The Federal Bar Association, South Florida Chapter, had its annual installation dinner last night. I am the outgoing president, and Celeste Higgins is the incoming president. Chief Judge Moreno and Judges Huck, Altonaga, King, Gold, Dube, Brown, O'Sullivan, Torres, and Palermo attended, which made for a good night. I want to thank those judges for supporting the Federal Bar Association this year, and a special thanks to the judges who spoke at the lunch meetings (Judges Marcus, Barkett, Moreno, Cooke, Martinez, Gold, Huck, and Altonaga).
It was a fun year -- we had a bunch of really good lunches and meetings (prior coverage and pictures here). For those of you who came last night and to the meetings throughout the year, thanks.
The SDFLA Blog is dedicated to providing news and notes regarding federal practice in the Southern District of Florida. The New Times calls the blog "the definitive source on South Florida's federal court system." All tips on court happenings are welcome and will remain anonymous. Please email David Markus at dmarkus@markuslaw.com
Saturday, October 18, 2008
"Penis"
Big news to report -- according to accounts out of Judge Altonaga's courtroom, there is a new world record: the word "penis" has been used more times in the Chuckie Taylor trial than in any other criminal trial in American history.
If you haven't seen the Rolling Stone article on the case, you can read it here.
Our prior coverage here.
If you haven't seen the Rolling Stone article on the case, you can read it here.
Our prior coverage here.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Donnie Brasco
The Justice Building Blog is covering the John Connolly trial, which involves a former FBI agent in Boston (Connolly) who is accused of helping orchestrate a murder in Miami in 1982. The state tried to call the real Donnie Brasco to the stand yesterday, but he refused to testify (even in sunglasses and a hat) because he didn't want his picture taken (via Miami Herald). Is this an argument for or against cameras in the courtroom?
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
No surprise here...
Kirby Archer, the Joe Cool defendant who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to life in prison today. No ruling yet by Judge Huck on the co-defendant's motion for a new trial on all counts.
Hypo
Those who know me know that I often like to ask hypotheticals... Would you do X in return for Y.
Well here's a real one from the USA Today: Would you amputate your pinkie finger so that you could finish your college football season as a lineman for a division II school?
Trevor Wikre answered yes! Can a doctor agree to such a thing?
Here's some of the article:
Trevor Wikre had a choice: Lose his pinkie finger or lose his football season.
"I said, 'Cut it off,' " Wikre says. He took no time to ponder. "I knew right away," he says. "It wasn't a hard choice."
Wikre, 21, is a guard for Mesa State College, a Division II school in Grand Junction, Colo. He had told teammates a couple of weeks earlier how much he loved them as brothers.
"I said, 'I'd take a bullet for you,' " he says. "Well, this was my chance to put words into action. This was my bullet."
The Mesa Mavericks will play their first game on national cable TV Thursday night (8 ET, CBS College Sports) vs. Western State (Colo.). Mesa is 5-2, 5-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
The trauma came Sept. 30 when Wikre's right little finger shattered at practice. He pulled off a glove, saw bone jutting out and asked trainers to tape it up. They declined and got him to the hospital, where doctors advised him that he needed season-ending surgery.
"I'm a senior," Wikre (pronounced WICK-er-EE) says. "If they put pins in there, my career was finished. I told them to just take it off. They said I was being dramatic. I said, yeah, well, losing my season is dramatic, too."
My favorite quote of the article:
"I can't hit the P on the keyboard very well," he says. "I have to train my ring finger to get over there. It takes time."
Well here's a real one from the USA Today: Would you amputate your pinkie finger so that you could finish your college football season as a lineman for a division II school?
Trevor Wikre answered yes! Can a doctor agree to such a thing?
Here's some of the article:
Trevor Wikre had a choice: Lose his pinkie finger or lose his football season.
"I said, 'Cut it off,' " Wikre says. He took no time to ponder. "I knew right away," he says. "It wasn't a hard choice."
Wikre, 21, is a guard for Mesa State College, a Division II school in Grand Junction, Colo. He had told teammates a couple of weeks earlier how much he loved them as brothers.
"I said, 'I'd take a bullet for you,' " he says. "Well, this was my chance to put words into action. This was my bullet."
The Mesa Mavericks will play their first game on national cable TV Thursday night (8 ET, CBS College Sports) vs. Western State (Colo.). Mesa is 5-2, 5-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
The trauma came Sept. 30 when Wikre's right little finger shattered at practice. He pulled off a glove, saw bone jutting out and asked trainers to tape it up. They declined and got him to the hospital, where doctors advised him that he needed season-ending surgery.
"I'm a senior," Wikre (pronounced WICK-er-EE) says. "If they put pins in there, my career was finished. I told them to just take it off. They said I was being dramatic. I said, yeah, well, losing my season is dramatic, too."
My favorite quote of the article:
"I can't hit the P on the keyboard very well," he says. "I have to train my ring finger to get over there. It takes time."
Sorry for the off-blog article, but I couldn't help myself. I hope to see you all Friday night at the Federal Bar installation dinner... Celeste Higgins is your new president.
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