Weekend reading...

The Herald had a bunch of stuff this weekend:

1. "The former Monroe County attorney wound up with probation for his role in a bribery and corruption case dating back nearly a decade." Judge Highsmith sentenced James Hendrick, former Magistrate Judge Hugh Morgan's partner, to probation and said: ''An awful lot of people came forward on your behalf. Do not disappoint us.''

2. "Feds cast wide net in Pepe Diaz probe: A federal investigation into a Miami-Dade commissioner revolves around a law that has been a boon to prosecutors, but that a defense lawyer rips as a `toxic waste dump.'" That's Richard Sharpstein, our local quote master.

3. "Lesser sentences sought for two Posada associates: The U.S. attorney's office in Miami agreed to lower the prison sentences of two Cuban exiles with ties to anti-Castro militant Luis Posada Carriles."

More Awards

Last night the Miami Chapter of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers had its annual banquet (this year's was at the JW Marriot on Brickell). Great turnout to honor Kathy Williams, Scott Fingerhut, Paul Rashkind, and Judge Joseph Farina. Each of the honorees gave incredible speeches. (I was president of FACDL-Miami this year; Barry Wax is taking over.)

It's been a very difficult couple of weeks for the criminal defense lawyer and criminal defendant in state court. No more rebuttal close for the defense, and court appointed funding for conflict cases (their equivalent to CJA lawyers) is no more. Instead, there will be an underfunded second public defender's office to handle conflicts. It's a total disaster. Most of the speakers discussed these recent events.

Federal sightings: Judge Moreno, Judge Brown, U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, and lots of federal PDs.

"Lawyer for alleged madam seen as quite a case himself"

Because this guy has South Florida ties, I post this really strange article about Montgomery Blair Sibley, the lawyer for the DC Madam. (thanks for the comment -- the link is fixed).

Congrats to Judge Federico Moreno

He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Judges Steve Leifman and Gerald Wetherington also received awards.

Lots of funny moments in the speech, but I particularly liked when he thanked his clerks and said that it was the best part of the job because he added to his family every year. Really nice...

Wilk defense

Kenneth Wilk's turn...

The Government rested and painted a pretty awful picture of Wilk.

Now Wilk is putting on evidence that he had AIDS dementia (via Sun-Sentinel), which is why he did what he did:

An expert witness testified for the defense that Kenneth Wilk had AIDS dementia on the day he fatally shot a Broward sheriff's deputy, and said there was independent medical evidence, which could not be faked, to support the diagnosis.Symptoms of the condition are not easily observed and that could explain why Wilk was not previously diagnosed, said Dr. Michael Maher, a Tampa physician and psychiatrist, in two days of testimony that ended Monday in federal court.

"I am very confident that he ... suffers from AIDS dementia," Maher said last week.Another defense medical expert is expected to testify that MRI and other scans of Wilk's brain show evidence of dementia.