Thursday on the Wake Up Call: A Conversation with Retired Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh

 

Today on the wake-up call live on WPNN 103.7 –We had retired Circuit Court Judge join us for an in-depth discussion on due process requirements under the constitution for Illegal Aliens.  We also discussed the requirements for lethal use of force—in light of the left’s meltdown over the settlement that Trump agreed to in the Ashli Babbitt shooting from January 6^th 2021.  In addition to this, we did a full local, national, and international news roundup.

Listen to today’s show here

We’re live each weekday morning from 6:00AM-8:00AM on WPNN-Pensacola's Information Station, where local, conservative morning-drive talk radio is ALIVE and Well and where we give you the most powerful hour(s) in local morning drive talk radio.

News, weather, traffic, humor, and educated, intelligent discourse with no PC filters....

The Wakeup Call with Jeff Bergosh on WPNN FM 103.7: Radio UNRESTRAINED!

The Wake Up Call For Tuesday: Local, National, International News + an Interview with Retired Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh

 

Today on the wake-up call live on WPNN 103.7 we welcomed into the studio retired Circuit Court Judge (and my brother)  Gary Bergosh.  He is a semi-regular guest—as he has direct knowledge of the law, legal matters related to immigration, military law, and a host of other experience working within the criminal justice system for most of his life.  Today I asked him how a half-dozen activist federal judges can hamstring the president?  Why people convicted of multiple felonies get arrested and are immediately given bond and put back on the street locally?  How the Supreme Court’s ruling on Abrego Garcia can be enforced if the President of El Salvador doesn’t want to send one of his citizens back to America, and whether or not Gary Bergosh will run for State Attorney in 2028?  You’ll want to hear his answers to these questions and also the rundown of local, state, national, and international stories we bring you every day!

You can hear a complete recording of today’s live show here. 

 We’re live each weekday morning from 6:00AM-8:00AM on WPNN-Pensacola's Information Station, where local, conservative morning-drive talk radio is ALIVE and Well and where we give you the most powerful hour(s) in local morning drive talk radio.

News, weather, traffic, humor, and educated, intelligent discourse with no PC filters....

The Wakeup Call with Jeff Bergosh on WPNN FM 103.7: Radio UNRESTRAINED!

The Wake up Call for Friday: Retired Circuit Judge Gary Bergosh on Activist Judges, Mental Illness, and Frivolous, go-nowhere Lawsuits

Today on the wake-up call live on WPNN 103.7 we welcomed to the show Retired Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh.  He was featured in a WEAR Channel 3 story Thursday night about individuals in the community who commit crimes, vandalism, battery, etc., but who are deemed incompetent to stand trial.  I asked the judge about what can be done about such individuals.  We also discussed the activist Federal Judges who are attempting to handcuff the President with their injunctions all around the country.  Then, of course, I asked for his take on several aspects of the movement afoot by Clerk of the Court Pam Childers in her quest to get me to pay legal fees.  A very interesting conversation you don’t want to miss

In addition to this, we discussed:

-local news—Escambia Schools going technology free for a day on March 7^th, “Thick Neck” the rapper gets arrested in Georgia and new mugshots are coming out, Santa Rosa County looking to do a land swap with the Navy similar to what Escambia County did and completed in 2019.

-Liberals on CNN attempting to shut off a conservative guest they invited

-James Comer having to nearly remove Representative Frost of Florida from a committee meeting

-Trump and Starmer on Ukraine Aid and security assurances

-New information on the death of Gene Hackman, his wife, and his dog

-an additional 10% tariff hitting China starting March 4th

--and much more

You can hear a complete recording of today’s live show here.

We are live each weekday morning from 6:00AM-8:00AM on WPNN-Pensacola's Information Station, where local, conservative morning-drive talk radio is ALIVE and Well and where we give you the most powerful hour(s) in local morning drive talk radio.

News, weather, traffic, humor, and educated, intelligent discourse with no PC filters....

The Wakeup Call with Jeff Bergosh on WPNN FM 103.7:  Radio UNRESTRAINED.

Wake up Call for Friday: 1 Current and 2 Former School Board Members + Retired Circuit Court Judge

Friday on the Wake up Call we had current District 4 School Board Member Carissa Bergosh, former District 1 School Board Member (and retired Circuit Court Judge) Gary Bergosh, and I discussing the wrecked state of fatherhood in America and locally that is affecting school performance in certain pockets of Escambia County.

This crisis of fatherless households feeds individuals into the justice system locally--at drastically higher levels than individuals that are raised in families that are in tact.

We discussed current events in the school district and I asked the Judge about some high profile legal cases worldwide and locally.  A good conversation you will want to hear.

If you missed the live show, you can listen to the recording of the show here

Catch the Wake Up Call live, daily, on WPNN FM 103.7, AM 790, or on the WPNN APP.

Radio UNRESTRAINED.

Pre-Memorial Day American Flag Placement 2024 at Barrancas National Cemetery

More than 300 Scouts, family members, active duty military men and women, citizens, and Patriot Guard riders gave their time early this morning to insure every grave in our national cemetery had an American Flag waving beside it

Once again this year I was honored and humbled to be invited to give remarks on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners at the pre-Memorial Day Saturday flag placement ceremony at Barrancas National Cemetary aboard NAS Pensacola.  For more than 5 decades the Boy Scouts of America troops all over the nation have gathered together with communities nationwide to place a flag at the graves of fallen veterans before Memorial Day.  Locally, my brother Judge Gary Bergosh and sister-in-law Carissa Bergosh have spearheaded the effort since 2011 to work with the Gulf Coast Council of the Boy Scouts of America to insure every grave site at Barrancas National Cemetery has an American Flag flying in front of it prior to Memorial Day.  

Then, after the holiday, they assist with removing the flags and properly storing them for the following year.

Today, there were more than 300 scouts, scout volunteers, family members, veterans, active duty military men and women, and members of the Patriot Guard giving of their time to make sure the fallen are properly remembered.

Barrancas National Cemetery Director Craig LaChance (center), a US Army Veteran, welcomes the Boy Scouts and other volunteers  to Barrancas National Cemetary Aboard NAS Pensacola for American Flag placement day 5-25-2024

Craig LaChance, Director of Barrancas National Cemetery, welcomed the assembled, somber crowd and urged them to remember the reason for this holiday and the incredible sacrifices the men and women who died in battle have made, allowing us to be a free nation.

"To put the sacrifice in context, we should look no further than the upcoming 80th year anniversary of D-Day in WWII.  On just that one day we lost more than 2,500 military personnel.  Over our 20 years in Afghanistan, we lost about the same number." said Mr. La Chance.

As he gave the invocation, my brother and Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh (himself a retired Marine Lt. Col) reinforced the message.  "Remember, these men and women made the ultimate sacrifice to keep this country free.  Freedom is not Free!" he stated.

For my part, I thanked the folks present for giving their day to serve the fallen and to properly honor them.  I further thanked them on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners, Chairman Steven Barry, and the county staff.  I recognized all the men and women present who served in the military, as well as those young men and women scouts who have made the decision to enlist.  Several of them raised there hands and were given a rousing round of applause for their commitment to enlist and serve our nation.  Barrancas is a special place for my family; both my mother and father are buried here--so I always take time when I am here to go and put a flag, proudly, next to Master Chief Bob Bergosh's headstone in the columbarium.  We also have a close family friend, Scotty Rogers, buried at Barrancas.  So--after all the welcome introductions and a prayer--we did what we came to do.

The large group fanned out and within a few short hours every grave had a flag.

Yes, this is a holiday weekend.  Yes, we should all relax and enjoy time with our friends and loved ones.  And YES, we should all recognize this and every holiday we enjoy, indeed every day we enjoy in freedom.  Because being citizens of this---- the greatest coutry the world has ever seen-- is a blessing from God secured by brave men and women who served our nation and paid the ultimate price to secure our liberty and Freedom.  

That is what Memorial Day is about.

Now, go enjoy the beach, barbeque, and beer.

Federalist Society of the Emerald Coast Welcomes Senator Rick Scott to Pensacola

Senator Rick Scott speaks to the audience at McGuire's Irish Pub on Saturday, March 2, 2024 in Pensacola

Senator Rick Scott was the featured speaker and special guest of the Federalist Society of the Emerald Coast this past Saturday afternoon.  The Senator was on a swing through the panhandle where he made several stops to speak before various groups.

At the Federalist Society meeting, which was attended by about 70 local elected officials, former elected officials, attorneys, judges and magistrates--Senator Scott sat down and fielded questions in a "fireside chat" format, with local chapter President and Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh facilitating the discussions and asking the questions.

The discussion began with levity.  "You and I have a few things in common--you were adopted, and I was as well" said Bergosh.  "We've got the same haircut, too!" quipped Scott immediately, to some laughter in the room.  

"I know that you spent time in the military, how did that influence you in business and later in your public service?" Bergosh next asked Scott.

"They don't get paid enough, that's what I learned" quipped Scott.  Anyone have a guess on what I made when I was in the Navy?"  He paused briefly before answering his own question.  "$332.00 per month."  he continued "So I learned about how the chain of command worked, and I saw firsthand how the military was being treated at that time [post-Vietnam War] and it was very bad." he added.

"As Governor, you appointed a lot of Judges to the bench."  Bergosh asked.  "What was your thought process as you made those decisions?"  He had the number at the tip of his tongue.  "431 judges---we appointed 431.  And we looked around the state and saw that there were no women on the bench.  So we were able to appoint a lot of women and minorities to the bench.  And it was simple.  Be nice, and follow the law.  You don't get to make law as a judge, I don't as Governor, so be nice and don't try to make laws was the criteria we used" said the Senator.

The next topic for disccussion was the transition Scott had to make once he left the Executive Branch as the Governor of Florida and won a seat in the United States Senate and became a member of the  in 2018.  "I was the Governor, and I had power, but the power was limited and most of the decisions and operations were handled by the various department and division heads." he stated.  "But the real difference is that Washington is broken, it is a broken system.  Nobody gets held accountable, nobody ever gets fired.  Right now there is a COVID outbreak in Washington DC---nobody is working in their office.  When I ask during hearings if employees are back in the office, I get all kinds of explanations.  But they are not back in the office working when everyone else is" said Scott.

When asked about the dysfunction in DC that we all see, Scott ended with a lot of colorful commentary and then some hopeful optimism.  "Washington is broken. The senate Majority and Minority Leaders raise hundreds of millions of dollars and this allows them to have incredible power.  A handful of us don't need their money to win -- but most Senators need the money.  In my first election, the other party spent $65 Million against me.  There are only a half-dozen or so races each cycle that are competitive so these races generate a lot of attention.  We spend money and we are 35 Trillion in Debt----So the system is broken..... But we will fix it!" The Senator stated as he ended his answer.

As Senator Scott exited the venue, he took time to speak to attendees individually and to shake everyone's hand.

While the media often portray Scott as an unconcerned, aloof introvert--this recent meeting proves the opposite--as Scott was personable, funny, and approachable.  

And those in attendance saw this reality firsthand.

Escambia County Welcomes Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muniz

Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muniz (Left) and Escambia Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh discuss the Justice's judicial philosophy in Pensacola at the Artel Gallery, 11-9-2022

Wednesday evening Escambia County, the City of Pensacola, and the Federalist Society of the Emerald Coast welcomed the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, Carlos Muniz, to our community.

The Justice arrived early at Escambia County's Artel Gallery and graciously met with dozens of citizens, primarily those involved in the legal profession in the Panhandle.

As the attendees milled around, enjoying sub sandwiches and beverages provided by the Federalist Society and visiting one another--the room began to get packed.

Ultimately, nearly one hundred attendees arrived and took their seats for the intimate, in-depth question and answer session with Muniz, the man who sits at the pinacle of the court system in the nation's 3rd largest state.

Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muniz
visits Pensacola 11-9-2022

Former Supreme Court Justices, numerous Federal Magistrates, lawyers, and dozens of locally elected/appointed Circuit and County Court Judges and their staff members were present--as were other elected officials including Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons and two local County Commissioners.  A UWF Legal studies professor even brought his whole class to the event so they could hear from the Chief Justice firsthand.

To start the evening off--some interesting facts were put out about the Justice by the host and President of the Federalist Society of the Emerald Coast--Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh.  Many of the Justice's former jobs with both the Federal Government and the State of Florida were rattled off.  When discussing the Justice's educational background--the name Dave Grohl came up.  (Grohl is the former drummer for the alternative powerhouse band Nirvana and current guitarist and vocalist for the legendary rock band Foo-Fighters.)  Apparently, Grohl and Muniz attended the same Catholic prep school in northern Virginia and knew of each other.  "Yes, I knew of him while we were in school, he was a year behind me in my brother's class" Muniz mused upon being asked about the world famous musician.   

After High School, Muniz attended The University of Virginia for his Undergraduate degree, and Yale Law School for his JD. (Muniz made a passing comment about his concern for some apparent issues with free speech that have become newsworthy as of late at his law school alma matter.)

Then came the questions about his current role and his judicial philosophy.   Much of the discussion centered around a view the Justice has held about Judicial Imperialism--with discussion flowing from the Justice's 2005 paper on this topic submitted to the James Madison Institute.  Muniz elaborated on that topic, while also describing his current role as a College Professor at FSU's Law School where he is currently teaching a course on Textualism and its Rivals.  The Justice expressed thanks for the presence of the students from UWF.

As the evening wound down, several questions came from the audience, which Muniz fielded.  He also elaborated strongly, as a transplant to Florida from Virginia,  on his view of our State's Constitution--how it is really a "people's constitution" compared to many other states, due to the Florida Constitution's accessibility and ease of revision/augmentation by citizen petition.

The Justice thanked the attendees profuesely for coming out, expressing gratitude for the significant turnout.

After the event, the Justice had a more intimate discussion with several attendees over at McGuires Irish Pub, before he headed back to Tallahassee.

An interesting evening and conversation, to be sure.

Read more about Chief Justice Muniz, here.

Read more about the Federalist Society, here.

Released Public Record from Federal Trial is Revealing

This document, above, is one of several that came out of a hearing before a Federal Magistrate Judge a few weeks back in Doug Underhill's public records lawsuit.  Apparently, this is one of the many documents that was/is considered to be a public record by the court but that was not initially turned over to the requestor by Commissioner Underhill.  So the document was released this month.

I hear many, many more-- perhaps hundreds more-- will be coming soon.

The interesting thing to me about this particular document, though,  is that "Jacqueline" in this facebook messenger conversation is apparently filing/or has filed a complaint against my brother, Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh.  If it is the "Jacqueline" I believe it to be, this is very interesting, indeed.

If it is "Jacqueline" from the Facebook chat site "Escambia Citizens Watch"---I wonder why it is my brother she is targeting?  I mean, there is no doubt she strongly dislikes me.  She runs me down all the time and lies about me on her site--ho hum no big deal.  I have a thick skin, her opinions mean nothing to me, and I ignore that echo chamber of hate, irrelevant site anyway.  

But why bring in my family?  Why go after my brother -- a Retired Marine LT. COL who went to Iraq and put "boots on the ground there?"  A literal Eagle Scout who has done absolutely nothing wrong, a guy who simply does his job, and does it well.  He's a guy who is regarded by most attorneys I speak with as a "good judge, fair and reasonable."

Obviously----- nothing did come or will come of any such garbage, baseless complaint against my brother to the JQC by "Jacqueline"  anyway--it is utter rubbish.  

But what a sick, degenerate thing to do.  Come after me all you want, but leave my family out of it.

To relish in filing an ethics complaint against my brother--- because someone has a beef with me?  

How totally and completely disgusting is that?  And she says "I hope Judge Bergosh has bad times ahead."  Embarrassing for "Jacqueline."  Who would say that and wish that on someone who did nothing wrong?  Uncharitable, non-Christian, Sick and disgusting.

Wow.  Can't wait for the rest of these records to come out....I wonder what else we will find??

Judge Bergosh Issues an Emergency Temporary Restraining Order Preventing the Removal of the Pensacola Confederate Statue

The Statue in the former Lee Square, recently renamed Florida Square, is now officially protected from removal by an Emergency Temporary Restraining Order signed by Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh this afternoon.

The judge granted the plaintiff's motion for this temporary restraining order and a request for a preliminary injunctive hearing.  From the order:

"Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED, until further Order by the Court, Defendants and all their respective officers, agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and persons acting in concert of participation representatives, vendors, and contractors are hereby ENJOINED and RESTRAINED from:

1.  Taking down the Lee Park Cenotaph in the City of Pensacola, Florida;
2. Infringing on the Public's view of the Lee Park Cenotaph in any way, except to protect it from vandalism or unauthorized destruction by a mob."

Judge Bergosh, my brother, worked out at NAS Pensacola as a senior DoD Attorney during the aftermath of the devastating destruction of Hurricane Ivan in 2004-2006.  As I understand it, this was the largest demolition of historic buildings in the history of the National Historic Preservation Act. One of the things he became very familiar with in his work during that time, was the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966--and the Section 106 process as it pertains to the treatment of historic buildings, structures, or objects.  He is probably the Judge in this circuit who is most familiar with the protections, both state and federal, afforded historic properties--so he will be the ideal Judge to handle this matter.

This "monument" is actually a cenotaph.  One of the reconciliations necessary for the reformation of the union after the Civil War was the acknowledgment of the sacrosanct nature of graves.

One local attorney I spoke with late today who had already heard of this TRO stated flatly:  "They did not follow any of the laws designed for the protection of historic objects and properties--and this TRO will potentially give time for a thorough accounting of this."

From the order:

"A preliminary Injunction Hearing will be scheduled in coordination with the Court as soon as is practicable"

Will Gary Bergosh Run For State Attorney?

A recent poll conducted over the 2nd and 3rd of February shows that in a hypothetical matchup between Gary Bergosh and Greg Marcile for the State Attorney position, Gary Bergosh has 65-35 support among all party respondents, and a commanding 75-25 advantage with Republicans Only.  Will he run for this office though?

More and more people are asking me this question.  Will he run?

Why wouldn't he run?  is another question I frequently get.

I discussed a lot of this in a previous post early last month.

First of all--the answer to the question of if he will run is entirely up to him.  I know he has considered it in the past, and I know he would do a hell of a great job if he sought the position and won it.

But the answer really is up to him.  I don't know what he will do, I do not presume to speak for him nor do I know his plans.  It is up to God,  him, and his family, --as I know he would pray on this if he even thought there was a chance he would run.

To the question of why wouldn't he run?  Well, again, that's up to him.  But the first consideration is that he has a job already, an important job, an all-consuming job, and a meaningful, worthwhile job as a Circuit Court Judge.

It is a job of prestige and honor that pays a good wage--one Gary worked very hard to win in an expensive, hard-fought race 14 years ago.

And he would have to voluntarily resign that job on the spot---- before he could even sign up to run in a partisan State Attorney's  race.  That's number one.  And that would mean he would not get a paycheck for up to a year during the campaign.

Number two is the risk factor.  It would be tremendously risky (and borderline financially irresponsible and reckless) to leave a set, secure job that pays well to run in a contested race (which will be hotly contested).

But here comes the wild card that throws all these considerations into the wind.  Numbers.

The numbers look good for Gary Bergosh in this race.

According to a recent poll of which I am aware, in the hypothetical race between Gary Bergosh and Greg Marcile for State Attorney--- among those who expressed a choice Gary came out ahead by a margin of 65-35 among registered voters of all parties.  Among Republicans only--the number is even wider  75-25 Bergosh among voters who were not "undecided."

So we get back to the original question of will Gary Bergosh run for State Attorney?

As his brother and someone that loves him--my advice to him is to stay where he is and wait a few years.  This would prudent, this would be intelligent.  This would be the path of least resistance.

But Gary is his own man, he's a Marine, and I know he has often times rejected the path of least resistance and instead taken the path of Maximum Resistance. 

And this has worked out well for him thus far.

So we shall see what he chooses to do on this issue...........meanwhile, to all those who have asked me if he will run---the answer is I don't know.

Smooth Baton-Handoff Coming for First Judicial Circuit State Attorney--or Could it Be a Contested Election?

Will the upcoming contest for Florida's first judicial circuit State Attorney be a one-candidate, uncontested baton hand-off--------or will there be more than one viable candidate in this race to make it a real election? 

It appears as if there will be at least one new candidate for State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit this year come election time on the ballots--as a rumor is circulating that current State Attorney Bill Eddins is retiring and will not seek another term in the 2020 election.

Early word has it that Eddins' hand selected, chosen successor for the office (the individual whom Eddins will endorse) will be current Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcile.

Qualifying for this multi-county office occurs in the Spring, just a few months from now.

Odds appear to be 50-50 that instead of what appears to be a smooth, relay-race style handoff from Eddins to Marcile for this job---there may actually be a contested election.

This would be a first in decades, as I'm told the previous, long-serving (since the 1970's) State Attorney, Curtis Golden, essentially "handed the office off" to the current State Attorney Bill Eddins 16 years ago.

I am always of the belief that electors prefer choices------ and having two very well-qualified persons vying for this job would be a great thing for the voters!

Obviously I don't speak for him, but I know my brother Circuit Judge Gary Bergosh has often expressed a desire to seek the State Attorney Office, when and if the timing was ever right.

He and I have discussed this, privately, over the years and on multiple occasions since 2004 when I moved back to Pensacola from San Diego.  I've been contacted multiple times recently by folks in the profession and out of it that would LOVE it if Gary ran!

He has expressed to me often that if he were ever able to seek and subsequently win such an office--he would be especially focused on investigating and uncovering cases involving public corruption.  This has resonated with me with acutely----as I have seen some terrible issues go by the wayside that I feel deserved a much closer look as it pertained to the ugly spectacle of the Newpoint Schools fiasco.

But If Gary Bergosh chose to do this--to run against Greg Marcile--It would certainly be, financially speaking, the path of maximum resistance for him; as a judge he would have to resign from the

Jesse Panuccio Speaks at the Federalist Society of the Emerald Coast Meeting

Federalist Society of the Emerald Coast President Judge Gary Bergosh welcomes Jesse Panuccio to Pensacola Wednesday evening, June 19, 2019.

The Federalist Society of the Emerald Coast welcomed Jesse Panuccio to Pensacola Wednesday evening.  Mr. Panuccio, formerly the General Counsel to Governor (now Senator) Rick Scott in Florida most recently served as the number 3 official at the Department of Justice behind AG Sessions, and Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein.

He left the DOJ in April and is moving to South Florida to enter private practice.

Panuccio was Introduced to Pensacola by Federalist Society of the Emerald Coast President Judge Gary Bergosh, and a crowd of roughly 60 local attorneys, elected officials, former elected officials, and other interested citizens gave him a rousing ovation and warm welcome upon his introduction.

"Yes, I served in the DOJ over the last year, and No, I am not going to be talking about Mueller, Comey, or the Russia Investigations" he quipped to some muted laughter as he started his remarks.

"I'm not going to be writing a tell-all book now that I am gone" he stated.

His 40 minute speech centered around what he felt were several big issues that staff at DOJ under AG Sessions had accomplished to limit the power of that office in particular--and all government agencies in general. Many of these accomplishments garnered very little media attention, as most of the media coverage of that office centered around the more high-profile Russia Investigation.  During his speech, Mr. Panuccio quoted multiple times from James Madison's Federalist Papers -- particularly citing passages where Madison warns of particular government branches exceeding their authority and the dangers posed by this tendancy if left unchecked.

Jesse Panuccio speaks to a large crowd of attorneys and elected officials Wednesday, June 19th at Seville Quarter in Pensacola

He seemed proud of the fact that over his time at DOJ-the office took on and limited the power and prevalence of "Guidance-Documents" and "Consent-Decrees"--two mechanisms by which the staff of the previous administration's DOJ had utilized to shape policy and push ideologies upon local governments without express Congressional authorization.

He also discussed the way the DOJ has recently curtailed the practice of allowing entities with whom the department had reached settlements to pay portions of such settlements to "unrelated third-party entities that may have no connection to the issue of the settlements themselves" he explained. 

The topics were very cerebral--but the crowd remained keenly attentive as Mr. Panuccio moved

Hurricane Season 2019--Discussing Common Sense Physical and Legal Preparations

We entered Hurricane season this past Saturday.  It goes through the end of November, so now is the time for us to begin preparations so that we are prepared in the event of a storm.

Our June episode of the "Bergosh Bulletin"--linked above--features John Dosh from our Emergency Management Department, discussing all the ways we can all prepare and where to find the resources citizens need to be prepared.

Additionally, my brother and Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh joins the show and he discusses his personal experience in losing his home to Hurricane Ivan in 2004.  He also discusses some common sense legal principles of which folks may not be aware as it pertains to protecting property, insurance policies, martial law, and other legal issues.

Thanks go out to John Dosh and Judge Gary Bergosh for joining us, and a big thank you goes out to the Escambia County Community and Media Relations office for producing this video.

How Bogus, BS Lawsuits foster Disdain for Lawyers and the Law, Part I

Bogus lawsuits fueled by greed lead to negative perceptions of lawyers

The County has recently been hit with a B.S., BOGUS Lawsuit.  It is infuriating on several levels, and it gave me a moment of Deja-Vu as I read the complaint.  I've seen these before.  More on that in Part II.

These sorts of complaints, these baseless, bogus suits happen frequently and they create a negative perception of lawyers and the law.  I have personal experience with these as a small business owner, a school board member, and now as a county commissioner.  And I have discussed these sorts of things, at length, with my brother (who himself is a lawyer).

Because my brother is a lawyer and now he is a judge, I have had a long running "shtick" that I use on the unsuspecting and the ones that know me--when the subject of lawsuits, lawyers, and the law invariably comes up.  "I HATE all lawyers, except for one."  People that know my brother typically chuckle.  Of course it isn't true, it is a gross exaggeration.  But there is a tinge of truth there, no question about it....

My new "shtick" I use since my brother became a judge goes like this....  Someone says something, in passing, akin to---"Hey Jeff, I saw your brother the other day..."--which is not an infrequent comment I hear---to which I quickly reply with one of the following three variations "I hope the sentence he handed you was fair" or "I apologize for his horrible conduct" or "I hope you ended up on the right side of the verdict." [Insert sound of a rimshot]

It's all in good fun-----until it's not.

You see--when you are served papers--when you are sued personally or in your capacity as a business owner, when the allegations are bogus--It becomes serious very quickly. Most folks may never

Florida Solicitor General Amit Agarwal Comes to Pensacola

Circuit Judge Gary Bergosh, Florida Solicitor General Amit Agarwal, and Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh at Pensacola Yacht Club, Wednesday September 26, 2018

The Federalist Society of the Emerald Coast welcomed Florida Solicitor General Amit Agarwal to Pensacola Wednesday evening.

The assembled gathering of about 50 local attorneys, current and former judges, elected officials, and interested citizens welcomed Mr. Agarwal to the Pensacola Yacht Club for a very enlightening, often humorous and personal question and answer session between he and Federalist Society of the Emerald Coast President Gary Bergosh.

When asked about how he came to be in the legal profession, Agarwal recalled the way this happened.  "My parents wanted me to be a doctor, but I wanted to study Philosophy"  he quipped.  he continued "My dad was persistent, he told me that I should get an MD and a PHD, and HE would be alright with that."

After completing his undergraduate studies at Duke University, Agarwal moved to Washington DC.

"I wanted to do something in print journalism, so I applied at every newspaper in the area up there, and didn't get any offers" he mused.

Eventually, he landed a job with CSPAN doing a video series on books, which required he be involved in every part of the process of that series, to include research, reading, writing, production, and even doing live segments on the street with people, asking them which books they currently were reading.

"The only part of me that ever made it on the show was my hand, holding the microphone as I interviewed people" he said with a chuckle.

After three years at CSPAN, Agarwal decided he wanted to go into the law profession.  He applied to, was accepted, and completed his law studies at Georgetown.

He then answered questions about the judges for whom he clerked, to include Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh among several others, and he had interesting stories to tell about each of these men and how the experiences working for these Judges and Justices shaped his early career.

Agarwal also detailed the specifics of what he does as Solicitor General of the State of Florida, including a brief discussion of some of the 30 current cases which he and his staff of just 4 attorneys are working on presently.

"It is a lot of work, and thankfully I have some really talented attorneys in the office who can turn these projects around quickly when necessary." he said, complimenting his staff.

The evening went by quickly, but it was an enlightening conversation.  Those who missed it missed an opportunity to get an inside glimpse into the person behind the position of Solicitor General.

As the session wound down, it was pointed out that Agarwal had never before been to Pensacola.

"I was born in Texas and raised in South Florida--never made it over to Pensacola until now.  But I'll be coming back with my kids and you'll hear us coming, I'll be staying at the Beach" he said with a laugh.

Learn more about Amit Agarwal here.

Learn more about the Federalist Society here.

Quint Studer on Why We Should Appoint rather than Elect our Superintendent of Schools in Escambia County

Nationally-renowned speaker, writer, and entrepreneur Quint Studer-- CEO of Studer Community Institute--joins Escambia County Commission Chairman Jeff Bergosh for a discussion about the need for Escambia County to move from the antiquated model of an “Elected Superintendent of Schools” to the modern, efficient “appointed” Superintendent of Schools model.  This decision will rest in the hands of Escambia County Voters this November—as it will be on the ballot for the people to decide.  And Studer makes a compelling case for modernizing our system via moving to the “Appointed” system like 99.6% of the rest of our nation’s schools.  Watch the brief interview with Quint Studer, above, to hear his thoughts on this pressing topic.

(I have long-supported the appointed model for many reasons, and I have often written about this topic here on this blog...Interestingly, in 1967, Escambia County Voters came up just ONE (1) vote short of going to the appointed superintendent like the rest of the nation does.  Hopefully in 2018 we can get this passed and move our education system, locally, into the 21st Century!)

What's the Best Way for Government to Work With the Private Sector to Improve Communities?

I recently had the opportunity to ask community leaders this very question.  Studer Community Institute founder and CEO Quint Studer, Escambia County Administrator Jack Brown, Escambia Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh, and I had a very good conversation on this topic.

--What can government do to help the private sector develop our area for the benefit of citizens?

--What are we doing right in Escambia County--and where can we improve?

--What makes a great community?

--How can the local government and the private sector help improve our schools?

--What is the best governance model for our schools--Appointed or Elected Superintendent? (On the ballot this November)

These and other questions were discussed and answered in this interview.  I appreciate these leaders taking their time to speak with me on the show.

A Local Circuit Court Judge's Take on Direct File

Circuit Court Judge Gary Bergosh weighed in on several interesting topics during a morning radio interview yesterday on AM 1370 WCOA.

A big topic of discussion was the issue of direct file for certain juvenile suspects into the Adult System. This issue created a bit of consternation on the Board of County Commissioners last week as a resolution in support of eliminating direct file was passed by the BCC by a 3-2 vote.

Additional issues were discussed as well, to include the recent Parkland massacre.

Listen to the interview here