Hurley Under Attack By Former Judge
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Now we know who is behind the campaign against Broward County Judge Jay Hurley at least one of the Good ‘Ol Boys who lost power at the courthouse two years ago.
Jay Hurley
The first big donation to Melissa Donoho’s campaign against Hurley is $500 from Jay Spechler of Hollywood, the former judge who now describes himself a mediator.
Spechler, an enemy of the current regime at the courthouse, quit two years ago when the then-new Chief Judge Victor Tobin demoted him. Tobin ordered him out of the downtown Fort Lauderdale courthouse to a satellite facility, where he would hear traffic cases.
Hurley was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to Spechler’s old job.
I guess Spechler is still mad.
Meanwhile, the talk that Hurley is under investigation by the Judicial Qualifications Commission is just that: talk.
A source close to Hurley’s campaign says that a complaint by local blogger Chaz Stevens was dismissed by the JQC.
Hurley has now raised $75,718, which is a huge amount of donations for a judicial race during poor economic times. Donoho’s campaign, which I’m told has solicited members of the Broward Bar, has raised just $3,430.
April 15th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Broward needs a few more judges like Jay Hurley. He is a credit to American jurisprudence.
April 15th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Hurley has made a name for himself as a good judge among the courthouse crowd. I agree with the crux of your previous article that he has so much t.v. time that he his quite formidable.
After reading this story and hearing the scuttlebutt around the courthouse, I have two concerns.
First, why can’t Spechler let go and move on with his life? Secondly, what is Miss Donoho’s true motive?
Is she an unwitting pawn of a vindictive former judge, a willing participant in a vindictive scheme or does she foolishly believe that she has a chance of winning?
At a minimum, she seems to lack basic good judgment required to be a judge. At most she is a schemer who lacks the appropriate ethics to be a judge.
April 15th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
While Mrs. Donoho seems to have maintained her Florida Bar admission, the same cannot be said of her husband. I guess Broad Shepard at NSU does not require their professors to maintain licensure to teach.
On second thought, why does the law school website list him as licensed when he is not?
April 15th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
We should not be electing judges — on what basis are we deciding who is best to sit on the bench?
Election of judges may have served a useful purpose in rural and small town America, where everyone knew everyone else. For most voters in an urban setting such as Broward County, picking a judge is an exercise in rational ignorance.
April 16th, 2010 at 4:23 am
This guy, Hurley, has no moral convictions. He must have missed the “ethics” course in law school. He tried to cheat me out of my paycheck years ago. It couldn’t have been more than $500 and this loser tried to get around paying me. I actually had to hunt him down to get a check. Doesn’t it just fit that he is where he is today. A man who is not good for his word making judgments on others. Come on, Broward County; we can do better than this jerk.
FROM BUDDY: There are two sides to every story, especially in disputes between employers and former employees.
April 16th, 2010 at 5:39 am
I have known Judge Hurley for over 20 years. He is and will continue to be one of Broward Countys best And brightest. He served his country with honors and has been an outstanding lawyer in private practice. I can honestly say without reservation he should be retained and continue to serve Broward County. I do know that who ever is running against him should find another division to sit as they will lose big against Hurley. He will win because he deserves to. He has earned this position and anyone who looks objectively at this race will conclude Hurley is the most qualfied.
April 16th, 2010 at 5:39 am
Now I know who is behind Judge Hurley’s smear campaign. I can’t believe Judge Spechler is so vindictive and jealous. Spechler is not fit to be on the bench! May way for progressive judges like Hurley!!!!!!!
April 16th, 2010 at 6:58 am
Hurley is the man! He’s doing a good job and will win, no doubt. He’s the hardest guy to beat in the Courthouse. He’s on the news every night. With 14 judges being opposed, it’s all about name rec.
April 16th, 2010 at 7:13 am
I’ve known Jay Hurley since 1975 when we were freshmen at Cardinal Gibbons High School. He’s a great guy and an excellent judge.
April 16th, 2010 at 7:33 am
I am happy to read wonderful comments about Judge Hurley. I agree that he is the brightest. He properly and fairly administers court proceedings, makes fair decisions. Judge Hurley makes Broward County a safer and better place to live. He must win! He is committed to fairness, hen is intelligent and qualified and does his work very well. I will always support him.
April 16th, 2010 at 7:46 am
I’ve known Judge Hurley for 10 years both professionally and personally he is a man and judge of high integrity, honesty and great sense of justice. Broward is fortunate to have somebody like him serving on the bench.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:10 am
Judge Hurley, please stop posting comments about yourself on this blog. Your not that great. Yes, you are nice enough, but geeeeeezzz do you have to lay it on so thick. Cant you just talk to yourself in the mirror like you normally do?
April 16th, 2010 at 10:01 am
Hurley’s got a lot of baggage. All well documented. Donoho just needs to pass out copies of the Hurley stories in the papers and blogs and he is toast. Buddy Nevins is the only writer defending Hurley. Hummmmmmmmmmm!
April 16th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
That is really bad politics-why would a former member of the judiciary be so spiteful. That explains all the anonymous attacks on Hurley-who has been ok in my book.
April 16th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Hey “Lawyer” #15 above:
your premise that Donohoe passes out articles from blogs and wins the race to win will be like Sprinkles tinkling in the ocean to make the tide rise. She would need to make a lot of copies and at 10 cents per copy she don’t have the donations to pull it off.
also, you talk about Buddy being the only on “defending” Hurley. defending him from what, the former judge’s anonymous slime attacks on other blogs?
so donoho will win by passing out articles from blogs that post half truths planted by a whacked former judge. this will all happen in a vacuum right? hurley will be spending $$ she doesn’t have, collecting more endorsements, landing on the television and on-line news daily and she will win by passing out articles? please, the laughing makes my sides hurt.
ya, she’ll win.
April 16th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
I AM REALLY TIRED OF HURLEY POSTING ALL THESE POSITIVE COMMENTS ABOUT HIMSELF. WHY IS HE SO GREAT? DID HE EARN HIS POSITION? THE ANSWER IS NO. HE LOST TWO ELECTIONS AND HE WILL LOSE A THIRD!
FROM BUDDY: I have no evidence that Hurley is posting anything. The posts praising him are from different IP numbers and different e-mail addresses.
April 16th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
>> He has earned this position
Wasn’t he nominated? And what ever happened to the he’s got good Waspish looking hair” comments…
Those were the best.
Judge Hurley for Dicktator!!! All hail the Dicktater…
April 16th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Hey Buddy;
You’re not supposed to publicly admit that you review IP addresses…
Let the great unwashed masses continue to think they are totally anonymous.
Tsk tsk…
FROM BUDDY:
Chaz, my man.
Where is it written that I should not publicly admit I review IP addresses?
Actually, I don’t usually look at them. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.
In this case, there was an accusation that Hurley was sending in comments. I pointed out that comments came from many different IP addresses so it was unlikely Hurley was doing it himself.
Keep up the good work.
Buddy
April 17th, 2010 at 3:35 am
As a criminal defense attorney, Ms. Donoho must know that it is a federal offense to visit Cuba through third countries. Called “Trading with the Enemy Act” it makes for some good reading.
April 17th, 2010 at 8:29 am
@ Deby Weinstein
You are not a very good lawyer. And an even worse political consultant for Hurley.
No one was ever been prosecuted for going to Cuba. The “Trading with the Enemy Act” is enforced about as much as the Adultery statute. Yes adultery is a crime in the State of Florida.
Also the fact that Ms. Donoho went to Cuba means nothing to most voters, only Cubans in Miami care about that. There aren’t that many Cubans in Broward. There are a lot of Hispanics, most are not Cubans. So try some other “dirty” trick. This one is getting Hurley no where.
April 17th, 2010 at 8:58 am
Here’s some free advice for the Donoho camp. Palm cards Hurley and Gov Crist as “Frat Brothers” handed out at Century village (north and south) Wynmoor and Kings Point.
April 17th, 2010 at 11:38 am
@: C, Lawyer, merry, Chaz Stevens, Genius, Broward Lawyer:
your low class comments and inappropriate language is embarrassing and simply demonstrate that you just being spiteful and vindictive, and it is sad. You all should be ashamed of yourselves and all of you make no sense. Get a life and do something useful with it. Start today!
The TRUTH is one and I am saying it again – Judge Hurley – is a good judge, fair and just. He puts criminals where they belong making the Broward County a much better and safer place to live. More work needs to be done. That is exactly why he will win. He is doing his job solidly well, he is intelligent. Judge Hurley indeed earned his position and will continue his good work. We need more judges like him. I WISH we had more judges just like him!
As for all the attacks above: this Albert Einstein’s quote comes to mind – “Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre mindsâ€.
April 17th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
@11:38
“…mediocre minds”
you are too kind
April 17th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Buddy instead of guessing whether Hurley blogs all these comments himself or has others do it, just ask him. If he says no he is lying to you and everyone else. I know for a fact he asks people to blog for him.
April 19th, 2010 at 11:06 am
It’s obvious Hurley and friends are cluster posting on here and other blogs. Blog all you want.
Bottom line is Hurley is not qualified to be a judge and he was only appointed because he is Charlie Crist’s frat brother.
April 23rd, 2010 at 7:38 am
@Lawyer:
you probably can’t get any clients, this is why you spend so much time writing our unintelligent and irrelevant posts no one is interested in.
April 23rd, 2010 at 7:39 am
Errate sheet: Your posts
June 14th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Judge Hurley never asked me to blog for him and I have never heard him ask anyone to blog for him, despite many an unplanned lunch due to the fact that he is a friend of a friend. Despite his Republican background and the fact that he sometimes tells bad jokes, he is an extremely upstanding Citizen and Judge who eagerly and prolifically speaks with commonfolk and minorites, including legal aliens unable to vote, in order to understand their points of view, allthewhile withholding his own. This gift, which I cannot at all say I possess, goes to the heart of Democracy. Hurley may not be the prettiest contestant, but he is the most real. I challenge anyone who has truly observed him, in real life or on the bench, as I have, without an axe to grind, to state one (1) objective reason (to date not found here) that he should not remain on the bench.
June 14th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Postscript: Is there any way I can legally donate something more to the $75,718 Judge Hurley had on the date of this article to Judge Hurley’s campaign?
November 29th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
I was saved by this man….he watched me shake and cry as my abusive boyfriend was standing there.. He saved my life.. To this day I owe him everything! Margate police officer against me and he seen what 24 other police officers refused to . Judge Hurley saved my life !!
November 29th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
pull up his comments about Ivan Rivera and Sophia Garcia you’ll see he is well qualified for his job