Satz Blasted For Not Prosecuting Police Abuse
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Gordon Weekes, the hotshot assistant public defender, suddenly is a political star…at least, with Democrats.
Weekes’ skirmish with State Attorney Mike Satz at the Democratic Party’s monthly meeting on Tuesday energized many activists.
Weeks lambasted Satz for not prosecuting cops accused of mistreating blacks.
Gordon Weekes
Several party activists – including one office holder who watched Weekes – thought he was laying the groundwork for a run against Satz.
“Ha ha ha. That’s very funny,” Weekes said, shooting down the rumors. “I am not interested at all.”
He said he was too defense oriented to work as a prosecutor.
(An aside: I understand Weekes’ views. Some lawyers believe that a prosecutor works to narrow a defendants constitutional rights, while a defense attorney’s job is to broaden those rights.)
Another veteran Democrat theorized that Public Defender Howard “Help Me Howard” Finkelstein would drop his re-election at the last minute next year and back Weeks as his replacement. Finkelstein told Browardbeat.com several weeks ago that he was running for re-election.
Weekes, with his boss Finkelstein watching from the auditorium audience, lambasted Satz for refusing investigate the Fort Lauderdale cops recently fired for sending racist text messages.
He charged that Satz’s first impulse is to “provide police cover…and tolerate it when they step across the line.”
Although the text messages could have contained criminal threats that resulted in prosecutions, Weekes noted, “There was not even a subpoena for those text messages.”
Satz fired back that he was in favor of police wearing body cameras and that he had prosecuted 88 officers, although he did not say whether those prosecutions resulted in convictions.
Mike Satz: Says He Goes After Bad Cops
“I’ve reviewed thousands of close out memos (of cases involving alleged police wrong doing) by the State Attorneys Office and the vast majority say they have no chance of prosecution,” Weekes said. “When a police officer is involved, they get deference, while the average person is prosecuted under the same circumstances.”
It was quite a show for Democratic Party activists. It is not often they see one of their Democratic office holders publicly criticized at their meeting.
The internet was alive after the meeting. Judging from the reactions I read, Satz was the loser.
Here is a typical reaction from the former president of the Dolphin Democratic Club from Facebook:
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15 hrs · Wilton Manors, FL · Edited ·
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What Assistant Broward Public Defender Gordon Weekes said about the racist officers who were fired in Fort Lauderdale at the Broward Democratic Party forum on police abuse was very disturbing. The Citizens Police Review Board in Fort Lauderdale recommended five to two (who were two of three officers serving on the board that voted no) that the city investigate deeper into the issue. The city manager Lee Feldman, decided not to act on their recommendation. That’s f’d up. The real f’d up part of this is our state attorney Mike Satz said they didn’t break any laws. OK, Mike, if you dropped any cases they were primary arresting officers in because the evidence was affected by the poison pill of these officers, that tells us that their testimony in ALL cases is suspect. What about the cases you got convictions on? Are there people in jail or prison who might have been wrongly convicted because of these cops? What are you going to do about that? The answer? Their defense attorneys will appeal… Which tells me JUSTICE is not more important than winning cases to you. And then there’s a crime you missed Mike. Its called perjury. What about an investigation into possible perjury for these officers? Time for a new state attorney to be elected in 2016.
Satz should be congratulated for his willingness to discuss these issues publicly. He doesn’t shy away from his contention that the State Attorney’s Office is treating everyone equal and that it is prosecuting bad cops.
Democratic boss Mitch Ceasar should be commended from putting together the thoughtful presentation.
And Gordon Weekes should be applauded for his willingness to tangle publicly with Satz, Broward’s veteran Democratic elected who has been in office since 1976.
Weekes’ message is one that needs to be heard because a great many people believe not enough is being done to curb police abuse. Whether he is a candidate or not, Weekes needs to continue to speak out. Because only by shining a light on wrongdoing can we hope to eliminate it.
XXXXX
A personal disclosure: Nathan Nevins, my son, is an assistant public defender.
April 22nd, 2015 at 4:23 pm
Golly! Who could’ve seen this coming? Oh yeah, me.
This is pretty shameful grandstanding.
April 22nd, 2015 at 4:32 pm
Weekes for state attorney
April 22nd, 2015 at 6:56 pm
Sure wish I could have attended the festivities, When I was in charge of FLPD things were done my way, just give Frank a few sips of $200,000 Hennessy Beaute du Siecle Cognac, he was in heaven. The FLPD bodyguard detail were always accommodating for a few extra cash dollars to turn a blind eye.
From: Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Howard Finkelstein • Public Defender, [excerpt]
June 21, 2013
Michael J. Satz
State Attorney
Office of the State Attorney
Broward County Courthouse
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Dear Mr. Satz,
My investigator recently requested and received a copy of Fort Lauderdale Detective Steven Greenlaw’s Internal Affairs file. His request was prompted by news reports that Detective Greenlaw worked for Scott Rothstein, Bova Prime Restaurant and the law firm of Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler.
Detective Greenlaw’s lA file contained a June 21, 2006 letter from Assistant State Attorney David Di Pietro to the Internal Affairs Division advising that
Detective Greenlaw and Detective Siekierski admitted to him that they lied under oath during a deposition. Both detectives had been asked if they or any other officer involved in the investigation had received a tip or information that the defendant was in possession of illegal drugs. Both detectives answered no.
Detective Greenlaw, in deposition, stated that it was only chance that the traffic stop for illegal tint led to the narcotics arrest. ASA Di Pietro learned that answer was a lie after defense counsel filed a motion to dismiss based on entrapment and Dectective Greenlaw’s and Siekierski’s untruthful testimony. ASA Di Pietro confronted the detectives and only then did they come clean and admit that they lied to protect the CI and did not know that they could refuse to answer the question. ASA Di Pietro copied his letter to both Assistant State Attorney In Charge Jeff Marcus and Supervising Assistant State Attorney Richard Petrovich.
Detective Greenlaw’s Internal Affairs file also contained an investigative report by Captain Rick Maglione concluding that the incident was merely a “training issue.” Captain Maglione responded to ASA Di Pietro’s letter on July 12,2006 and thanked him for bringing the matter to his attention and advised that the detectives would participate in training. To suggest this was sufficient is laughable. This is not a matter of training, but of honesty. An officer DOES NOT have to be trained to know he CAN NOT lie- especially under oath.
April 22nd, 2015 at 7:46 pm
Satz’s lopsided conviction rate of blacks should alone have him removed from office and the Democratic Party. He won’t admit it but his office is acting on age old discriminatory practices.
April 22nd, 2015 at 10:11 pm
So it is Mike Satz’s fault Fort Lauderdale has racists employed to keep the peace? When will any of the responsibly be placed on the city commissioners and the mayor? At some point the buck must stop there.
April 23rd, 2015 at 12:04 am
It only takes a short trip up to Delray beach to live in your liberal fantasy land of junkies and the homeless being left on the street to do what they want.
The problem is that when laws stop being enforced, you wake up to heroin addicts streached out in your backyard.
April 23rd, 2015 at 10:08 am
Mike Satz is a good State Att. You can’t arrest somebody etc. for being racist. I mean yes, the video was gross etc. but again their actions or anyone’ else’s is not a criminal offense. Yes, being a racist is awful but you break no laws. What is he suppose to do. I don’t like your views so I’m arrested you, and putting you in jail. Come on. Oh I know its all his fault(join the club). Ps. sure don’t worry about me, certain people hav e their mobsters, Robert walsh has his monsters(big difference). Certain opputurntist inc. Att>weeks, and Finklestein have their own agendas and are exploting the cops issues w/ their own agenda /issues(transparent, obvious). Also tell your ast.State Att. to pay more attention to you and her job then kissin ass to the Grand Wizard(bil Scherer and apparently Comm.Trantalis(hmm.)(P/z bd).Astounshing(real story(truth) coming soon….(Huh Scooter)….
April 23rd, 2015 at 2:06 pm
Attorney Tim Donnelly called me today after my last posting in regards to Ast.State Att.Catherine Maus’ appointment to ft>lau P/Z bd. She was appointed by Ft.lau Comm.Dean Trantalis I have concerns about this. I am calling him back tomorrow (Fri) or Monday after we can arrange are schudules(we both work full time), which would be convient for him(next week). I sand-bag no one. Anyone that has concerns etc. please contact me to address your concerns(past participates need not apply). I appreciate Att.Donnelly reaching out to me(special prosecution off-also organized crime task force-wouldn’t want some of you thinking I’m a snitch (huh Anthony Arillotta & family(shame )-so relax old man facing “old Sparky”). Again, I have some concerns and Ast.State Att.Maus would like to meet me(me too). So if some of you that have been involved or concerned w/ Ms.Maus or Dean trantalis, or Comm.ast. Scott Wyman(key) or Att.Bill scherer now is your chance to have your voices heard. In the interum I will refrain from further comments in regards to comm.Trantalis recent bd. appointment.(fair)…
April 23rd, 2015 at 3:44 pm
Buddy, come on, hotshot pd, you can do better. He is a howard clone only much farther out, and, from what I hear, little Howie is grooming him as his replacement. Everything runs in cycles, crime was high so we went law and order. It worked but now the liberal haters are out in full force to retract laws that they consider to be extreme as to drugs, juveniles, length of sentence and, in their minds, the alleged systematic incarceration of blacks. the solution is lets attack the state attorney for following the law and feel great remorse for the poor offenders. If this is so God bless us all.
April 23rd, 2015 at 8:01 pm
Nothing new here. Satz needs to go and Weeks in nothing but a blowhard like Finklestein. Broward is doomed. But it is well deserved because the same frauds and criminals keep getting elected by the uninformed populace.
April 24th, 2015 at 10:07 am
The calls that came in last night. Where your ears ringing County Comm.Mark Bogen(top of list right behind Catherine maus and ‘Red Broward” serves on diversity committee w/ local resident and cop hater “Charlie King”-more later). Comm.Bogen and recent criminal complaint regarding his past election involving “absentee ballots”(how they were collected over in Palm Aire and also other ast.living facities and some elderly voters and how their absentee ballots were collected etc.) Complaint given to who, Catherine Maus(again) and she forwarded criminal complaint to Att.donnelly, who is investigating(lets be fair-he also could be waited for State Supr. Court decision(huh Att.Bill scherer) in regards to Bogens elections race. Also concerns about Comm.Dean Trantalis exlover Richard G.Smith and why he hasn’t been arrested for voting in District 2 from Trantalis’ home(when lover boy didn’t live there)/ Then other concerns about Att.Maus appointment to the Ft.lau P/Z(lets be fair and give her a chance to explain herself- she is the HOA of Victoria park Civic asc(your very well liked Att>maus). Then City Manager Lee Lee Feldman(Ft>lau) potential facing criminal complaint for deliberately w/holding PIO request on his report from outside council(you hired them Lee-not me) concerning one of his managers(Mr.Hardeep-allegedly verbally abusing and harassing his former staff that he shit -canned. Word ha s it Mr.Feldman is sitting on report(is that why you looked taller Lee because you were sitting on such stated report Tues.night). This notion that Mr.Feldman can release report when “he” sees fit etc-(doesn’t sit well w/ the 20 staff etc that were terminated.) Also HR dir. Avril Dorsett-be careful you are an attorney (be careful I don’t want you hear ‘well avril didn’t give me the report etc. Report would go to 2 people HR and to Mr.Feldman. OPS dir. Lillian Rosa you are above these shanigagians(no wonder she didn’t want anything to do with this issue(I don’t blame you). So when I meet w/ Att.Donnely we have a lot to cover. I am fair and can’t wait to see him(@ his convience). Stay tuned…..
April 25th, 2015 at 9:42 am
My meeting w/ Att.tim Donnelly is set for next Thursday April 30, 2015. I am looking forwarding to meeting w/ him & ASA, Catherine Maus. Keep the phone calls coming.” We will get justice”…
April 25th, 2015 at 10:13 am
“Some lawyers believe that a prosecutor works to narrow a defendants constitutional rights, while a defense attorney’s job is to broaden those rights.”
This might be the most cautious statement ever written in the history of journalism.
In hundreds of thousands of state and Federal appellate opinions there is not one in which the prosecutor is arguing for a broader interpretation of a Defendant’s Fourth, Fifth, Sixth or Eighth Amendment rights and the Defendant’s lawyer is asking to narrow those rights.
Other examples of cautious writing to avoid a singular conclusion:
“Some Jews believe seem to believe that Hitler and the Nazis were Anti-Semitic.”
“Some baseball aficionados seem to believe that pitchers are trying to keep batters from scoring runs.”
April 26th, 2015 at 10:53 pm
It’s nice to see Democrat and fossil Mike Satz who has been in office as Broward’s elected State Attorney since 1976 called to the mat on his horrendous record prosecuting dirty cops and politicians by a fresh and articulate face. Mike Satz has served the criminal Broward political class as well as the police union bosses well by either sabotaging their cases or not bring charges at all. If only the “Dukes of Hazzard” which premiered in 1979, three years after Mike Satz took office had cast a corruption loving Hazzard County State Attorney, Mike Satz would have fit the bill and would be comfortable living off residuals now instead of carrying the water for the like of John P. “Jack” Seiler among many others.
April 27th, 2015 at 12:15 pm
Sam please say it as it is, defense tries to expand the rights of the criminals at the cost to the victims, and prosecutors try to halt this advance in order to help and prevent the creation of more victims. I guess beauty is really in the eye of the beholder. it depends on whose gourd is being gouged, the criminals or the victims.