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Fields: Yes, There Was An Election Conspiracy At The Courthouse
BY SAM FIELDS
Throughout the primary campaign, I heard insurgent judicial candidates complain that they were victims of a conspiracy run by Broward's legal establishment trying to protect the bench.
They were right.
But keep in mind not all conspiracies are bad. After all, the only complaint about Claus von Stauffenberg's conspiracy to kill Hitler was that it failed.
This Broward conspiracy was formed to counter another conspiracy. One that was dedicated to destabilizing the judiciary.
In large part, that destablizing conspiracy was based on a strategy of unsavory ethnic appeal by lawyers who were desperate for a bigger paycheck.
In a number of races the challengers manipulated their own names expecting to increase their ethnic appeal.
Freida Goldstein, who is in financial straights and has never been seen by me at the Broward County Courthouse, is not Jewish. Neither is Olga Levine.
The former is a Montalvo and the latter a Gonzalez.
Sorry girls, but Jewish by injection does not count.
I am not even going to go into Jordan Jordan Breslaw Asshole who went to court to switch his name and still was crushed by Mary Rudd Robinson. She's a wonderful African-American County Court judge with 20 years experience.
Yes, their was a conspiracy of the establishment. The goal was to keep a stable judiciary where race, religion and ethnicity are neither a bar nor a ticket to the bench.
Many in the conspiracy deserve credit but no one more than our Claus Von Stauffenberglawyer Collins Forman.
You Dad, the late Hamilton Forman, would be proud of you.
(Sam Fields is a South Florida criminal trial attorney who has been in court almost daily for the past two decades. He was part of the group of courthouse insiders gathered together by Collins Forman who campaigned for the incumbent judges. Forman's father was political powerbroker Hamilton Forman, who strongly opposed most election challenges to incumbent judges because he believed in a stable judiciary. )
7 Responses to "Fields: Yes, There Was An Election Conspiracy At The Courthouse"
SimpleMan says:
…Hamilton Forman, who strongly opposed most election challenges to incumbent judges because he believed in a stable judiciary…
Mr. Fields,
Not only did Hamilton believe in a stable judiciary, he liked to make sure that it was safely in his pocket.
The King is dead, long live the new king
Mister Courthouse says:
Some lawyers win cases by skill and knowledge of the law, while Sam Fields uses his big brown nose. At least Fields didn't turn his analysis of the election into a rant against God.
Who knew Sam was the King of the World says:
I didn't realize you were the guardian of the Courthouse, Mr. Fields, determining who is or isn't qualified to run for judge.
Big FUCKING deal that you didn't see Frieda Goldstein at the Courthouse. I'm sure you don't see lots of lawyers at the Courthouse. Some of us don't hang out in the Cafeteria for hours on end schmoozing judges, and instead actually go to hearings and trials and then LEAVE.
She had as much a right to run as you did when you ran against Marcia Beach and Jay Hurley.
And how do you get to decide whether either Frieda or Olga are Jewish? Do you know whether they converted? Or are you just making an ASSumption?
Yes, Frieda's maiden name before she married a decade or so ago was Montati. Does she have to run as Frieda "not born a Jew" Goldstein now and forever more, having taken her husband's name when she married him?
And Olga has been Olga Gonzalez Levine for as long as I've known her. I don't remember you complaining when Marina Garcia Wood ran as Marina G. Wood a few years ago? I guess it was ok since Marina didn't challenge one of your friends.
Your "jewish by injection" comment is just crass and obnoxious, but unfortunately I don't expect any better from you.
Hey Sam, here's a thought you should get into your head. THERE WAS NO CONSPIRACY TO DESTABLIZE THE JUDICIARY — There was something called AN ELECTION.
Will all the Republicans that decide to run for President in 2012 be accused of engaging in an "unsavory ethnic appeal" by challenging an African-American President? Even a liberal progressive Democrat like me wouldn't begrudge someone who wants to run against my President.
So Sam, guess what….opinions are like assholes…everyone's got one. And in your case, you're also one.
There may have been a few candidates who you can legitimately disagree with their motives for running for office, but by and large (maybe with one or two exceptions), ALL the candidates ran good races and did it with dignity.
They worked hard, busted their asses, and frankly, even if they didn't deserve to win, don't deserve to be shit on by the likes of you.
Someone who voted for all the incumbents, but still gives credit to those who put their lives on hold to run.
PS — Big fan Sam. Keep writing.
The Long Black Robe (ret.) says:
Sam is right. Whoever worked to defend the incumbent judges worked to defend judicial integrity. Many of these lawyers challenging good judges just needed a job. Good work, Sam.
great article as usual! "jewish by injection" lmao
SAM FIELDS says:
dEAR wHO kNEW sAM…
It's my understanding that when Freida Montalvo Goldstein was interviewed by the papers she was asked about her view on replacing the Courthouse. She responded that she did not have an opinion because she has never been in the building.
Maybe she was trying cases in the parking lot?
Montalvo is a Dade lawyer who lived and worked in Dade. She has never done either in Broward. She has never had a jury trial anywhere.
I know of only one explanation of her candidacy against a new judge who was well qualified and had done nothing wrong. She saw the results of 2008 elections and picked on Carlos Rodriguez because she figured she could play the Jew-card even if she is a shiksa.
I don't know whether she and her husband are bigots or just the kind of people who thought they could take advantage of the expected bigotry of others.
Either way they are a couple of assholes.
want to barf says:
I agree with Sam. Collins should be sainted.
Collins' efforts were based on his desire to do the right thing.
Sam, you forgot one though. The biggest panderer of all was the woman who ran against Hurley.
Her name in the bar journal has been Melissa Donoho for twenty years. In 2010 she runs as Melissa Beth Minsk Dohono.
Her campaign literature had "MINSK" twice as big as the rest of her names. Her campaign shirts had "MINSK" the Donoho in small letters below.
She had no shame and I certainly hope that for her and the rest of the crew who played the name game, lawyers don't forget when they try to run next time.
We would all be better off if the Montalvo/Goldsteins, Gonzalez/Levines, Jordan/Breslaws, and Minsk/Donohos crawled back under the rocks from which they came…
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