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
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
St. Patrick Day News & Notes
1. Suspended Broward School Board member Beverly Gallagher pleaded guilty today. She'll do about three years in federal prison. (via Miami Herald)
2. "Wachovia Bank charged with violating anti-money laundering law" (via Miami Herald). Wachovia has agreed to pay $160 million in the deferred prosecution agreement:
Federal authorities in Miami have filed criminal charges against Wachovia Bank, alleging it failed to block Mexican currency exchange houses from laundering $110 million in drug proceeds through the bank, officials said Wednesday.
Wachovia Bank, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Co., will avoid criminal prosecution by agreeing to pay a $50 million fine and forfeit the $110 million, officials said.
The bank must also implement stronger anti-money laundering systems.
Prosecutors with the U.S. attorney's office, along with officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration, plan to hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon on the allegations.
Wachovia, charged with violating the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, got out of the foreign money-transfer business two years ago.
In a statement published Monday in the Wall Street Journal, Wells Fargo said: ``We look forward to resolving this issue and are committed to maintaining compliant and effective anti-money laundering policies and practices, and a strong compliance and risk management culture across the integrated organization."
One of lawyers representing the bank is Nick Bourtin of Sullivan & Cromwell. Bourtin clerked for Judge Moreno.
3. It's not too late to fill out your brackets! Click here at the free blog pool. The password is sdflablog
2. "Wachovia Bank charged with violating anti-money laundering law" (via Miami Herald). Wachovia has agreed to pay $160 million in the deferred prosecution agreement:
Federal authorities in Miami have filed criminal charges against Wachovia Bank, alleging it failed to block Mexican currency exchange houses from laundering $110 million in drug proceeds through the bank, officials said Wednesday.
Wachovia Bank, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Co., will avoid criminal prosecution by agreeing to pay a $50 million fine and forfeit the $110 million, officials said.
The bank must also implement stronger anti-money laundering systems.
Prosecutors with the U.S. attorney's office, along with officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration, plan to hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon on the allegations.
Wachovia, charged with violating the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, got out of the foreign money-transfer business two years ago.
In a statement published Monday in the Wall Street Journal, Wells Fargo said: ``We look forward to resolving this issue and are committed to maintaining compliant and effective anti-money laundering policies and practices, and a strong compliance and risk management culture across the integrated organization."
One of lawyers representing the bank is Nick Bourtin of Sullivan & Cromwell. Bourtin clerked for Judge Moreno.
3. It's not too late to fill out your brackets! Click here at the free blog pool. The password is sdflablog
Justice O'Connor's reception
Justice O'Connor's reception last night was a success. Lots of judges, lawyers, and law clerks came by to see the legal legend who is in town this week as a visiting judge in the 11th Circuit court of appeals. Here she is with incoming U.S. Attorney Willy Ferrer, Jackie Becerra (Greenberg Traurig), and Bill Roppolo (president of the Federal Bar Association; Baker McKenzie). Willy wore his green tie a day too early! Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is in the house
Tonight from 5:30-7:30 at the Federal Courthouse, the Federal Bar Association will be honoring her. Stop by and say hello.
In other news, Scott Rothstein is snitching against mobsters:
Pretending he was being dogged by the FBI and needed help, Rothstein allegedly talked Settineri into tearing up two boxes of documents and laundering $79,000 from Rothstein's massive investment racket, according to sources familiar with the case.
"He knew Settineri,'' a source said. ``He was able to chat up Settineri.''
For helping bring down Settineri, Rothstein could end up in the federal Witness Protection Program -- with a new identity, but inside a prison with special protection. Rothstein, 47, faces up to 100 years at his sentencing May 6.
"He knew Settineri,'' a source said. ``He was able to chat up Settineri.''
For helping bring down Settineri, Rothstein could end up in the federal Witness Protection Program -- with a new identity, but inside a prison with special protection. Rothstein, 47, faces up to 100 years at his sentencing May 6.
Jeff Weiner (not Jeff Sloman) represents Settineri. Weiner must be salivating at the chance to cross Rothstein...
Monday, March 15, 2010
March Madness is here
Fill out your brackets here at the free blog pool. The password is sdflablog
And yes judges, you can play too!
And yes judges, you can play too!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Attorney lounge dedicated to Judge Eugene Spellman
There was a really nice luncheon today at the federal courthouse, naming the attorney lounge on the 14th floor the Eugene Spellman Attorney Lounge. Judge John O'Sullivan gave a great speech about Spellman -- telling stories about how Spellman judged cases and taught young lawyers. It was very funny and one got a sense of why everyone loved Spellman. Judge Spellman's wife and son were present. Harry Solomon was also honored for his work on the CJA panel.
The lounge itself is very nice, with a big flat-screen TV, couches and places to plug-in for computers.
The NY Times wrote this obit about Spellman back in 1991:
Judge Eugene P. Spellman, an 11-year veteran of Federal District Court who was known for innovative sentences and supporting social causes, died of cancer today at Mercy Hospital. He was 60 years old.
Judge Spellman was absent from the bench only a week before his death.
He crafted a novel sentence that withstood a challenge in the tax-evasion case of the industrialist Victor Posner, a millionaire who was ordered to give $3 million to the homeless and to serve meals in a shelter.
In other cases, the judge decried "underhanded tactics" used by Federal immigration officials against Haitian immigrants and released on bond a prisoner with AIDS after ruling that the Bureau of Prisons did not offer the prisoner adequate medical treatment.
In a case involving religious freedom, Judge Spellman ruled that public health and needs outweighed the tenets of the Afro-Cuban Santeria religion and upheld ordinances banning animal sacrifices in the Miami suburb of Hialeah.
He presided over the 1985 trial of Hernan Botero, a Colombian financier who was convicted of laundering $57 million in drug money, as well as drug cases involving former Government ministers of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean and a former agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Judge Spellman, who was nominated to the Federal bench by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, was to be honored Wednesday as an outstanding jurist by the Dade County Bar Association.
He is survived by his wife, Robin, and sons Michael and James.
The lounge itself is very nice, with a big flat-screen TV, couches and places to plug-in for computers.
The NY Times wrote this obit about Spellman back in 1991:
Judge Eugene P. Spellman, an 11-year veteran of Federal District Court who was known for innovative sentences and supporting social causes, died of cancer today at Mercy Hospital. He was 60 years old.
Judge Spellman was absent from the bench only a week before his death.
He crafted a novel sentence that withstood a challenge in the tax-evasion case of the industrialist Victor Posner, a millionaire who was ordered to give $3 million to the homeless and to serve meals in a shelter.
In other cases, the judge decried "underhanded tactics" used by Federal immigration officials against Haitian immigrants and released on bond a prisoner with AIDS after ruling that the Bureau of Prisons did not offer the prisoner adequate medical treatment.
In a case involving religious freedom, Judge Spellman ruled that public health and needs outweighed the tenets of the Afro-Cuban Santeria religion and upheld ordinances banning animal sacrifices in the Miami suburb of Hialeah.
He presided over the 1985 trial of Hernan Botero, a Colombian financier who was convicted of laundering $57 million in drug money, as well as drug cases involving former Government ministers of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean and a former agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Judge Spellman, who was nominated to the Federal bench by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, was to be honored Wednesday as an outstanding jurist by the Dade County Bar Association.
He is survived by his wife, Robin, and sons Michael and James.
The Broward Bar Association has nothing better to do...
... than ask whether the JAABlog is acting professionally. From this morning's DBR:
A Broward County Bar Association committee will meet to determine whether the legal blog JAABlog — the premiere place for courthouse gossip — meets its professional standards. The professionalism committee plans to hold a closed-door meeting April 1 at the behest of association president Carlos Llorente.
Closed door? Really? I guess that they can regulate the internet or punish lawyers, right?
But the Broward County Bar Association does not have any authority to regulate or punish lawyers. Judges may have themselves to blame for some of the blog activity. Two Broward judges were charged by the state judicial watchdog with ethics violations in the past two weeks. Llorente said he has received a number of recent complaints after someone posted racial slurs on JAABlog. The comments have been removed, and the blog states the poster has been banned. “When I see lawyers in Broward County acting unprofessionally or complaints of lawyers acting unprofessionally, my obligation as president of the Broward County Bar Association is to act upon that,” Llorente said. “We’re all trying to figure out if there’s something that can or should be done. … We have no agenda, no plan. We’re just investigating it.” He said the committee will examine the blog as a whole, not just the derogatory comments. Gelin’s response? “Bring it on.” “I frankly welcome it as an opportunity to gain more exposure for the blog and our message,” he said. “This seems to be hugely ironic that they seem to have a problem with a communication medium that, despite the fact there’s a lot of negativity on there, has done more to reform this county than their organization has done since day one.” Gelin is not concerned about violating Florida Bar rules, saying he is cognizant about not crossing the line. The Florida Bar told the Review that Gelin does not face any complaints.
The Broward Blog has done an excellent job exposing serious problems in the justice system. So what's the problem?
Llorente insists the issue lies with Gelin’s extracurricular activities. “I have no problem with him being a journalist,” Llorente said. “If he wants to be an expose-type journalist, so be it. But do it as a journalist. Don’t pose as a lawyer with an inside knowledge.” When asked what is specifically offensive about the blog, Llorente said he would withhold comment until he hears from the professionalism committee.
Huh? Does that make any sense to anyone? Maybe the Broward Bar Association should be asking whether the judges and lawyers that the blog continues to expose are acting professionally....
UPDATE -- SFL weighs in here: "Let me offer a prediction: by convening such a panel the BCBA likely will do more to discredit and denigrate their own organization than anything some goofball could ever post anonymously on a blog."
A Broward County Bar Association committee will meet to determine whether the legal blog JAABlog — the premiere place for courthouse gossip — meets its professional standards. The professionalism committee plans to hold a closed-door meeting April 1 at the behest of association president Carlos Llorente.
Closed door? Really? I guess that they can regulate the internet or punish lawyers, right?
But the Broward County Bar Association does not have any authority to regulate or punish lawyers. Judges may have themselves to blame for some of the blog activity. Two Broward judges were charged by the state judicial watchdog with ethics violations in the past two weeks. Llorente said he has received a number of recent complaints after someone posted racial slurs on JAABlog. The comments have been removed, and the blog states the poster has been banned. “When I see lawyers in Broward County acting unprofessionally or complaints of lawyers acting unprofessionally, my obligation as president of the Broward County Bar Association is to act upon that,” Llorente said. “We’re all trying to figure out if there’s something that can or should be done. … We have no agenda, no plan. We’re just investigating it.” He said the committee will examine the blog as a whole, not just the derogatory comments. Gelin’s response? “Bring it on.” “I frankly welcome it as an opportunity to gain more exposure for the blog and our message,” he said. “This seems to be hugely ironic that they seem to have a problem with a communication medium that, despite the fact there’s a lot of negativity on there, has done more to reform this county than their organization has done since day one.” Gelin is not concerned about violating Florida Bar rules, saying he is cognizant about not crossing the line. The Florida Bar told the Review that Gelin does not face any complaints.
The Broward Blog has done an excellent job exposing serious problems in the justice system. So what's the problem?
Llorente insists the issue lies with Gelin’s extracurricular activities. “I have no problem with him being a journalist,” Llorente said. “If he wants to be an expose-type journalist, so be it. But do it as a journalist. Don’t pose as a lawyer with an inside knowledge.” When asked what is specifically offensive about the blog, Llorente said he would withhold comment until he hears from the professionalism committee.
Huh? Does that make any sense to anyone? Maybe the Broward Bar Association should be asking whether the judges and lawyers that the blog continues to expose are acting professionally....
UPDATE -- SFL weighs in here: "Let me offer a prediction: by convening such a panel the BCBA likely will do more to discredit and denigrate their own organization than anything some goofball could ever post anonymously on a blog."
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