Update: Seidman May Cause Dismissals
BY BROWARDBEAT.COM
Chief Judge Victor Tobin should remove Broward County Judge Lee Seidman from the bench until his term runs out at the end of the year, say some fellow judges.
Lee Seidman
Seidman’s refusal to hear cases, his colleagues say, is threatening the dismissal of hundreds of county court cases involving defendants charged with crimes such as drunk driving. Criminal cases must be heard promptly unless the defendant waves that right under Florida Law.
Judges say Seidman is setting himself up for someone to file a complaint with the Judicial Qualifications Commission, which polices judges, and the Florida Bar.
One judge said he would go to Tobin with a request that Seidman be pushed off to the side, paid but parked in his chambers without a calendar through New Years.
The problem: Seidman’s courtroom has become a bizarre scene of arbitrary rulings coupled with inaction and delays since he lost the election on August 24, say courthouse sources.
Broward judges say they are shocked by Seidman. He:
- Ordered a large group of defendants to jail because they were late to court.
- Delayed trials until January or later, pushing them on other judges and possibly causing cases to be dismissed.
Under Florida law and judicial rulings, county court cases must be heard in a speedy manner — usually within 90 days — unless the defendant waves that right. If the case isn’t heard within the period, it must be dismissed.
A meeting of judges will be held next week to determine what to do about the bottleneck of cases Seidman is causing. Sources say he has pushed almost 300 cases unto other judges next year.
“He is just bitter about losing,” said one attorney who practices regularly in the courthouse. “He’s acting like a child.”
Seiman “apparently never met a defendant who was late to court that didn’t deserve to be locked up. Seidman is really on a tear, now requiring attorneys to make requests for continuances in writing,” writes JAAblog, the courthouse blog.
The judges who wish to remain anonymous said they would appeal to Tobin to free the defendants Seidman locked up. Tobin has already been trying to “right the excessses” of Seidman, according to JAAblog.
Seidman did not answer an e-mail or a call for comment. Tobin did not return a call for comment.
October 8th, 2010 at 8:19 am
Lee Seidman is angry about losing his election so he is taking it out on the defendants. Tobin needs to do something now.
October 8th, 2010 at 8:31 am
want to talk about burnt out judges, check the new foreclosure division where senior judge Burnstein tells lawyers that those clearly fraudulent bank affidavits…create just “paper issues” and gleefully signs orders pushing people out of their homes…
October 8th, 2010 at 8:31 am
want to talk about burnt out judges, check the new foreclosure division where senior judge Burnstein tells lawyers that those clearly fraudulent bank affidavits…create just “paper issues” and gleefully signs orders pushing people out of their homes…
October 8th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Seidman is like Yosemite Sam, a little man with anger management issues and too many firearms.
He didn’t get his way in August so now he’s throwing a tantrum like a little kid.
He was always like this, but the thought of losing his job always kept him (somewhat) in check.
But now, besides locking people up left and right as part of a power trip, he’s apparently pushed all his cases until after he leaves office.
As a result, the Chief has stopped giving him new cases, and shifted the burden of Seidman’s load (no pun intended) to the other judges.
So basically, we have an elected official making about $135,000 a year, who is not doing his job, and requiring everyone else to pick up his slack — all because he’s unhappy about losing his election.
HE IS THE LAMEST OF DUCKS.
If he is engaging in this level of stupidity, he should not only be removed from the Courtroom, but a JQC Complaint should be filed against him and he should be removed from office and forfeit his pay and pension eligibility for the time he has been playing these games.
I betcha even Sam Fields stopped having coffee with him at Hugh’s.
October 8th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Why should he collect our hard earned tax dollars to do nothing? Make him donate the money to the homeless.
Even more shocking is that he is able to jail so many in the 7 minutes per week he is spending on the bench. Right now the dream job in the courthouse is to be his ASA or PD.
Someone needs to remind him that 150,000.00 per year from Florida taxpayers requires a little more time than he is spending in the courthouse. To be a sitting judge you need to sit on the bench a little longer.
October 8th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
his PD and ASA have been tag teaming him for awhile. The PD spends all of his time in the jail visiting his locked up clients and the ASA has been threatened with jail herself because she tries to stop him from doing things that are illegal.
October 8th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Now does everyone realize what an evil toad this clown is???
October 8th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
I was in Seidman’s courtroom this week. I saw none of what you have spoke about. He gave defendant’s at arraignment a choice of setting trail before January or after January if they waived speedy trial. The defense ATTORNEY’S jumped at it. In fact I chose to go to trial in November as well as someone else who choose a November trial option this week. Judge Seidman has always run his courtroom in the same manner regarding late defendant’s and continuances. No one had a beef with it until he decided to run for circuit court and a,after he lost the election. You may or may not like him, but he follows the law and does not allow himself to lose control when baited by the State. You may not agree. with all his rulings (I have disagreed with a few), but he is a Judge who always follows the law and will not bend over to pressure tactics to appease someone or some entities as some judges in our courthouse have done. He has made it clear many times that if your late you get a capias. But if you show up before he is off the bench he will withdraw the warrant unless you have been late before than you have to make the $2,000 bail. All the attorneys know this and have known it, but now people are complaining. Why now? You may agree or disagree with this practice, but this is not something that suddenly happened after he lost the election.
October 8th, 2010 at 11:53 pm
Speaking of JQC complaints, I wonder where the one I filed against Seidman stands…
MyActsOfSedition.com
October 9th, 2010 at 9:39 am
To Spaz Stevens:
Don’t know you or the horse you rode in on, but I do notice that you have no life and have have vindictiveness about you.
I have read your posts over the last few years where you claim that you have made complaints about various judges.
I have never heard or come to know that any of your charges have had merit.
I have to believe that the members of the JQC know that you are a chronic-no-life complainer wingnut.
You are not relevant in any manner. However, you have established yourself as shady want-to-be who sits in front of his computer way too much.
October 9th, 2010 at 10:31 am
Someone should file a JQC complaint against chief judge Judge Tobin.
Over the years he has been vindictive against Judges Krathen, Lynch, Luzzo, Lebow and now Rodriguez.
He pushed the new courthouse like he was getting a cut in its building.
He acted completely unprofessional in his dealings with the media.
99% of the judges have lost confidence in his ability to be chief judge. Step down now Judge Tobin and save the 17th Judicial Circuit.
October 9th, 2010 at 10:33 am
P.S. And look how his inactions with Judge Seidman have further embarassed the 17th Judicial Circuit.
October 9th, 2010 at 11:48 am
I AGREE 100 PERCENT WITH BROWARD ATTORNEY. JUDGE VICTOR TOBIN HAS BEEN AN EMBARRASSMENT AND HE IS THE REASON THAT JUDGES LIKE SEIDMAN ARE OUT OF CONTROL.
October 9th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Do you think that the above posts 11, 12 & 13 are the same person?
Gee whiz, I wonder…
October 9th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Very True Alan — Judge Seidman’s actions haven’t changed all that much (maybe the little filter he once had is now gone) since he lost the election.
He’s been a piece of garbage asshole his entire career.
October 11th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Not to defend the “honorable” Judge Seidman, he is no doubt unfit for office, but: lots of Judges issue no bond capias’ for defendants not showing up on time. If their name was called without being there, I see nothing wrong with that. If the lawyers, the judge and everyone else has to be there on time, so should the defendants.
October 11th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
Psych 101 is probably a certain local Judge that went to FSU…
But I have no clue, just speculation
October 11th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
Actually, I have quite an amazing life. Thank you for asking.
October 12th, 2010 at 1:01 am
# Psych 101 says:
You are not relevant in any manner. However, you have established yourself as shady want-to-be who sits in front of his computer way too much.
Actually I was named the New Times 2010 Activist of the Year:
http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/bestof/2010/award/best-gadfly-1148870/
October 12th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
Psych 101 is obviously Seidman himself. Well he got the “psych” part right, psychO that is.
October 14th, 2010 at 3:35 am
Make sure this nut case never runs again. Or at least until he gets a brain.
October 20th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
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October 20th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
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