Boy. Almost a year without a post. There is a reason, or there are reasons, for that. This blog, whose purpose is accurately described by its name, was created so that I could relate my experiences with same. And I did, largely, in the beginning. As far as I know most of the same people are in the administration of the State Attorneys Office as were there six years ago. "As far as I know:" I don't really know, I don't follow it, I don't read the local media, my dealings for the last six years have been with the in-court prosecutors and my experiences with the administration quickly became dated. So I began to write of these latter-day experiences and to my exasperation PJ acquired the rosy-cheeked complexion of a cheerleader for the State Attorneys Office. That was not the intent either. However, I am not going to be critical of young attorneys and the truth is I have not experienced much with which to be critical! I decided to single out for mention here those who I deemed particularly praiseworthy.
The judges presented a slightly different variation on the problem of the rosy-cheeks. As with the prosecutors I singled out the exceptional for praise. In one instance however I had cause to pluck an arrow from my quiver and draw back my bow. I stayed my hand. I was concerned with repercussions. My criticism was one of incompetence, I reasoned, not corruption or other bad faith which, I reasoned, would have transmogrified the ability to speak out into a duty to speak out. I did not have that duty, I reasoned. And then there was the concern with repercussions.
Thus I have kept the complexion of Politics and Justice in Miami freshly scrubbed and fair as a maiden's. Which pisses me off. And thus no posts in almost a year. I have transmogrified PJ into an archive blog.
The above by way of explanation. Now, to the other subject of this post which I intend to be one of the last posts here. I write today to commend in the highest terms K. Philip Harte, Assistant State Attorney. I don't think I've ever dealt with a more impressive young lawyer. The young County Court prosecutors are inexperienced and overwhelmed. In the vast majority of cases when I approach them in court they don't know anything about the case, don't remember that we had communicated and quickly look in their box for the file to refresh a recollection they never had. In Mr. Harte's case, I had not communicated with him beforehand, never met him. I walked into court and went up to him as the first prosecutor who I made eye contact with, identified myself and gave my client's name. Mr. Harte knew all about the case, didn't even have to look in the box for the file, knew the facts, had read the file beforehand, and conveyed a thought-out plea offer. He was prepared in other words, Mr. Harte was prepared. And I was impressed. Amazed actually. Phil Harte seems to me a duty-driven lawyer. He is not going to let his office down, he is going to be prepared no matter how hard he has to work and his duty is to the prosecutor's ideal of doing justice in every single case. So, justice: Justice is part of the name of this blog and that is what I have written about today.
The judges presented a slightly different variation on the problem of the rosy-cheeks. As with the prosecutors I singled out the exceptional for praise. In one instance however I had cause to pluck an arrow from my quiver and draw back my bow. I stayed my hand. I was concerned with repercussions. My criticism was one of incompetence, I reasoned, not corruption or other bad faith which, I reasoned, would have transmogrified the ability to speak out into a duty to speak out. I did not have that duty, I reasoned. And then there was the concern with repercussions.
Thus I have kept the complexion of Politics and Justice in Miami freshly scrubbed and fair as a maiden's. Which pisses me off. And thus no posts in almost a year. I have transmogrified PJ into an archive blog.
The above by way of explanation. Now, to the other subject of this post which I intend to be one of the last posts here. I write today to commend in the highest terms K. Philip Harte, Assistant State Attorney. I don't think I've ever dealt with a more impressive young lawyer. The young County Court prosecutors are inexperienced and overwhelmed. In the vast majority of cases when I approach them in court they don't know anything about the case, don't remember that we had communicated and quickly look in their box for the file to refresh a recollection they never had. In Mr. Harte's case, I had not communicated with him beforehand, never met him. I walked into court and went up to him as the first prosecutor who I made eye contact with, identified myself and gave my client's name. Mr. Harte knew all about the case, didn't even have to look in the box for the file, knew the facts, had read the file beforehand, and conveyed a thought-out plea offer. He was prepared in other words, Mr. Harte was prepared. And I was impressed. Amazed actually. Phil Harte seems to me a duty-driven lawyer. He is not going to let his office down, he is going to be prepared no matter how hard he has to work and his duty is to the prosecutor's ideal of doing justice in every single case. So, justice: Justice is part of the name of this blog and that is what I have written about today.
