WATCHDOG – TV Series on Judicial Corruption

A Hollywood Producer and Actor has optioned the rights for all media, including and not limited to, Television and Feature Film, for the life rights of Joshua Cumberland, a  Brevard County, Florida resident.  Mr. Cumberland’s story in Brevard County Family Law Courts will be the subject of one or two episodes.   The producer is Larry Wilcox who produced an award winning Television Series for HBO and starred in series of the past on NBC called CHiPs with Erik Estrada in the 80s.    The show will be an advocacy show about eradicating judicial corruption in the courts and or corruption of any kind and will showcase actual hearings, rulings and narratives. Some of court rulings seem to perpetuate deep psychological and financial injury to a bullied and disenfranchised citizen who has no means to neither survive in capitalist America nor hope to ever overturn a legal judgment.   However, the TV Show will hopefully educate the viewers on law and procedure. Sometimes, there is harassment by police, rejection from all banks and credit card systems, labels that warn employers to not hire this individual and other tortuous events often remove all hope and faith in life and in some cases even result in suicide.  These are not criminals by any means, these are narratives of labeled victims by powerful bullies, these are citizens of your community and their real story needs to be heard.  Power is often relentless and it requires checks and balances.  Our goal is to produce a very top quality and provocative TV series with a show each week about a court’s rulings in various counties.  We will also produce an annual County Corruption Report for the local community and government officials.

Wilcox quoted George Washington when he also stated   ” The administration of Justice is the firmest pillar of good government.”  I humbly believe that we all need to review checks and balances in our community’s judicial departments and that is why the World Bank provides the Global Corruption Report (GCR) and I hope our Television Series and movie warrants a national and international distribution of this show and this Annual County Corruption Report that includes and or appeals to all of the stakeholders of each and every county in the United States.  Virtually all of the counties have committees or regulations establishing the procedure to investigate, adjudicate, and take corrective measures for judicial misconduct. In 1990, Congress created the National Commission on Judicial Discipline.  Michael Kahn a Melbourne, Florida attorney drafted a model for an anti corruption bill while Amanda Lundergan, a defense attorney in Royal Palm Beach Florida complained of judicial bullying.  Mary McQueen, executive director of the National Council on State Courts said that “Everybody should have the right to ensure the judge sitting on their case doesn’t have a conflict.”     Senator Don Gaetz of Niceville Florida sponsored a bill for a Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability and a companion bill was spearheaded by Rep Ritch Workman of Melbourne on Rules, Ethics and Calendar Committee. Meanwhile Columbia University has done extensive work on judicial corruption.  Contently.org published a statement and graph that represents that 90% of these judicial complaints were dismissed and actions ranged from a warning letter to censure.   Wilcox states that one discouraging factor is the secrecy under which these commissions operate but that is why it warrants more analysis, exposure and peer critical thinking to oversee this very provocative Television Series.  It is easy to assemble a digital cavalcade of unscrupulous judges over time but that is not the goal.  The goal is to eradicate this behavior, because often, the citizen walks out of court, dumbfounded and injured or disenfranchised for life. Yes there are digital web sites that rate Judges like the Robe Probe, the Judiciary Report and The Robing Room. Our goal will be to share cases and rulings and then have a peer review panel of experts and strategic regulatory alliances to educate and explain to the world what needs to be done in these cases. The cornerstone of our society is these small and forgotten counties like Brevard County, Florida where liberty and the rule of law need to be fairly reviewed.  Wilcox wants to shoot a series that is for all communities, large or small.  He wants to shoot the series for all stakeholders but the show will detect judicial corruption accurately, to investigating it fairly and to eradicate it through exposure on national television without eroding an independent judiciary.  This is a delicate walk as we provoke both independence and public accountability in this TV Series while managing critical thinking and stakeholder perceptions.

As one NY mother, Mrs Besen, who lost an ugly custody battle for her children to her husband, an attorney, stated:  “The hardest thing in my life is that I can’t be with my children and I can’t have an impact on my children’s upbringing.  A lot of people do not have any idea how the judicial system works or doesn’t work until you’re in it.  We think we’re in a democratic society.  We think we’re run by rules.  But they are not being upheld by the court at all.”  This was another corrupt and sad story that was produced in collaboration with The Contently Foundation for Investigative Reporting.  This is a mother who was making $13,000 a year and her alleged violent husband is making $500,000 a year and SHE is paying child support?

These corruption stories run the gamut and various counties are forming regulatory oversights like IBAC which in Australia is the Independent Broad based Anti Corruption Commission.  One might ask, do we tolerate corruption or prosecute it?

Yes the first show will be the Brevard County Florida story involving Josh Cumberland but his case and the Brevard County rulings will speak for justice and or corruption!  Wilcox states, “These stories will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck and will prick the deepest emotions of local citizens! “  UK Funding is in place for this new and provocative Television Series and it is anticipated to begin production of the first show in Melbourne, Florida the first quarter of 2019.  Wilcox states he has been in contact with the local Film Commission for Brevard County and hopes to employ some Brevard County locals.  He is also in discussions with a TV distribution company with a footprint of 130 Million households.  Wilcox also has a digital distribution platform for OTT (over the Top) distribution.