Second Update: Offer Realistic Deal To Wasserman-Rubin
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Former Broward County Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin this week rejected pleading guilty to corruption charges in return for eight years in jail.
Duh!
Wasserman-Rubin can’t accept such a deal. Eight years is not a deal. It’s an insult!
But sources in the State Attorney’s Office, who contacted me after my original post, say they never formally offered a “plea deal” despite what the Sun-Sentinel printed. The eight-year figure was the minimum under sentencing guidelines that Wasserman-Rubin could expect if she pleaded guilty to the charges.
Somehow the discussion of the sentencing guidelines got confused with a plea offer, said two sources.
“The State of Florida is full of shit,” said Fred Haddad, Wasserman-Rubin’s attorney. “That’s BS. It is them typically trying to cover their ass.”
Haddad said the judge asked prosecutors what their offer was. They said, “Eight years.”
I wasn’t in court. I know this regardless of who’s story is correct: Eight years is a joke.
She obviously isn’t going to plead guilty and receive eight years.
After all, former School Board member Bev Gallagher was caught red handed taking a bribe and got 3 years and one month. Wasserman-Rubin is accused of prodding the county to give grants, knowing that her husband would get a bonus from the deals.
She claims she didn’t know about her husband’s arrangement.
Not only is the idea of eight years ridiculous. Wasserman Rubin also can’t plead guilty because it would end her chance to get a generous state pension. Pensions are cancelled if politician is found guilty of a crime committed while in office.
Without the pension, her future is bleak.
She needs that pension. She is sick with Parkinson’s and dead broke.
Last I heard, she was living with former Southwest Ranches City Manager John Canada and his wife.
But most of all, the case against Wasserman Rubin is weak, weak, weak. I still don’t believe a jury will convict a seriously ill woman in her upper 60s on circumstantial and highly questionable evidence.
For instance, at least two county attorneys gave her multiple opinions that her vote on the grants in question were lawful and necessary. They told her not to abstain.
And a jail sentence is not in the public interest. Can you imagine how much a woman needing advanced treatment for Parkinson’s would cost taxpayers over eight years?
State Attorney Mike Satz’s prosecutors should show some Christmas spirit and offer a decent deal. This one is going trial…unless prosecutors come up with a real offer.
December 21st, 2011 at 4:02 pm
First of all take the plea deal lady. Buddy, she was a crook plain and simple. Her total objective was to make her and her husband money thru the grants etc. Everything was peachy when her and her husband where going on cruises, buying the fancy art work etc. So she is the victim, come on. Do your time Mrs.Waserman -Rubin, plain & simple. We are to feel sorry for her, I think not. Now all of a sudden the Parkinson’s has flamed up, but she seemed healthier than a horse when she & her husband where spendinding money that was not hers. Have her big-shot friends have another fund raiser for her. Bottom line sic half dead whatever your going to jail. Blame your husband for telling you over and over don’t worry, they are all stupid-let me worry baby. yeah all the way to the clicker(him and her). Put them in th esame cell. Its like saying because I;m taking care of an Alzheimer’s patient, that I can break the law, get caught, and then think I should not go to jail, becaus eof my circumstances. bottom line you knew you had a medical cond. didn’t bother you then when you were raking in the cash, but when you got caught your to sic to go to jail. i think not. Send her back to Cuba. Castro would kill you for ripping off the gov’t. He would shoot you dead sight on seen. Go away and go do YOUR TIME.
December 21st, 2011 at 4:16 pm
yeah Ken Jeene needed his pension too and did a hell of a lot more than Diana for this State and County. Her and her husband profited greatly and spent it all, now we should all feel sorry for her? Ken lied on his taxes, but Diana spirited taxpayer money to deals which enriched her and her husband. I agree 8 years is too much, but the Judge did not grant Haddad’s motion to dismiss so there must be something to this. I think the State should give her probation abut adjudicate her so she loses the pension. She directly profited from the votes, she does not deserve a pension.
December 21st, 2011 at 4:34 pm
First, this is what happens when prosecutors read newspapers and blogs. Politics creeps into the process replacing the duty to perform those jobs impartially. Misterial jobs need to be appointed not elected. Making that change improves the integrity of the service provided. Those jobs include judge, sheriff, property appraiser, elections chief, clerk of courts, prosecutor and public defender. None should be elected. All should be appointed based on merit and reviewed on the basis of merit performance. Citizens should only elect legislators because only they make policy.
Second no person should ever be criminally charged without sufficient evidence to convict. Prosecutors must make those determination free of politics otherwise none of us are free. It is a travesty of justice to bring charges against any person without sufficient evidence. That power can easily be corrupted and then we have no liberty, we are all at risk.
The problem with Broward County is the same one that afflicts our entire state. It is not that we lack solutions to our problems but the will to solve them. We know what we should be doing to make our community and state better. We simply refuse to take those steps. Apparently we prefer complaining to problem solving.
December 21st, 2011 at 4:42 pm
She should have gotten immunity like Ilene. I agree that she would cost us more in jail, so, let her walk…
December 21st, 2011 at 4:44 pm
While I agree that eight years is too much for a woman in her sixties with Parkinson’s, I have a feeling if her case goes to trial, a Broward jury will convict her. Just my observation of the community sentiments on “indicted” politicians. Satz’s office is on a roll with convicting politicians and Mr. Datz does not have the option of appearing soft on corruption while running for office.
December 21st, 2011 at 5:07 pm
Poor Diana, she is a victim of exploitation by a lobbyist husband who didn’t care enough for her to not set her up for a fall.His greed left her exposed and holding the bag. The charges should be dropped and the book thrown at her husband and his cronies. Satz should understand this situation, the public sure does.
December 21st, 2011 at 8:51 pm
Seriously? These people have been gourging themselves at the public buffet for years! They all should go to jail, Wasserman-Rubin, Canada, Lieberman, Ritter and on and on. Nothing will change in this County as we continue to elect people more interested in personal gain than serving those who elect them. Such a shame…..
December 21st, 2011 at 9:15 pm
What the public understands is that she is a crook that got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Why should we pay her retirement when she has been stealing from us? Give her a few months in jail with an 8 year probation and TAKE AWAY HER PENSION.
The public is tired of the Political Class robbing us.
December 22nd, 2011 at 9:10 am
This is hilarious. All we heard for Sylvia Poitier is guilty, shes a crook, she’s a thief, she is this and she deserves that, but now we have civility and actual empathy for another politician who actually financially benefited from her position. Why is the media not all over this like they were with Sylvia’s case which didn’t even involve anyone getting any money, only the possibility of one day, which the States own witnesses proved that her brother never was paid back and they had no intention on paying him back, yet she was found guilty of falsifying a public record under the law. Come on I thought justice was blind, this goes along way to proving that justice ain’t blind. How bout a comparison article between the two cases or heck a comparison b/w the Poitier case and all other cases involving politicians in FL, period, and let’s see the difference.
December 22nd, 2011 at 9:50 am
City Dipsh** Robert Walsh continues to show his ignorance and offensiveness.
You are a joke who should have his computer taken away from him by his mother.
December 22nd, 2011 at 10:38 am
There are plenty of people who kill someone and get less than eight years. This is an election ploy by Satz
December 22nd, 2011 at 11:57 am
Buddy,
Getting a legal opinion prior to her crime is irrelevant. It’s not exactly hard to find two or three lawyers that will support anything these days.
FROM BUDDY:
It may be irrelevant to you, but it may not be to a jury.
December 22nd, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Apply the law in its full severity to discourage future would-be thieves from enriching themselves in office.
December 22nd, 2011 at 3:29 pm
I think Diana is a good person who might possibly have not known about her husband’s dealings. She should definitely not have any more suffering then she is already dealing with…
December 22nd, 2011 at 4:13 pm
Is this compassion on your part for the rich and powerful white woman while the not so powerful black woman in Deerfield gets thumped. Looks like liberalism at its best.
FROM BUDDY:
Sylvia was a tragic figure, too. Having known her for years at the county commission, I believe her story that she knew nothing about the wrongdoing.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:55 pm
Here is how it works:
Prosecutor makes a plea offer that is unrealistic and totally out of proportion to the crime charged against the politician.
Prosecutor is fully aware how disproportionate the offer is to other plea offers ( e.g. manslaughter starts at about eight years!).
Prosecutor wants to look tough on politicians.
Judge realizes that plea offer is unreasonable and off the charts.
Defendant enters a nolo plea rejecting plea offer and throwing herself on the mercy of the court.
Defendant/politician gets appropriate reasonable sentence in proportion to other similar crimes which is far lighter than plea offer.
Prosecution walks away clean as a whistle claiming it was trying to be tough, but the judge went easy (see the case of the guy who ran over the tourist with his Porche for and example of how this scenario works).
Judge looks like a jerk to the uninformed public.
Prosecutor remains tough on crime.
December 22nd, 2011 at 11:29 pm
I hear that Judy Stern set up a defense fund for Sylvia Portier, new times ran the sotry unti she threatened to sue, but I dont see a denial anywhere, hmmmm. Looks like she did all she could to make sure her defense fund didnt get out there…
http://fwix.com/news/43367433
google “judy stern sylvia Poitier”
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:02 pm
The case against Wasserman-Rubin is very weak. I think Diana is a good person who most probably did not know about all of her husband’s dealings. I don’t believe a Dade jury will convict an ill woman in her 60s on circumstantial and extremely questionable evidence.
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Two points… Regarding Sylvia Poitier – she is not a tragic figure. She should be on her knees thanking God that her recent convictions are the only things that she ever got caught at. She is the queen of crooked deals!
Regarding Diana Wasserman-Rubin – she was told by the County Attorney that she did not have a conflict of interest. If an elected offical cannot trust legal advice from the County Attorney, what is she supposed to do? Mike Satz really screwed up charging her at all.
December 26th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
“BIG D-HUH”- First of all that was a cheap shot. Walk one day in my shoes and then will talk. To Mrs.Waserman Rubin who are you kidding you are never going to trial. Get the Doctor to keep giving you the dr.note. Have a tape made to documenate how hard things are for you, from the time you get up etc. Show the Judge what you ar egoing through. I mean we are just to take your word. Documentae your condition. Dr.note supercedes any court action. And why are you showing up for the pretrial bs, to sick remember. Hav ethe lawyer get the reports from your doctors. They can’t question anything. I feel bad for you., like so many others your spouse was and is your worst enemy. Also if the Courts press hard, get the trial moved to Dade, say to much publicity to get A fair trial. Hopefuuly you will get alot of spanish people on the jury and will fell sorry for you(I wouldn’t). Bottom line keep th e doctor’s notes coming and stay out of those pretrial proceedings. Tell the lawyers that you are to sic, to go to court.You can put this off til your husnband comes home. It buys you time which you desperately need. I still think that you are guilty but i can’t help feel sorry for you. Regardless sooner or later you are going to have to pay the piper .Again blame your stupid husband for all this… Keep the dr’s notes coming…. Is your only survival.