Colbert is awesome

This is too good to pass up:

The Mandels score...

... to the tune of $67 million. Here's Curt Anderson on what happened:

A federal jury decided Wednesday that Toronto-based TD Bank owes an investment group $67 million for its role in a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme that was operated by a now disbarred attorney, Scott Rothstein.

The verdict came in a lawsuit filed by Coquina Investments, based in Corpus Christi, Texas. It was the first to go to trial of several pending lawsuits filed by wronged investors against the bank and others. Coquina attorney David S. Mandel said the jury "sent exactly the right message to TD Bank."

Congrats to David and Nina Mandel who have been working very hard on this case.  Judge Cooke presided over the first of what will be many Scott Rothstein-related civil trials.  

New Times honors blog

Thanks to the New Times and Francisco Alvarado for the honorable mention and saying that the blog is "the definitive source on South Florida's federal court system, reporting and opining on judicial appointments to high-profile cases."  Pretty cool!

So, in that vein, the latest news on the WPB magistrate is that AUSA Kim Abel has withdrawn her name from consideration.  I've been told that the slot has now been offered to Bill Matthewman, but I haven't been able to confirm it yet.  As soon as I do, I will post.

Streets around federal courthouse closed (UPDATED)

Apparently there is a suspicious package.

UPDATE -- they just blew it up.  See picture below:

A fool for a client...

1.  So, I got a ticket and I'll be representing myself in the Justice Building this afternoon because Rumpole refuses to represent me.  Should I channel Woody Allen from Bananas?

2.  My favorite scene from the debate last night:

Feds indict one of their own

Yikes.  From the Sun-Sentinel:

A member of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami and eight other South Floridians have been arrested in an alleged cocaine and oxycodone trafficking ring, federal authorities said Friday.

Tamika Jasper-Barbary, 36, a legal assistant in the Grand Jury Suite of the United States Attorney's Office in Miami, is accused of participating in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts cocaine and oxycodone, the U. S. Department of Justice said. ...

Jasper-Barbary also was charged with obstructing justice during a federal grand jury proceeding, officials said. ...



Because the allegations involve a member of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami, the U.S. Department of Justice recused the Southern District of Florida, at that office's request, from investigating and prosecuting the case, the Justice Department said.

"He's tried to rule the state like Boss Hogg and he didn't think the law applied to him."

Oh no he didn't!  Even though this deals with the Mississippi justice system, any Boss Hog reference will be posted here (you rarely hear an Uncle Jesse reference...).  Plus, there's nothing like a good fight between two branches of government.  From CNN:

Mississippi's attorney general chastised former Republican Gov. Haley Barbour after a judge issued a temporary injunction forbidding the release of any more prisoners Barbour pardoned or gave clemency to before leaving office this week.
State Attorney General Jim Hood said Barbour violated the state's constitution because the pardon requests for many inmates were not published 30 days before they were granted, as required.
Mississippi is one of the few states that requires advance notice.
***

Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Tomie Green issued the injunction Wednesday, saying it appeared some pardons, including those for four murderers, did not meet the 30-day requirement. Any inmates released in the future must meet the standard, Green ruled.
On his way out the door, the governor approved full pardons for nearly 200 people, including 14 convicted murderers, according to documents the Mississippi secretary of state's office released Tuesday.
The four murderers who received full pardons last week -- David Gatlin, Joseph Ozment, Charles Hooker and Anthony McCray -- were cited in Green's order.
They were all serving life sentences and worked as inmate trusties at the governor's mansion, said Suzanne Singletary, spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Trusties are inmates who can receive additional rights through good behavior.
Hood told "AC360" that it's possible that those who didn't meet the 30-day requirement may have to return to prison and complete their sentences.
Barbour said Wednesday that some people misunderstand the clemency process and believe that most of the individuals were still jailed.
"Approximately 90 percent of these individuals were no longer in custody, and a majority of them had been out for years," he said in a statement.
"The pardons were intended to allow them to find gainful employment or acquire professional licenses as well as hunt and vote. My decision about clemency was based upon the recommendation of the Parole Board in more than 90 percent of the cases," Barbour wrote. "The 26 people released from custody due to clemency is just slightly more than one-tenth of 1 percent of those incarcerated."

 Sounds like Barbour was well-intentioned.  The clemency process was traditionally a check on prosecutors and was used as a way for the government to show mercy, a quality we hear discussed all the time but that is rarely practiced.  Unfortunately, politics have really gutted the process and it's rarely used anymore.  And then when it is, like in this case, everyone gets nuts and starts referencing Dukes of Hazzard.  

Judge Scola speaks to Federal Bar Association

It was a fun and entertaining talk in which he answered questions from the audience.  Lots of interesting answers, including that his current favorite Supreme Court Justice is Justice Kennedy because of his objectivity and because you don't know which way he is going to rule.  He also mentioned reading the South Florida Lawyers Blog.  I think Rumpole and I should feel offended!