Call for Media to Attend Aug 16 Trial of the Century in Pompano Beach CRA Florida Land Grab Scandal

Aug. 9, 2010 - PRLog -- “Hear Ye, Hear Ye, All rise for the Kangaroo Court is now in session!” may well be the announcement for the proceedings in the upcoming trial of a highly-contested and well-publicized eminent domain action brought by the petitioner Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency in Florida against Gil Eriksen Properties LLC to take the owner’s prime non-blighted private property to resell for private development.  It was recently ruled that the property owner in the case would not be allowed to present (nor perhaps appear) at trial, and that the petitioner, the Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency can take the owner’s property, and be the only party to present a case to a jury, while the property owner must stand quietly and idly by under Judge’s order. We are calling for media coverage of this conspiracy and travesty, and invite the press, along with all civic minded individuals and victims of eminent domain abuse to attend the so-called trial on Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 10:00 am ET at the Broward County Courthouse, in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

Details
Who:   Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency
v. Gil Eriksen Properties LLC, Case No. CACE06004169
Judge David Krathen presiding, Judge ID 09

What:    Jury Trial of Eminent Domain Case in Florida Land Grab Scandal

When:    Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 10:00 am ET

Where:   Broward County Central Courthouse, 201 SE 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-3303
Court Room Number: ? (Unknown as even the respondent Gil Eriksen Properties has received no formal notice and was not informed by the Court - to be updated if we can clarify. The Judge Krathen's Chamber Room is 1005A.)

How:   Good question! We are dying to see how a jury trial can occur when only one party is allowed to present its case!

At The World of Jimmy Star Publications, we see this latest development in the Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency v. Gil Eriksen Properties landmark case as a glaring example of the levels of corruption and racketeering in Broward County’s land grab schemes to profit politicians and developers that has extended as high as the Broward County Commission, with recent arrests being made. This case is an example of many land seizures that occurred in Pompano Beach and involves a newly restored historical icon multi-million dollar property that the Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency wanted to seize, tear down and sell to unnamed developers. The case history reveals however that another Broward Circuit Court ruling found that at the time of the filing, the Community Redevelopment Agency wasn’t authorized to be formed, let alone seize properties. This combined with the Florida State Constitutional Amendment banning the use of eminent domain of private citizen’s property for private development, and the fact the CRA had been taking properties illegally for a decade prior, made it clear that this case would be a hotbed of political and legal upset with potentially many liability ramifications, if not criminal ones.

The case record shows a long history of blockades as Gil Eriksen Properties has not yet been heard yet in its defense against the land grab, and has not been afforded its right to a jury trial, five years later, even though in the meantime, the Pompano Beach CRA has seized the property and destroyed it. Now it looks like Gil Eriksen Properties may tentatively get a trial, with the caveat that it can’t participate in any way. No presenting evidence, no testifying, no defending itself against against a brazenly corrupt agency. Unbelievably shocking, that is of course unless you live in Broward County.

Those who know Broward County politics, know that land grabbing is a favorite pastime, and everyone seems to be in on the game. According to Robe Probe, a judge rating site, Judge David Krathen has a reputation as a judge who “serves his cronies well,” and he far outspent other candidates in his campaign to obtain his seat. Now it seems he's on the hot seat and doesn't like it, with his famous words on the Eriksen case being, “This needs to go away.”  

The Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency’s attorneys, Gordon B. Linn, the City Attorney of Pompano Beach, and Mitchell J. Burnstein of  Weiss, Serota, Helfman, Pastoriza, Cole, and Boniske have their own skeletons. The case that first shed light on the Community Redevelopment Agency’s fraud was the Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency v. Derriek Phillips case whereby the CRA was found to have been created illegally and have no authority of eminent domain to take Phillips’ property. City Attorney Gordon B. Linn was the attorney for the CRA in that case as well, along with Mitchell J. Burnstein, and even though they had first hand knowledge of this ruling, and the ruling was again upheld in the District Court of Appeal, this gave him them no pause in continuing to seize lands from private citizens and businesses on behalf of the CRA. Mitchell J. Burnstein has been called out for nepotism in the scandal (his mother is newly retired Judge Miette K. Burnstein), and cronyism as well, with Shutts and Bowen attorney Suzanne M. Driscoll quoted as saying Burnstein "has the judges in his back pocket.”

In the Eriksen Properties case, the Court bias seems to be yet another obstruction of justice in a long slew of unethical, nonprocedural, illegal and unconstitutional acts in the unauthorized taking of private property by an illegal entity to benefit unknown ends in a county with no undeveloped land left. The last time Gil Eriksen Properties was set to go to trial, a retired judge Robert Carney was called out of retirement to preside on the trial, and allowed Eriksen’s counsel of three years to withdraw without notice on the very morning of trial, halting the would be trial against Eriksen’s express wishes and against state law. Then Judge Carney immediately returned to retirement. These sudden and unexplained actions are being named as a criminal conspiracy. Ever since, a series of documented events has shown that the Court under Judge David Krathen and all counsel involved have prevented the company from obtaining new counsel. This is particularly despicable in that by Florida state law, eminent domain respondents’ counsel and defense is supposed to be paid for by the government to allow for fair representation as safeguard against government abuse. Most recently in regards to setting a trial date, Judge Krathen said from the bench that Eriksen should probably obtain counsel although as Krathen puts it, “it’s probably not going to help,” as he will not allow Eriksen’s counsel to present its case anyway.

For a county that has so many corruption scandals, and so many problems of public perception, it is a wonder why no one is stepping forward to stop the digging of an even deeper hole of liability and disrepute. A one-sided jury trial featuring the respondent bound and gagged in a corner, in the most highly contested case of illegal eminent domain brought by an agency without authority of eminent domain no less, seems even too brazen for Broward. One wonders what the jury instructions would be, perhaps “You have the option to decide in the favor of the Pompano Beach CRA or to decide in the favor of the Pompano Beach CRA.” Apparently the county thinks all its residents slept through civics class and are counting on a jury not smelling something fishy for dinner.

We are calling for the media and the civic minded to attend and lend eyes and ears to what we believe to be the crimes of the century in Broward County. We see justice as a joint effort requiring participation of the many in preserving our civil liberties. We think this brazen attempt to ignore our Constitution cannot be ignored, and must be exposed and stopped.

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For media requests, up to date information and announcements on the upcoming Jury Trial,
and general information on the Pompano Beach CRA illegal land grabs visit
http://www.wojspubs.com

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