While He Campaigns, Mike Satz Also Prepares To Prosecute Alleged Cop Killers
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Most candidates are single minded, firmly focused on the election.
State Attorney Mike Satz doesn’t have that luxury.
While Satz campaigns almost every night, much of his remaining time is spent preparing to prosecute three accused cop killers.
Mike Satz
The trial is scheduled to begin in September, shortly after the August 30th Democratic primary.
Although he also manages an office with 500 employees and every four years runs for re-election, Satz personally prosecutes murder cases.
Its part of his philosophy that every one of the 12 attorney supervisors at the State Attorney’s Office – their office titles are Assistant State Attorneys-in-Charge – handle cases.
Alleged cop killers Andre Delancy, Bernard Forbes and Eloyn Ingraham are the latest to be prosecuted by Satz. They are accused of gunning down decorated Deputy Brian Tephford at a routine traffic stop. They also are charged with the attempted murder of Deputy Corey Carbocci, who was shot when he arrived as back up.
Jeff Marcus, the State Attorney’s Office second-in-command, is trying the current case with Satz.
Vivid proof that the wheels of justice turn slowly, Tephford’s murder and the arrests occurred in late 2006. Satz has been the lead prosecutor since the arrests almost a decade ago and has been at “all the hearings and depositions,” according to Ron Ishoy, the State Attorney’s Office spokesman.
During those 10 years, Satz prosecuted four other bad guys. Really bad guys, winning convictions on all.
The cases are described by Ishoy in an e-mail:
- David Maldonado was charged and convicted by a jury with attempted first degree murder of Hollywood Police Office Maury Hernandez as well as attempted carjacking. Officer Hernandez was shot and nearly died from his injuries. Maldonado was sentenced to life in prison on December 19, 2008.
- Michael Mazza was charged and convicted for the first degree murder of BSO Corrections Officer Paul Rein. He was also convicted of robbery, carjacking, and escape. Mazza was sentenced as an habitual offender to life in prison on February 28, 2011.
- Yancy Polk and James Derico were involved in an armed robbery which led to Polk shooting and trying to kill several police officers in Coral Springs. Coral Springs Officer Paul Kempinski was shot and nearly died. During Polk’s attempted escape from the police, he shot his way into a private home and took a family hostage. Derico did not shoot at any police officers and surrendered after the initial robbery. Derico plead guilty and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Polk went to trial in 2010 and was convicted of all of the charges. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Satz has been in office since Gerald Ford was president. As criminal defense attorney and Broward Beat contributor Sam Fields told me 20 years ago, “Mike Satz is the only person I know with a one-word resume.”
That word is “prosecutor.”
It is the only job Satz has ever held.
A University of Miami Law School graduate in 1968, Satz immediately went to work as a prosecutor. At the Broward State Attorney’s Office. The same place where is the boss today.
He eventually prosecuted murder cases. Just like today.
In 1976, State Attorney Philip Shailer decided not to run again. Satz ran as a tough, no-nonsense prosecutor and won.
Satz told me the reason he has stayed so long as a prosecutor. It was also 20 years ago during an interview:
“I really, really enjoy what I’m doing and that’s important. I’ve been an advocate all my life.”
After forty years in office, Satz has his critics. He has had opponents who have criticized him for not doing enough to fight political corruption. He is accused by some in the black community of being overzealous in the prosecution of minor drug crimes like possession of marijuana.
Public Defender Howard Finkelstein has publicly clashed with Satz, alleging the State Attorney wastes money and resources by trying to lock up the homeless and youths charged with petty crimes. Satz’s only opponent this year Theresa Elizabeth Williams contend Satz’s policies are mired in the past.
“Justice does not seem to be the goal, only the creation of tough on crime statistics by throwing people in state prison,” Williams says on her website.
If Satz beats Williams this year in the August Democratic primary, it would be the 10th time he was re-elected. He will have outlasted at least seven presidents.
Satz would have four more years to defend Broward from crime. And he would have four more years to personally prosecute crime and put a lot of bad guys away.
XXXXX
May 16th, 2016 at 10:10 am
The families of heroric police officers wait 10 years for the trials of their murders? What about “JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED”? It is one thing to wait 10 years for an appeals case on money, i.e. Holocaust Assets even if the major heir has passed on, but that’s money. MURDER IS THE MOST SERIOUS ISSUE. MURDER OF A POLICEMAN THREATENS EVERYONE IN SOCIETY. A 10 year wait to get to trial means SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN DENMARK! Are the Laws in need of overhaul? Are defendents’ rights being abused by THEIR LAWYERS? Are we not funding the Courts enough? NO SOCIETY SHOULD EXCEPT THIS KIND OF SHILLY SHALLERING.
May 16th, 2016 at 10:18 am
Thanks for this. I’m sick of seeing Howard own the TVeverytime I turn it on attacking Mike Satz. Mike Satz is protecting us from scum bags.
May 16th, 2016 at 12:13 pm
I retired 8 years ago from the State Attorney’s Office, having had only two bosses in my adult life: Uncle Sam and Mike Satz … I am proud to have served under each … a great country and an honorable man.
May 16th, 2016 at 8:43 pm
Correction BSO Deputy Maury Hernandez
David Maldonado was charged and convicted by a jury with attempted first degree murder of Hollywood Police Office Maury Hernandez as well as attempted carjacking. Officer Hernandez was shot and nearly died from his injuries. Maldonado was sentenced to life in prison on December 19, 2008.
May 16th, 2016 at 9:02 pm
Except when it comes to public corruption. Wish he were as strong on that as he is, admirably, on those who would gun down cops.
May 17th, 2016 at 9:20 am
@5 Miss Greenbarg is correct about the facts but, sadly there is the fact NO ONE CARES! You go to Fort Lauderdale City Hall and see the Commission, the Staff, and a few, a very few people, none of whom even google the contractors, developers, or lobbyists so that are useless in raising issues of ethics or bad reports.
What is corruption? A party – any party it doesn’t matter – activist sets up a lobbying firm. They work as an activist to supper candidate X for office. Then the activist as a Lobbyist goes to the candidate, now an elected official and asks them to support a contract for their client. IS IT CORRUPTION? This happens day in and day out YET NO ONE SAYS BOO.
Don’t Blame the State Attorneys or the Judicial system, BLAME THE VOTERS OF FLORIDA.And BOTH the Governor of New York and Mayor of New York City after the ranking Republican State Senator and the Democratic ranking State Assemblyman were sent to jail for corruption now are in the midst of fundraising investigtions. EVER HEAR OF ANY SUCH MAJOR CASES HERE IN FLORIDA except for a brief period in Miami and a tiny period on Miami Beach and a few cases here in Broward County? I thought NOT!
May 17th, 2016 at 9:35 am
Everyone is talking about the current corruption at Broward Health. In follow up, everyone says Broward Health has been corrupt for decades and has been the target of prior grand jury probes.
What has Satz done? Nada
May 17th, 2016 at 10:35 am
I would never vote for this cretin. He has ruined so many lives with his overzealous prosecutions for minor offenses. Today he charges African American minors as adults, tomorrow he will let some rich white guy walk with a slap on the wrist. His justice comes with a hefty dose of prejudice that stems from systematic racism ingrained in the prosecutor’s office and our national judicial system.
Former Nixon aide John Ehrlichman, recently detailed how Nixon’s anti-drug crusade was really used to target the president’s two big enemies in the 1968 campaign, leftist protesters and African-Americans. Satz proudly carries on this tradition.
May 17th, 2016 at 11:39 am
The ONE and only Democrat I have ever voted for. Good Man hard worker.
May 18th, 2016 at 12:33 pm
Jerry Frank Townsend and Anthony Caravella. Two reasons why Satz should have been gone long ago. The list is longer. But those 2 come to mind first and foremost.
May 19th, 2016 at 5:03 am
10 years??????? I don’t know about this one. at least the 3 alleged criminals are behind bars, but all we have is a linear park in tamarac named after tephford. thought this was an open and shut case.who will remember every detail from 10 years ago.the broward county jail is filled with inmates waiting 5 years and more waiting for trial.
May 21st, 2016 at 11:13 pm
Broward County has had more death convictions overturned for actual innocence than any county in the United States. Is that really what we want from our top prosecutor?
May 24th, 2016 at 8:54 pm
Mr Nevins n Mr Christiensen have been writing about corruption at Broward Health n the County School Board since the year one BUT WHERE IS THE PUBLIC OUTRAGE? NOWHERE.
This is a DEMOCRACY where the BALLOT BOX RULES. Until the PUBLIC CARES we will make NO progress.