Bond Court Judge Receives Scathing Letter From Police Union President
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami-Dade Bond Court Judge Mindy Glazer has heard plenty of tough talk in her courtroom, but a recent tense encounter came not from the bench, but from a letter, posted on the internet and emailed to her by Miami Police Union President Sgt. Javier Ortiz.
In it, he blasted Glazer for granting a low bond to Jose Carvajal, the man accused of stabbing 17-year Miami police veteran officer Raul Perez, who was working an off-duty security job at the Magic City Casino last week. Perez, who was in uniform, shot Carvajal, who remains hospitalized.
In the letter, Ortiz wrote, "To start off with, the Miami Fraternal Order of Police is extremely concerned and outraged by your less than honorable decision of granting a measly $20,000 bond for a man that attempted to kill a Miami Police Officer…Your actions have placed every law enforcement officer in jeopardy with allowing this piece of trash back onto the streets of Miami."
He demanded she revoke Carvajal's bond and compared it to another case, writing, "If you don't, your message is clear. Attempting to take the life of a man over dog feces is more valuable than a law enforcement officer who was clearly risking his life to protect the public."
But it turns out Judge Glazer never set a bond for Carvajal.
Because the police officer on the case failed to check a box on a report, requiring a bond hearing, Carvajal's friends posted his bond before he ever faced a judge.
Miami's police chief, Rodolfo Llanes, attended a hearing Wednesday, to change that.
"We thought that the bond process was an error so we were here to increase the bond," said Chief Llanes.
Criminal Court Judge Miguel De La O agreed.
"I am going to set the bond at $200,000, plus house arrest, plus GPS," Judge De La O said in court.
After the realization that Judge Glazer was not to blame, Ortiz sent her an apology letter, in which he instead blamed the information he received from Miami Police.
He wrote, in part, "The information that was given to me was confirmed by the Miami Police Department. The personnel involved in that confirmation would like to meet with you to personally apologize for this mishap…I apologize for any stress that this has caused you. Please let me know when you are free next week."
Judge Glazer declined to speak about that publicly-posted, scathing letter that named her. Sgt. Ortiz is in Tallahassee handling legislative business, and told CBS4's Natalia Zea he is not available for a Skype or phone interview.
