Here is his statement:
For the past two years, I have served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. After much reflection, I write to announce my resignation from this position, effective January 17, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
It has been an honor and privilege to serve as United States Attorney. I have strived to meet the responsibilities of this position with vigor, determination, commitment, thoughtfulness, and humility.
Those familiar with my personal history may recall that I am a native of Haiti, a country whose government struggles to perform basic functions, and where the rule of law has yet to build reliable traction. When I immigrated to this country in my teens, I lived in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood, then an urban area with high crime and associated problems. Given where I started, it has been uniquely meaningful to hold a role so central to the Department of Justice’s mission of supporting our collective well-being through the exercise of the rule of law.
Also meaningful has been working alongside the talented lawyers and professional staff of the United States Attorney’s Office, as well as with the agents and employees of our partner federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. These honorable public servants meet the challenges of safeguarding our homeland, local communities, and government institutions selflessly and without fanfare, at times at significant personal costs. I have never stopped being inspired by them and always will cherish my time as part of this deeply noble undertaking. To them, I extend my utmost gratitude and admiration.
I would not have had this life-changing experience without the support of President Joseph R. Biden, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Rick Scott, and countless leaders from our community. To all of them, thank you for trusting me to fulfill the duties of United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
With gratitude,
Markenzy Lapointe
6 comments:
Came in with a lot of promise. Didn't do anything different than anyone else in that position. Same old same old just with a new face. The career people run that place and that's why everything always stays the same. Too many low level prosecutions that should be in state court. Still never offer pre-trial diversion on these low level prosecutions. No meaningful investigations of corrupt law enforcement. Still would rather dismiss a case than have a judge find law enforcement to be not credible. Status quo that's the Miami USAO.
All of that is true but even in state court, the second you have something criminal the sheriff's office/police dept did the ASA tosses the case rather than let the court refer the cop for prosecution.
That’s exactly why he is unpopular within the office. He sidelined the Criminal division leadership over a serious scandal that dragged from 2016 until 2022 with a strong ruling by judge Gayles. Careers were destroyed, but no real punishment handed out for the constitutional violations and subsequent perjury findings.
The front office wanted yes men and women... those who challenged, were soon forced out. Hopefully next will change things and not go back to same ole good old boys and girls.
The ones who ran the scandal ridden criminal division before he took office were forced out? And that’s a bad thing?
Okay - this is not an elevator - disgruntled AUSAs should not be able to anonymously post sticky notes here.
Let's see what happened from the perspective of the defense bar:
Before he took office:
You would call and not get a single person to answer a call. Not the general lines, not the AUSA lines. Sometimes, if lucky, you would get a callback. This was a remnant of two things: 1) COVID and its attendant give a fuck attitude of most workers, and 2) an office that for DECADES backed AUSAs no matter what - Brady violation (nope), refusal to confer (nope), unreasonable plea (nope).
So what did he do - he came in and made people accountable. Now, call the office and you get an answer, you get through to people. It is hard to overstate how much this helps litigate cases to trial or a fair resolution.
No longer are women and men in positions where they affirm anything that the AUSAs beneath them wanted to do - there is an actual process and review of decisions in place. Of course, people who are lazy, unfair or inept do not like this type of oversight, but anybody else who wants a fair shake is fine with it.
Also, because this point gets no attention at all - what they did with cases under Mr. Lapointe was important, but also what they did not do. The cases where they should and did decline to prosecute never get attention. And on that front, he was very fair and just.
So, if you are the type of immature dingus who likes to post complaints on post it notes and stick them in elevators - you did not like Mr. Lapointe because he made you accountable and show up for your six figure government job, and held you accountable in a chain of command. If you are the type of person who believes that if you wait long enough - regardless of merit - you will rise through the office to positions of power...you did not like that he selected people for merit. If you are the type of person who thinks that you are part of a gang that no matter what, must stick by the other people in your gang (right or wrong), you have a problem with him and accountability. Of course, if you are those things, you have no business being an AUSA, and you make the office worse.....you are also almost certainly a subpar attorney.
Anyhow, hopefully whoever comes next won't just sit around and let the ship meander along from one fuck up to the next like many of the prior US Attorneys. Mr. Lapointe certainly did not, and for that, the bad apples did not like him.
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