Blogger, Reality TV Star Clash In Courthouse
By Buddy Nevins
A testosterone-fueled clash between two Broward County criminal defense attorneys –one a former reality TV star and the other a leading blogger — has them skirmishing in the courthouse elevators, corridors and the cafeteria.
Lawyers Brad Cohen and Bill Gelin clearly don’t like each other.
Cohen once ran for Fort Lauderdale commission and was a contestant on the Donald Trump reality show “The Apprentice.”
Gelin’s JAAblog courthouse website is required reading for a segment of Broward’s criminal defense Bar.
The quarrel apparently started over an item published on January 10 on Gelin’s JAAblog website.
The piece was about the mother of a Broward criminal court judge Michael Usan dying in a car wreck.
Someone very close to the judge asked for it to run, Gelin says. It was from the Usan family thanking the courthouse community for its support during trying times.
Still, Cohen didn’t like the piece and a series of confrontations began, according to Gelin.
It is no surprise that Cohen has a different take on the situation.
He downplayed the situation, calling his interaction with Gelin “discussions over nothing…I don’t have a beef with him because of anything in the blog.”
Clearly more is going on here.
A courthouse elevator door opened last week to this bizarre scene: the two lawyers pointing cell phone cameras at each other, locked on video mode, and trading insults.
I’ve seen one of the videos, which I was asked not to reproduce here.
As Cohen tries to block Gelin’s video photography, Gelin says, “You’re touching me, Brad.”
Cohen: “You wanna take a picture of me. I’ll take a picture of you”
And then Cohen says something that strikes me as downright weird: “I’ve got a picture of your stupid kid, too.”
Hmmmm.
Gelin says he ran into Cohen later in the courthouse cafeteria, where Cohen said cryptically more than once, “I’ve got pictures.”
The dispute goes farther than that.
Three days after the Usan post ran, Cohen bought JAABBLOG.COM.
“He started going around saying he bought the website,” Gelin says.
The blog – the real blog complete name is http://jaablog.jaablaw.com — remains alive with Gelin publishing it.
The insults continue.
Cohen told Browardbeat that Gelin called him a derogatory name for a gay that starts with an F.
Gelin denies it. “I’ve got witnesses,” Gelin says.
Cohen is alleged to have called Gelin “fat” and a sloppy dresser. Cohen is alleged to have said in a courtroom something like “Bill Gelin, the man of the people…(really) lives with the rich Jews in Boca.”
Brad Cohen says, “I don’t know what this is about. I have absolutely no problem with Bill Gelin.”
Gelin says he can handle locker room slurs, but the comments about his toddler creeped him out.
So Gelin filed “an information” with the Broward Sheriff’s Office “to memorialize the incident in case something happens.”
Said Cohen: “It’s a waste of time for sheriff’s deputies…I have had nothing to do with his kids.”
Told that the video shows him saying he has pictures of Gelin’s children, Cohen says what attorneys sometime tell their clients to say: “I don’t remember.”
No doubt, this will continue.
February 11th, 2014 at 5:02 pm
I hope Paul and Young Ron on 105.9 see this, they have this arrogant a-hole on their show like he is some great celeberty lawyer. Reading this all I see is a bully that thinks its ok to imply threats against a toddler like he is some cheap gangster.
Really Bradford, threatening kids, grow up?
February 11th, 2014 at 6:38 pm
Two of the best attorneys Broward County has to offer!
February 11th, 2014 at 7:18 pm
Is he a self hating Jew or something?
February 11th, 2014 at 8:02 pm
This is all much to do over nothing. Att.Cohen, who’s father I know very well is a good man. As far as this blogger, “if you can’t stand the heat in the kitchen, then don’t go in it”. When you write about something or blog , be prepared for comments you may not like. As far as the word “faggot” being thrown around, however it may be obvious in some cases, it is a cheap shot. No different than using the the “n” word. Free speech people. Deal w/it….
February 11th, 2014 at 8:51 pm
Your caught on tape making a comment about a toddler and you still deny it. It’s not a trial just admit you said something you shouldn’t have and apologize. It’s on tape duh. Gets some anger management. I guess since he is over 40 amd without kids he can’t appreciate how bad it is to threaten someone’s chid.
February 11th, 2014 at 9:32 pm
Friends with both of these guys, so I’m disappointed at the pissing contest.
I’ve heard of slow news days. But really, if this is the news of the day, the Sentinel should be blank tomorrow AM, and Channels 4, 6, 7, and 10 should be dark during the morning and evening news.
By the way, breaking news. Some guy flipped off a dude in a Corvette for cutting him off on I-95.
And two Parkland moms in overpriced yoga pants made bitchy comments to each other after they both tried to pull into the same parking spot at Starbucks.
Film at 11.
Zzzzzzzzzz
February 11th, 2014 at 10:32 pm
Those of us in Victoria Park know Brad and his “Milton Burle” is all about the ladies
February 12th, 2014 at 8:03 am
Bradford told me he had a problem with the way Gelin dresses and that he is an insult to the profession. He specifically mentions the day-old beard and the ill-fitting clothes. As a woman, I think Gelin dresses just fine. Bradford should get over his obsession.
February 12th, 2014 at 8:44 am
Brad’s egomania can’t accept people talk about Gelin and not him. Get over the obsession and never talk about infant children. Creepy isn’t a descriptive enough word.
February 12th, 2014 at 8:52 am
There is never any excuse to stoop so low and use a derogatory term towards another person regarding their sexual orientation. If you want to argue with a colleague or adversary please keep the “F” word out of your debate.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:04 am
I’ve heard that this entire lawyerly brouhaha complete with dueling videophone recordings is really about the fact that Gelin’s wife “dated” Cohen years ago. At the bottom of all the recriminations, accusations and agendas, that is the root of the matter here. I must admit that I find it comforting that lawyers have human feelings every now and again.
February 12th, 2014 at 11:16 am
This would be a really significant story … if anyone actually cared about either of these two insignificant, unlikable losers.
February 12th, 2014 at 11:24 am
buddy, u finallllly found the real story, this is what the public wants, go for it fellows, the national enquirer was right all the news that’s fit to print///// if they sell …..tickets I want ringside howard and mike can man the corners.
February 12th, 2014 at 12:16 pm
This is interesting theory. Cohen’s insane jealously over a woman in addition to everything else Gelin has achieved. But I would say making weird comments about their kiddoes is still completely crossing the line. Health thyself Mr. Cohen.
February 12th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
I see Bill on Jaablog challenged Brad to take a polygraph test on the F slur issue.
Buddy, why don’t you ask Bill and Brad where and when they will submit to the test?
February 12th, 2014 at 2:18 pm
The Bradford not only made a veiled threat about Gelin’s kid now it appears from the comments above made sexually negative comments about his wife. If I was Gelin I would go hide my dogs and cats before Cohen comes over and kicks them.
FROM BUDDY:
I know nothing about any negative or sexual comments made about Gelin’s wife. I have to view that as pure speculation.
February 12th, 2014 at 6:53 pm
Those who live in the real world know most criminal defense attorneys are a bunch of pig-tailed, loud-mouthed wimps.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:14 pm
Hey Buddy, I just wanted to thank you for your article, and to repost the following, which went up on JAABLOG Wednesday night:
Thanks, Buddy – it seems everyone around the courthouse really enjoyed BrowardBeat’s take on Cohen v. Blog, at least from the feedback we got. And while critics are correct that the high road wasn’t taken by either party before things spun out of control, absolutely everyone is wondering what could have prompted the other guy to cross into the creep zone. That being said, we’re satisfied this is over,* even if some of you still persist in spreading wholesale lies regarding a certain somebody being called “a derogatory name for a gay that starts with an F”. It never happened, of course, and while Mr.Cohen’s distant relationship with the truth in this area may be infuriating, it goes with the territory of being a self-appointed cyber finger-pointer. Besides, it hasn’t been of any concern to friends, while others we’ve never met need only look back over the years of blogging to see that JAABLOG’s core message of equality and justice for all has never wavered. And so, without further ado, on with the show! …
* Although JAABLOG’s polygraph challenge to Cohen remains open ad infinitum.
February 13th, 2014 at 1:19 am
Bill Gelin’s description of himself in JAABlog’s Wednesday Notes as “a self-appointed cyber finger-pointer” would be more complete as a middle finger pointer at those whom Finkelstein and his minion Gelin dislike
February 14th, 2014 at 10:14 pm
Those of us that were inteh cafeteria that day know what this argument was about…Bill most definitely used a derogatory gay slur and when he found out that Brad used to how do I say date…Bills wife…Bill started following Brad around everyday for a week. I don’t think a lie detector is necessary when 10 of us witnessed it, I also saw the whole video and it looks like Bill admits to using the slur. Sorry Bill but in the heat of the moment you went there…
February 15th, 2014 at 12:11 am
I was there and what you say is not true. Brad should take the lie detector challenge. But he won’t because he’s lying.
February 15th, 2014 at 12:19 am
Another thing. Instead of deflecting with false claims, why doesn’t Brad explain why he collects pictures of Bill’s toddlers?
February 15th, 2014 at 7:06 pm
If this incident is all about Gellin’s wife, then they both ought to be chasing down John Cotrone. And Gellin’s wife can chase down Ana Gardiner.
February 16th, 2014 at 10:16 am
Bill is such a bully … I love it finally someone stands up him and he calls him a f**……real mature….GElin was running around the lunch room taking pictures of brad what an idiot.
February 16th, 2014 at 2:20 pm
it’s great to see bill called to the carpet…he digs for stories I have one. I’ve seen some people friendly to Gelin that love to leave work early , that sounds like an interesting story. Also why does bill always refer to himself as the blog? We? and the blog asks?
March 1st, 2014 at 12:46 am
Kids should be off limits. However, Bill cries foul about the elevator ‘incident’ but he does the same thing. He writes stuff about judges and their families and personal lives that have no connection to the judge’s job. ‘this judge is an addict’ ‘this judge has a girlfriend’ ‘this judge is pregnant’ It’s not newsworthy, he just wants to infiltrate lives that are off limits, even to his ‘blog’
March 1st, 2014 at 4:26 pm
Been reading jaabfrom the beginning and I dont recall ever reading any stories about judges having affairs or being pregnant. Name some? Put up some links?
As for judges being an addict it certainly is fair game if they are wasted on the bench.
FROM BUDDY:
“Hypocrite” may be confusing the comments with JAABLOG’s news posts.