An attorney for a Miami Judge accused of making an anti-Semitic remark during a traffic charge hearing said today he would seek to have a Judge from outside Dade county conduct a hearing into the charge.
The complaint against Judge Edwin Strickland was made by Marvin L. Cohen, a Miami school teacher, Mr, Cohen said that he appeared on June 8 before Judge Strickland on a minor traffic violation and pleaded not guilty. He said the judge commented: “You Jews are the same–90 percent plead not guilty.”
The traffic charge was dismissed but the teacher pressed for an inquiry into his complaint. At this point, the Miami Metropolitan Commission entered the case, but earlier this week, Circuit Judge Pat Cannon issued an order barring the commission from inquiring further into the charges against Judge Strickland. The order caused a temporary halt in efforts by Dade County Attorney Darrey Davis to start a hearing on the complaint.
Milton Ferrell, attorney for Judge Strickland, then told Judge Cannon he would ask the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court to hear Judge Strickland’s case. The attorney said it would be unfair for a Dade County Judge to have to sit in on the case. County Attorney Davis said that he had been directed to make an inquiry and report on whether a formal investigation was warranted. He added that the commission’s hearing had not been intended to be a removal hearing.
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