“Help Me Howard” Wants Help From Florida Bar
BY BUDDY NEVINS
“Help Me Howard” Finkelstein wants some help from the Florida Bar.
In a letter to Bar President Eugene Pettis, Public Defender Howard Finkelstein asks the Bar to join “efforts to restore balance, equality and fairness to the criminal justice system.”
Finkelstein wants The Bar to help him:
- Champion the abolition of mandatory minimum sentence which strip the court of all discretion.
- Establish alternative sentence opportunities.
- Ensure the law is fairly enforced.
- Help create re-entry programs to combat recidivism.
- Eliminate convictions that do not promote safety but instead act as barriers to successful re-entry.
- Aid in implementing strict standards for a judicial waiver process before children are prosecuted as adults.
Finkelstein’s letter can be found here:
March 6th, 2014 at 7:19 pm
As someone who has been hurt as have others by the refusal of the Broward co state attorney to prosecute crack addicts caught red handed repeatedly as the continue to commit other crimes I found don’t jail criminals Howard a disgrace time after time issue after issue
March 6th, 2014 at 7:53 pm
All of these are much-needed reforms that everyone should be in favor of, including the Florida Bar.
March 6th, 2014 at 8:41 pm
“Champion the abolition of mandatory minimum sentence which strip the court of all discretion.”
Judges could not be trusted to send criminals to prison so the legislature made minimum mandatory sentences. Removing the mandatory sentences equals more criminals on the street.
“Establish alternative sentence opportunities.”
Read “community service at the Judges favorite charity.”
“Ensure the law is fairly enforced.”
Read “Let minorities skate on crimes that not enough white people are arrested for.”
“Eliminate convictions that do not promote safety but instead act as barriers to successful re-entry.”
Read “Decriminalize drugs and prostitution.” Hmmm, not a bad idea, BTW.
March 7th, 2014 at 12:49 pm
If Help Me Howard Finkelstein weren’t such a whiner, he would have more credibility.
The Florida Legislature is presently reviewing mandatory minimum sentence thresholds … but that’s not good enough for him … as the Public Defender he wants no mandatory minimum sentences for criminals.
March 7th, 2014 at 1:55 pm
“Champion the abolition of mandatory minimum sentence which strip the court of all discretion.”
Read..Thank you Howard. Not until someone we know or love gets hit with a BS minimum mandatory sentence does one begin to appreciate the stupidity of it. Some folks just don’t see the light until they’re all the way at the end of the tunnel.
“Establish alternative sentence opportunities.”
Read.. There’s nothing wrong with making someone who really should not be in jail donate their time to community service instead. Who cares if it’s the judges favorite charity or not. If it’s a 501 C, they’re good to go.
“Ensure the law is fairly enforced.”
Read.. Tell Mike Satz to tell the cops to stop pulling white kids over and issuing them Notices to Appear for weed possession and pulling black kids over and taking them to jail for weed possession. Either take the white kid to jail too or give the black kid a Notice to Appear too.
“Eliminate convictions that do not promote safety buy instead act as barriers to successful re-entry.”
Read..pressure the Legislature to stop enacting stupid laws.
March 7th, 2014 at 5:22 pm
Howie is the shit!
Everyone should be thankful we have him.
In fact, you should kiss his right white butt cheek.
He’s a short guy, so all dudes besides Walsh might need to take a knee.
Walsh, you can take a knee as you see fit.
March 7th, 2014 at 7:40 pm
Does the PD staff still prepare Howie’s Channel 7 crap on the taxpayer dime? Howie should have been locked up a long time ago. Just another hypocrite egomaniac.