From the Florida Banker’s Newsletter:
Foreclosures The FBA was successful in placing $4 million in the budget for the courts and $2 million for the clerks of court to use for foreclosure cases. This will help with the backlog of foreclosure cases in the court system.
And now from our friend Chip Parker:
Remember the Summer of 2010 when America’s eyes were trained on Jacksonville because of a Rolling Stone article and CNN story describing Florida’s Foreclosure Rocket Dockets?
The national journalism detailed the cozy relationship between the banks’ lawyers and the band of retired judges who, for upwards of $600 per day, rubber-stamped foreclosure judgments in the face of obviously fraudulent evidence. The media coined the term ” Robo-Judges.”
You may also recall from that Rolling Stone piece the Chief Judge of the Duval County Rocket Docket famously declaring on CNN that he had never seen any bank fraud in his courtroom. He described the banks’ conduct as merely ” sloppy.” I was actually investigated by The Florida Bar for speaking out to CNN about this travesty of justice. With truth as my defense, The Florida Bar could do little to shut me up.
Fast forward to present time and the recent $26B settlement between the mortgage servicing industry and state prosecutors. The servicers agreed to pay this rather paltry fine, with over $8B earmarked for Florida, solely to acknowledge the very fraud our band of retired judges refused to see.
I am a Florida Foreclosure Defense Attorney. The Florida Bar news published this week a list of senior judges whose services are set to expire on September 30, 2012 and who are seeking to renew their service. (Sorry folks elections have been dispensed with) Comments concerning senior judges that are on the list can be submitted to the Clerk of the Court, for the Supreme Court for Florida, Thomas D. Hall at 500 South Duval Street Tallahassee 32399 or by email to seniorjudges@flcourts.org. The Senior Judge program has been a disaster for homeowners facing foreclosures. A system of unelected, disinterested judges needs to be brought to an end. In the Ninth Judicial Circuit, the senior judges up for comments that routinely hear foreclosures include Judge Ted P. Coleman, Judge Lawrence Kirkwood, Judge Ronald Legendre, Judge Robert J. Pleus, Jr., Judge Jeffords D. Miller. I urge attorney’s and homeowners who have experienced these senior judges to make comments. A complete list of all the judges up for “renewal” is available at The Florida Bar News page 5 of the March 15, 2012 edition.