Judge Gardiner Wildly Applauded At Luncheon

BY BUDDY NEVINS

There were whoops of joy from the audience.  There was 30 seconds of applause.   There was a standing ovation.

All for Broward Circuit Judge Ana Gardiner, who has spent the last two years wiping off the mud thrown by anonymous bloggers demanding she be kicked off the bench.

 

ana gardiner

Gardiner’s trouble started with Sunrise Commissioner Sheila Alu.  Alu accused the judge of talking with a prosecutor about a murder case in a tavern.

A judge discussing a case outside of court is a legal no no.

No one appeared to care at the 2009 Hispanic Women of Distinction luncheon for over 700 guests Friday.

Gardiner was cheered.  

Wildly.

She received a special recognition for her life achievements.

Born in Santa Clara, Cuba. Worked her way into and then through law school.  Built a well-known family Fort Lauderdale law practice with her then-husband Bill Gardiner.  Did Democratic politics on the side. 

Appointed to the North Broward Hospital District by Gov. Lawton Chiles.  Became chairwoman. Expanded public hospital services for Hispanics.

Chiles appointed her to the circuit bench in 1998.

Today she mentors and instructs law students.  That, along with holding down a full court calendar.

Gardiner received the award and was smiling. In her black dress.  Walking down a runway through the middle of the dining room, holding a bouquet of red and white roses.

She was smiling.

If Gardiner asked me for advice, I would remind her of Joyce Julian

Julian was a judge in the 1990s. Gardiner was the treasurer in at least one of Julian’s campaigns.

Julian was a judge until she got caught dead drunk acting like a fool in a hotel.  She went into recovery, but still lost her next election.

There was life after the bench for Julian.  I’m told she makes twice as much money today than she did as a judge.  Maybe three times as much.

We had coffee one day and I asked Julian about her new salary.  She just smiled.

It is time for Gardiner to smile.

If she asked me for advice, I would tell her to ditch the black robe. 

Start making some real money.  Say goodbye to the courthouse politics and the hurtful anonymous bloggers.

Because there is no revenge better than doing well.

Gardiner smiled with happiness at Friday’s luncheon.  It’s time for that smile to be permanent.   Like her pal, Julian.



13 Responses to “Judge Gardiner Wildly Applauded At Luncheon”

  1. The Courthouse Rambler says:

    Ana Gardiner is a good judge who was victimized by a third-rate lawyer who wanted to make a name for herself by blabing to a tabloid.

  2. Jaablaw says:

    WHile a few applauded most sat on their hands. Its is shocking that anyone could clap for a judge so corrupt. I sat next to Candidate McLawrence and we were not clapping. Jhara will be an improvement over corrupt judges like gardiner. Don’t be surprised to see Mclawrence switch races to run against a corrupt civil judge who likes free tickets to sporting events.

    If you want the real courthouse scoop check out jaablog.

  3. Courthouse Observer says:

    JAABlog doesn’t know what he is talking about. Corrupt?!?!? Corrupt are the judges who leave their courthroom empty on Friday’s so they can work four-day weeks, but still take money from the public for five days. Corrupt are the judges who approve motions for their campaign contributors without considering the other side. A website is corrupt that claims to be impartial but whose owners handle campaigns.

    FROM BUDDY: Don’t be so sure this is the messages posted on Browardbeat.com are the work of the managers of JAABlog. For instance, one of their comments this week supported Judge Lee Seidman and the one above supports his opponent. Hmmmmm.

  4. Beware Misinformation says:

    The Jaablaw comment is not from Bill Gelin or the JAAB blog. I doubt McLawrence would switch races. I think he picked Lee Seidman because Seidman is unpopular, has no judicial temperament and acts like a prosecutor with a black robe.

  5. Ethics Violation? says:

    I thought Gardiner refused the award because it violated the Canons of Judicial Ethics. Now, she smilingly accepts the award that she said she was ethically prohibited from accepting. What is that all about? Hmmmmm.

    FROM BUDDY: She was originally one of a dozen Hispanic women getting the “Women of Distinction” award. When she declined to accept it because it might violate judicial ethics, she was given a special achievement award before the actual awards were handed out. What is the difference? You’ll have to ask somebody much more familiar than me with the Code of Ethics.

    Below is part of my original blog entry. For the rest of it, search Ana Gardiner’s name on the first page of Browardbeat.com:

    Broward Circuit Judge Ana Gardiner asked to not be named a Hispanic Women of Distriction because to accept the honor might violate the Canons of Judicial Ethics.

    An announcement of the honorees earlier this year mentioned Gardiner, but she is missing from the latest invitations and flyers for the event.

    Gardiner asked for her name to be left off in a letter to event organizer Elaine Miceli Vasquez.

    “The Canons of Judicial Ethics forbid a judge from either direct or indirect fund raising…I can without difficulty accept the honor,” Gardiner wrote Vasquez.

    Money from the luncheon, which is expected to attract 1,000 to the Signature Grand on August 14 at $75 per ticket, goes to charities.

    Said Vasquez: “She had the unanimous vote for this honor. But she informed me that judges are not allowed to solicit for charities so we can not include her in any of the advertising or mailings for the event.”

    Now, only 11 women will be named Hispanic Women of Distinction. Miceli Vasquez said Gardiner will probably still attend the event since she bought a table.

  6. Anon says:

    Rumor is that jaab is in with seidman and they are trying to get mclawrence to run against luzzo. Which is what was mentioned above.

    I have no doubt the jaab post are gelin and others that are jaab. They learned from Big Al all pub is good pub. They want attention and will do anything to get it. Heck they don’t even come on here and deny the posts anymore. They just use this blog to get readers for their blog.

  7. Wally says:

    Ana Gardiner is a judge who works hard. Her rulings are well thought out and fair and it would be sad if she gave up being a judge.

  8. Barely know the gal says:

    For whatever reason a group of anonymous bloggers (I bet only a very few at that!) decided to trash Ana Gardiner.
    My theory is that the person or people behind the smear campaign are basically anti-establishment types. It could have been Gardiner or any other judge. I believe that they are closeted anarchists. Any incumbent who can be brought down is a good thing.
    The accusations against her were a “he said, she said”, unprovable blob.
    I would love, I mean really love for those anonymous spineless bloggers to be exposed.

  9. Broward Resident says:

    Whatever. Ana Gardiner is HOT.

  10. correct! says:

    great advice buddy. for once you got it right!!!!!

    FROM BUDDY: For once! Thanks, I think.

  11. Buddy Fan says:

    I’m believing Shield Alu — and the other two eyewitnesses to the illegal sidebar on Las Olas. That being said, Gardiner isn’t corrupt. She just made a mistake — as we all do from time to time. And let her libido get the best of her. She be reprimanded and move on.

    Hey Buddy — give us an update on your lawsuit against the Sentinel.

    FROM BUDDY: I have no lawsuit against the Sun-Sentinel. I have never had a lawsuit against the Sun-Sentinel.

  12. Elaine says:

    Thanks for letting the public know that Ana Gardiner was recognized at the Hispanic Women of Distinction luncheon for her community volunteer service and history of activism on her own personal time, not for anything pertaining to her legal career.

    All the guidelines that were required for this award were followed carefully.

    She and her family had a wonderful day, along with many of her students that she mentors.

    I wonder how many of your “bloggers” do volunteer work ?
    Maybe they should spend their time helping children at risk, seniors and the homeless rather than sending malicious emails anonymously.

  13. Claudia says:

    Ana Gardiner was a little too full of herself.