Broward County Needs to Get Rid of Dumb Redneck Judges

• Website Takes On Broward Judges [MORE] 

One judge was caught smoking marijuana in a public park, while another makes a fool of himself on national television presiding over the Anna Nicole Smith circus. The chief criminal judge wrapped up a recent trial by suggesting the defendant and the victim and the witnesses--all of whom were poor and black--didn't really matter. "NHI" he said. No humans involved. [HERE]

The Broward judiciary is rife with allegations of bigotry, racism, nepotism, sexism, cronyism -- and just about every other ism you can imagine.

You have judges telling crime victims they have to speak English if they want to be heard, while the county's top judge, Dale Ross, has been accused of ridiculing Mexican and African-American defendants from the bench.

"Broward County is a major metropolitan area," said Bill Gelin. "It's a majority minority community, and it is still being run by boss hog and his adjutants."

Gelin is a Broward attorney who has had enough. Along with a group of other attorneys, he created The Justice Advocacy Association of Broward (JAABLOG), a website and blog dedicated to chronicling the problems within the Broward judiciary system.

“Many of the judges getting into trouble are the more senior judges because they basically feel invincible," said Gelin. “They don't feel accountable to the community any longer and that's the real problem.”

And that is one of the big issues on JAABLOG -- changing the way judges are appointed in Broward and encouraging competitive elections. Today judges rarely face opposition, and as a result they feel like they are appointed for life.

And since the system rewards seniority, younger judges are afraid to speak out.

“Here it's a situation where this good old boy network is so entrenched, so powerful that these young judges, these smart young judges who want reform, they are basically handicapped because their careers will be hurt,” said Gelin.

The first step toward change is obvious. Judge Dale Ross, who has been chief judge in Broward since 1991, needs to step aside. Embarrassed by his own conduct as well as the conduct of his brethren, Judge Ross recently embarked on a public relations campaign, promising sensitivity training for members of the judiciary.

But no reform can occur as long as he remains. There should be term limits on how long you can serve as chief judge.

But since Ross is unlikely to go voluntarily, Gelin and others will have to take this fight to Tallahassee and demand the Legislature impose limits on how long you can serve as chief judge.

I asked Gelin if he was afraid of retribution.

“I'm not afraid to be taking this public stance. We need change now. We need reform now. And quite frankly I'm more concerned about what will happen if I don't act,” he said. [MORE]