HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-43389•
RESOLUTION NO.
43389
A RESOLUTION ADOPTIA7 A,NL PREFERRING CERTAIN
CHARGES AND SPECIFICATIONS SET FORTH AND MADE
A PART OF THIS RESOLUTION PREFERRED BY M. L.
REESE, CITY MANAGER OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA, AGAINST GERALD J. TOBIN, MUNICIPAL
JUDGE OF THE MUNICIPAL COURT OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI, FLORIDA, CHARGING SAID MUNICIPAL JUDGE
WITH MALCONDUCT AND MISBEHAVIOR IN HIS OFFICE
AS STATED THEREIN; PROWDING THAT A HEARING
ON SAID CHARGES SHALL BE HELD BEFORE THE CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, IN
THE COMMISSION CHAMEERS AT CITY HALL DINNER
KEY, MIAMI FL9 DA , ON THE
DAY OF r' . A.D. 1972, BEGINNING AT
/O f e O'CLOG.•. , .M.; PROVIDING THAT
THE SAID GERALD J. `_•%JBIN MAY BE PRESENT IN
PERSON AND BY COUNS'].L AT SAID HEARING AND THAT
HE, HIS WITNESSES AND HIS COUNSEL MAY BE HEARD
ON MATTERS PERTAINING T : SAID CHARGES AND SPECI-
FICATIONS; PROVIDING T:' :: TiiE 0ITY CLERK SHALL
FORTHWITH SERVE UPO: THL SAID GERALD J. TOBIN
COPIES OF THIS RESO:...UTION INCLUDING SAID CHARGES
AND SPECIFICATIONS AND A NOTICE INFORMING THE
SAID GERALD J. TOBIN OF THE DAY, TIME AND PLACE
OF SAID HEARING.
WHEREAS, .:. L. REES2, z :. City Manager of t'le City
Jf Miami, did cause the .:.j; ointment of a Committe. _or
:he purpose of ..nvestigating of Municipal Curt J ucc es
Leonard L. Levenstein ana Gerald J. Tobin, the Comr:.:ttee
appointed being Alan H. Rothstein, City Attorney, Jack
A. .lice, Jr., Assistant Director of the Department .f
Law, and Sidney B. Shapitc, Assistant City Attorne.! and
WHEREAS, pursuant :o said directive an investga•-
• :i..:. was held; and
WHEREAS, upon a rev _ .w ..f the transcript of sti--
.ao.!, the evidence, the recor.:r:. dations and the st*..;2mc.:
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ft, FAN Fora
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I CITY COMMISSION
MEETING OF
LPSS
MAR 161972
owrwm 140... 3 $ ..
d
of the City Attorney to the City Manager in reference
thereto, the City.Manager, M. L. REESE, prefers against
GERALD J. TOBIN, Municipal Judge of the City of Miami,
the charges and specifications hereinafter set forth
in this resoiution, charging said Municipal Judge with
talconduct and misbehavior in office ' according to said
chagcs and specifications; and
— ER:AS, the City Commission deems said charges
to be of serious import requiring a hearing on said
charges; and
W :::.-i"AS, the City Manager
prefers against the said GEAALD J.
TOBIN, as said Municipal Judge, the following written
charges in words and figures as follows, to -wit:
CHARGE AND SPECIFICATIONS NO. 1
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the. City of Miami,:.
prefers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge of
the City of Miami, Florida, the following charge of
malconduct and/or misbehavior in office, to -wit:
That you, GERALD J. TOBIN, did impose court costs
of $50.00 on Marie Infante who was the complainant
against the defendant Charles Ronald Kellner in Case
No. 71-19379, tried in the Municipal Court on December
2, 1971, in which you were the trial judge, and that
you did note under "Special Orders, Remarks, Etc." on
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the trial docket:
"Affidavit for warrant is a lie - this Compl.
is not to be allowed to take out further
warrants ever. W/drawn upon payment of 50.
costs by Compl."
That the complainant, Marie Infante, is a know prostitute
and that after making suite notations on the trial docket
you did then go to the office of one Richard Slatko, a
bail bondsman, whose office is directly across the
street from the City of Miami Justice Building, at
1150 N. W. llth Street, and that you did, upon entering
said office, retire to a private room with said Marie
Infante and did remain in said private room alone with
her for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, and that upon
returning to the Municipal Court in and for the City of
Miami, Dade County, Florida, for the afternoon session
you did suspend the costs against said Marie Infante
.which you had previously imposed.
CHARGE AND SPECIFICATIONS NO. 2
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the City of .iiami,
prefers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge: of
.he City of Miami, Florida, the following charge of
malconduct and/or misbehavior zn office, to -wit:
That you did impose a charge against Marie Infant::
the complainant in Case No. 71-19379 in the Munici_:.l
Court in and for the City of A'_iami, Dade County, F._crida,
in which Charles Ronald Heliner was the defendant, and
that you did note on the bottom of the trial docket
attached hereto and made a part hereof as Exhibit "A":
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"Affidavit for warrant is a lie - this Compl.
is not to be allowed to take out further
warrants ever. W/drawn upon payment of 50.
costs by Compl."
and that said conduct of the complainant was contemptu-
ous and that you failed to carry forth your duties as a
Municipal Judge of the City of Miami in that you did not
cite said complainant/affiant Marie Infante with con-
tempt of court as authorized by the Charter of the City
of Miami, Chapter 10847, Special Acts, Laws of Florida,
1923, as amended, and specifically Section 59 pertaining
to the Municipal Court in and for the City of Miami,
Dade County, Florida, but in the alternative did impose
450.00 costs on said complainant/affiant which you knew
or should have known could not be lawfully imposed upon
her.
CHARGE AND SPECIFICATIONS NO. 3
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the City of Miami,
_refers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge Jf
the City of Miami, Florida, the following charge of
malcorduct and/or misbehavior in office, to -wit:
That in the trial of the defendant Charles Ronald
Heliner in the Municipal Court in and for the City of
:4iLrr.i, Dade County, Florida, Case No. 71-19379, tried
3n December 2, 1971, you, GERALD J. TOBIN, as trial
judge, did impose upon one Marie Infante, the complainant
the cause who had filed a sworn complaint against the
do erdant upon which the charge was predicated, $50.30
court costs, and that you knc:.. at the time said cour.
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costs were imposed upon her that said costs were
improper and that pursuant to the Charter of the City
of Miami, Chapter 10847, Special Acts, Laws of Florida,
1925, as amended, the proper charge that should have
been lodged against said Marie Infante was contempt of
court for the reason that said Marie Infante lied, as
noted on the trial docket by you, GERALD J. TOBIN, and
that by the imposition of costs against said complainant
and failure to have caused the proper charge to be filed
against the said Marie Infante, you did thereupon deprive
her of the right to be heard on the charge of contempt
of court.
CHARGE AND SPECIFICATIONS NO. 4
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the City of Miami,
prefers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge of
::he City of Miami, Florida, the following charge of
malconduct and/or misbehavior in office, to -wit:
That you, GERALD J. TOBIN, did on December 2, 1971,
in :Municipal Court Case No. 71-19379 in which Charles
Ronald Hellner was the defendant, impose $50.00 court
costs against the cornpiainant/affiant Marie Infante
for swearing to an affidavit for warrant which was a lie,
and thereafter did seclude yourself with said Marie
nfante in the office of Richard Slatko, a bail bonds-
man, said office located at 1150 N.W. llth Street,
said Marie Infante beirc< known prostitute and having
a criminal record, and that in consideration thereof yo-...
GE ,-.LD J. TOBIN, did su�1: nd :_.^_e court costs against sad
costs were imposed upon her that said costs were
improper and that pursuant to the Charter of the City
of Miami, Chapter 10847, Special Acts, Laws of Florida,
1925, as amended, the proper charge that should have
been lodged against said Marie Infante was contempt of
court for the reason that said Marie Infante lied, as
noted on the trial docket by you, GERALD J. TOBIN, and
that by the imposition of costs against said complainant
and failure to have caused the proper charge to be filed
against the said Marie Infante, you did thereupon deprive
her of the right to be heard on the charge of contempt
of court.
CHARGE AND SPECIFICATIONS NO. 4
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the City of Miami,
prefers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge of
the City of Miami, Florida, the following charge of
malconduct and/or misbehavior in office, to -wit:
That you, GERALD J. TOBIN, did on December 2, 1971,
in Municipal Court Case No_ 71-19379 in which Charles
Ronald Hellner was the defendant, impose $50.00 court
costs against the complainant/affiant Marie Infante
for swearing to an affidavit for warrant which was a lie,
and thereafter did seclude yourself with said Marie
Infante in the office of Richard Slatko, a bail bonds-
man, said office located at 1150 N.W. llth Street,
said Marie Infante being a known prostitute and having
a criminal record, and that in consideration thereof you:
GER -.LD J. TOBIN, did suarda:-lc the court costs against sad
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complainant/affiant Marie infante without a public
pronouncement thereof in open court.
CHARGE AND SPECIFICATIONS NO. 5
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the City of Miami,
prefers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge of
the City of Miami, Florida, the following charge of
ralconduct and/or misbehavior in office, to -wit:
That you, GERALD J. TOBIN, did impose $50.00 court
costs against one Marie Infante in City of Miami Municipal
..ourt Case No. 71-19379, in which Charles Ronald Hellner
was the defendant, and did note on the trial docket:
"Affidavit for warrant is a lie - this Compl.
is not to be allowed to tare out further
warrants ever. W/drawn upon payment of 50.
costs by Compl."
and said assessment of costs was made in open court by
public pronouncement, and that you did thereafter, with -
Jut requiring the complainant Marie Infante to appear
an court and without making a public pronouncement of
your decision in open court, tnen and there suspend the
costs against the said Marie Infante.
CHARGE AND SPECIFICATIONS NO. 6
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the City of Miami,
prefers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge of
the City of Miami, Florida, the following charge of
r:alconduct and/or misbehavior in office, to -wit:
That you, GERALD J. TOBIN, did impose $50.00 court
costs against one Marie Infante in City of Miami Mur:ici )al
Court Case No. 71-19379, and said assessment of cost:ti w::s
made in open court by public pronouncenen':, and that
you did thereafter, without requiring the complainant
Marie Infante to appear in court and without making a
public pronouncement of your decision in open court,
then and there suspend the costs against the said Marie
Infante, and that you, GERALD J. TOBIN, did fail to note
on the trial docket under "Special Orders, Remarks, Etc."
the reason why said costs were suspended.
CHARGE AND SPECIFICATIONS NO. 7
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the City of Miami,
prefers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge of
the City of Miami, Florida, the following charge of
malconduct and/or misbehavior in office, to -wit:
That you, GERALD J. TOBIN, in Municipal Court Case
No. 71-19379 in which Charles Ronald Heliner was the
defendant and Marie Infante was complainant, did fall
to properly note on the trial docket or fail to re.; ..ire
the Court Clerk to note on the trial docket the name o;
the City Prosecutor, whether or not the City Prosecutor
was present, the name of the defendant's attorney, if
any, the court reporter, if any, or the witnesses az
said hearing if any.
CHARGE AND SPECIFICATIONS NO. 8
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the City of M..am.i,
prefers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge of
the City of Miami, Florida, the following charge o::
malconduct and/or misbehavior in office, , to -wit:
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That you, GERALD J. TOBIN, were t:_. trial 1 judge
in the Municipal Court in and for the City of Miami,
Dade County, Florida, in trial docket Case No. 71-16034
and Case No. 71-16033 in which Maria E. Lazcano and
Enriqueta Santiesteban were the defendants, respectively,
and that you did impose a sentence upon Maria E. Lazcano
of 15 days and upon. Enriqueta Santiesteban of 60 days,
and that you did, at the request of one Guillermo Tabraue,
have the defendants, Maria E. Lazcano and Enriqueta
Santiesteban, after they were incarcerated pursuant to
their sentences and prior to their completing the jail
terns as imposed by you, bring them before the court and
suspend the balances of their sentences; and that there-
after during the month of December, 1971, you did accept
from Guillermo Tabraue, a jeweler whose place of business
s located at 964 W. Flagler Street, Miami, a set of gold
cuff finks having an approximate wholesale value of
:6C.00. See Exhibits "B" and "C" attached hereto.
CHARGE AND SPEC ± F SCATIONS NC. 9
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the City of Miami,
prefers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge of
the City of Miami, Florida, the following charge of
malconduct and/or misbehavior in office, to -wit:
That you, GERALD J. TOBIN, in Municipal Court
Cases No. 71-16034 and No. 71-16033 in which Maria E. �azcanc
and Enriqueta Santiesteban were the defendants, ret:pectat:,.
and in which you were the trial judge, did fail to pro rLv
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note on the trial dockets or fail to re, .rs, the
Court Clerk to note or. the trial dockets the name of
_..:. City Prosecutor, whether sr not the City Pxosector
was present, the name of the defendants' attorneys, if
any, the court reporter, if any, or the witnesses at
said hearings, if any.
CHARGE AND SPECIFICATIONS NO. 10
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the City of Miami,
prefers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge of
the City of Miami, Florida, the following charge of
malconduct and/or misbehavior in office, to -wit:
That you, GERALD J. TOBIN, while giving a sworn
statement before one of the investigators appointed by
the City Manager in the investigation of Municipal Court
Judges Leonard L. Levenstein and Gerald J. Tobin, did
:state under oath:
"I believe I had asked Guillermo to make me
up a pair of cuff links -- "
and said statement as above caoted is false.
CHARGE AND SPECIFICATIC2S NO. 11
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the City of Miami,
?refers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge of
City of Miami, Florida, the following charge of
malconduct and/or misbehavior in office, to -wit:
That in the Municipal Court in and for the C1t""
of Miami, Dade County, Florida, trial docket Case No.
67-5832 in which one Bonnie Willard was the defenda::t,
you, GERALD J. TOBIN, we__ t:.' Municipal Judge hea - ng
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case. You, GERALD J. TG`::I :, did imp: -;se :sentence
against said Bonnie Willard of 30 days ar:& a. fine of
$250.00, and that there. .as filed in said case a
supersedeas appeal bond in the amount of $700.00 by
one Richard Slatko, a bail bondsman, and that upon the
appropriate appeal in said case being dismissed you did,
without requiring that the defendant Bonnie Willard be
present before the court, inter a Special Order as
indicated on the trial docket in the section set aside
for Special Orders suspending the jail sentence on pay-
ment of $250.00 fire, thereby permitting the bail bonds-
man in this cause to reduce hisliability under the
supersedeas bond by permitting the payment of the $250.00
fine and relieving him of the requirement to pay the
5700.00 supersedeas bond to the City of iiami for failing
to present said Bonnie Willard in court for the purpose
serving the jail sentence _=csed.
CHARGE AND SPEC_FIo; ic_. YC. 12
M. L. REESE, as City _.u.:a der of the City of
priers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judc_ of
the City of Miami, Floric:a, the following charge of
:nalconduct and/or misbeiai_or in office, to -wit:
That in the Municipal Court in and for the City
of Miarni, Dade County, .: Ic icia, trial docket Case No.
S7-5832, in which Bonnie Willard was a defendant, you,-
GERALD J. TOBIN, did find said Bonnie Willard guilty
and impose a sentence of 30 c.ays in jail and a fine of
250.00, and that said ca._., wa..i; an ca1ed and a ::ur_4:.rsed;.._i
c
bond was posted in the amount of $700.00. The charges
against Bonnie Willard having been consolidated with
those of defendants Louis C. Shabarakh and Mary Ann
Shabarakh for trial, appeals were taken and subsequently
dismissed, and a hearing was had, predicated upon a
Petition to Mitigate Sentences, attached hereto as
Exhibit "D", and a Motion to Vacate Judgment and Sentence
Pursuant to Rule 1.850, attached as Exhibit "E", filed
in behalf of Louis C. Shabarakh and Mary Ann Shabarakh
by the law office of Fred A. Jones, Jr., and you, GERALD
J. TOBIN, did write, or cause to be written under the
Special Orders on trial docket No. 67-5832:
"Petition to Mitigate Sentence.
Fred A. Jones, Attorney
SPECIAL ORDER NUMBER 23237 DTD JUNE 30, 1970:
Suspend jail sentence on payment of fine.
See file."
That there was no written petition in behalf of Bonnie
Willard filed in said court, and you knew, or should have
known, that said statement under Special Orders was false.
CHARGE AND SPECIFICATIONS NO. 13
M. L. REESE, as City Manager of the City of Miami,
prefers against GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge of
the City of Miami, Florida, the following charge of
malconduct and/or misbehavior in office, to -wit:
That in Municipal Court Case No. 67 -5832 in which
Bonnie Willard was the defendant, in entering on the
trial docket the notation as to the petition to mitigate
sentence under Special Orders, you, GERALD J. TOBIN, knew
or should have known that by entering said Special Order
without the defendant Bonnie Willard being present in
the court, that upon failure of the bail bondsman to
produce the defendant in court he would have had to pay
the supersedeas bond to the City of Miami in the amount
of $700.00, and by your act in suspending jail sentence
you did permit the bail bondsman, Richard Slatko, to
pay the $250.00 fine, thereby relieving him of the
obligation to pay the $700.00 supersedeas bond to the
City of Miami; and, further, predicated upon the petit
tions that were filed in behalf of Louis C. Shabarakh
and Mary Ann Shabarakh, you, GERALD J. TOBIN, did not
grant said petition but you did require the petitioners,
Louis C. Shabarakh and Mary Ann Shabarakh, to serve the
sentences imposed.
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. Said charges and epecificatione herein
above set forth numbered 1 to 13, inclusive,and made a
part of this resolution, be and they are hereby adopted
by said City Commission and preferred against the said
GERALD J. TOBIN, as Municipal Judge.
Section 2. That said City Commission shall sit in_.
the Commission Chambers t City Hall, Dinner Key, Miami,
Florida, on the /� day of /9p ri , A.D. 1972,
at / d•r
G o'clock /y .M. for the purpose of hearing and
considering said charges and specifications and at the said
time and place hear and consider evidence in support
thereof, and shall hear and consider any evidence or
proof offered by the said GERALD J. TOBIN in considera-
tion thereof; and that the said GERALD J. TOBIN may at
said time appear in person and by counsel; and that said
hearing may be continued from day to day and time to time
as may be required by said City Commission to hear wit-
nesses, take testimony, hear the said GERALD J. TOBIN and
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his attorney and to consider and deliberate on said charges
and specifications.
Section 3. That the City Cl.exk shall forthwith
serve upon the said GERALD J. TOBIN, Municipal Judge, a
copy of this resolution the charges and specifications
as contained therein, and shall serve a notice upon the
said GERALD J. TOBIN notifying him of the time and place
of said hearing, which said notice shall include notifying
him of the time and place of said hearing, which said
notice shall include notification that he may be present
in person and by counsel and may present such witnesses
and such testimony as he desires at said hearing or any
continuations thereof, except those when the Commission
shall meet to decide amongst themselves their findings
on said charges and specifications.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 16th day of
March
, 1972.