bankruptcy trustee and Osorio’s bankruptcy lawyer could address a dispute over the source of the defendant’s funds.
The bankruptcy trustee is seeking to have Osorio found in contempt of court for allegedly forging a letter from a Canadian bank that purportedly claimed it had turned over all financial records related to his defunct company, InnoVida Holdings.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/17/3146527/accused-swindler-claudio-osorio.html#storylink=cpy