Court Croney Controls Judge

Another complaint against Juan F. D'Arce Jr., judicial assistant to Miami-Dade County Judge Ivan Hernandez. Criminal defense attorney Philip Reizenstein says D'Arce refused Wednesday to schedule a court matter for a client.

Reizenstein says there's a story behind that story: D'Arce, he says, displayed ''inappropriate'' behavior by showing up at his house Feb. 26 -- uninvited on a Sunday -- demanding to speak to him.

Reizenstein's wife and law partner, Jacqueline Woodward, talked to D'Arce but did not let him in. Reizenstein says D'Arce was upset that he hadn't returned two phone calls. Reizenstein, furious about the surprise visit, called D'Arce at the courthouse the next day and chewed him out.

D'Arce says Reizenstein threatened him, saying: ''Look, mother fucker, if you ever come to my house, I'm going to put a bullet in your head and drag you out in a body bag.'' That, D'Arce says, is why he didn't calendar Reizenstein's motion. "I'm fearful of my life.''

Reizenstein, 43, denies threatening him. ''I chose my words carefully.'' He says he warned D'Arce that if he "came to my house again I would take it as a threat and I would defend my family.''

Reizenstein says D'Arce has no right to refuse to calendar a case. ``I don't know what makes this judicial assistant think he can interfere with the administration of justice. I don't care if he doesn't like me. This guy is a self-appointed king.''

D'Arce, 34, is under investigation for allegedly running a consulting business on court time, and using bullying tactics to solicit clients. Prosecutors have seized D'Arce's courthouse computer.

D'Arce says he went to Reizenstein's home to talk about who is authoring an anonymous blog on courthouse goings-on. Says D'Arce: ''I kept on hearing rumors that people thought I was writing that stupid blog.'' He says some people told him they suspect Reizenstein is the blogger. ``I just wanted to ask him if he knew who the blogger was.''

D'Arce says Hernandez's bailiff, Josh Estevez, heard Reizenstein's alleged threat via speakerphone. ''I told Juan to file a police report,'' Estevez says. D'Arce did not: "I don't want to ruin his legal career.''
(excerpt from Miami Herald; by JOAN FLEISCHMAN)

Corrupt Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Joe Arriola, Johnny Winton?

Miami Herald Editorial Opinion:
DIAZ, ARRIOLA, WINTON PARTNERSHIP A CONFLICT

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, City Manager Joe Arriola and City Commissioner Johnny Winton saw nothing wrong in forming a business partnership that conflicts with their duties as city officials.

But there is plenty wrong with the deal, starting with Mr. Arriola's failure to disclose his involvement in the partnership, apparently in violation of city law. If Mr. Arriola is found to be in violation of the law -- and in view of his handling of the fire-rescue fee settlement -- it will be time for the mayor to ask him to step aside.

With the real-estate partnership and the lack of disclosure, Messrs. Diaz, Arriola and Winton put personal enrichment above their public duties. We're not alone in saying so.

Here's what the International City/County Management Association says about such conflicts in its Code of Ethics: 'Members should not invest or hold any investment, directly or indirectly, in any financial business, commercial, or other private transaction that creates a conflict with their official duties. . . This guideline recognizes that members' official actions and decisions can be influenced if there is a conflict with personal investments. Purchases and sales that might be interpreted as speculation for quick profit ought to be avoided.''

A quick profit is exactly what Messrs. Diaz, Arriola and Winton will realize if they sell the 1.3-acre property in Coconut Grove for anything close to their asking price of $5.7 million. They paid $3.1 million for the property last May.

Since the purchase, Mr. Diaz and Mr. Winton have made decisions as public officials that prove the wisdom of ICMA's warnings and demonstrate why there is a conflict. Mr. Diaz has refused to heed calls that Mr. Arriola be fired for incompetently managing the fire-rescue fee settlement.

In that debacle, Mr. Arriola steered the city into a $7 million deal with seven plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit, which, as a result, denied compensation to thousands of other city residents with similar claims. Mr. Arriola testified that he did not know the settlement benefited only seven plaintiffs -- but he should have known.

Mr. Winton introduced a ''pocket item'' resolution to the commission in December that gave Mr. Diaz a $53,000 raise in pay, pushing his salary to $150,000 per year. As a ''pocket item'' the resolution never appeared on the meeting agenda and no notice was given to elicit public discussion. Mr. Winton later apologized.

Modesto Maidique abuses University System

In August 2002, Modesto Maidique was invited to attend George Mason University's annual planning conference in Fairfax, Va.

George Mason officials offered to pay for his trip and suggested that Maidique fly to Dulles International Airport outside Washington. However, Maidique's secretary, Anet Saumell, explained that Dr. Maidique prefers to fly American Airlines and there are not too many choices going to Dulles airport.'' Melton wrote back: "Realizing that Dr. Maidique likes American . . . here is a nonstop roundtrip from Miami to Dulles for $266. Would he consider it?''

In the end, Maidique's secretary booked a first-class ticket that cost $2,060. George Mason paid $1,544, based on a sample coach fare provided by Maidique's secretary. The FIU Foundation picked up the rest, $516. In retrospect, Maidique said Wednesday, "it would have been wise for me to take an economy flight.''

Other trips were covered by state tax dollars and money from FIU's charitable foundation:
• A four-day trip to Paris in March 2003 cost $6,700, paid for mostly by tax dollars. The trip -- which included meetings with French business-school leaders -- coincided with one organized by Maidique's then-wife, Leah, for FIU graduate business students.

Graduate students spent $55 to $164 a night on hotels. Maidique spent $516 a night.

The students spent $472 for the off-season airfare. Maidique spent $4,587 on his plane ticket.

Maidique said the purpose of his trip was different and the travel arrangements were made separately, "at a place I prefer to stay.''

• During a February 2003 trip to the inauguration of John Lombardi as head of the University of Massachusetts, Maidique took two limo rides for a total of $534, charged to the foundation.

• For a March 2003 trip, he spent $3,494 for a plane ticket to San Francisco. The federal government reimbursed the school $830, what it considered reasonable. The FIU Foundation and the state picked up the rest of the tab, which included a one-way first-class ticket.

• In February 2003, Maidique spent $462 to hire a limo for seven hours during the Miami International Film Festival, of which FIU was the sponsor. The FIU Foundation paid the bill. ''It was part of the whole patina and the whole style of the film festival'' to travel in a Lincoln Town Car with dignitaries, he said.

• In April 2004, Maidique spent $216 for a limo to attend a Fort Lauderdale dinner meeting with former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, a member of the Board of Governors, which oversees the state university system.

Maidique has the use of a Buick plus a $5,000 annual stipend that he uses to lease a Lexus, although he says the stipend covers less than half of the lease payments.

Maidique said he uses limos because it allows him to work as he rides -- and besides, taxi drivers make him "spend most of your time worrying about your life rather than the work you have to do.'' (excerpt of Niel Beirman's article which appeared in The Miami Herald)

Modesto Maidique shows himself to be white trash by his actions.