Monday, March 08, 2010

RIP Judge James Paine

Sad news to report -- Judge Paine has passed away. Here's the PBP obit:

The flag outside the federal courthouse flies at half-mast this morning following the death Sunday of one of Palm Beach County's longest serving, hardest working federal jurists, Sr. U.S. District Judge James C. Paine.
Paine, 85, died after spending his final few days in hospice care. Funeral services are preliminarily planned for Thursday, his son, Jim Paine said.
Paine was appointed a federal judge by President Carter in 1979, retiring 28 years later in 2007.
He worked so much there was a joke around the federal courthouse: How did you know Judge Paine was on vacation? He wore a plaid shirt to work.
If you ask a passel of South Florida lawyers about Paine — winners or losers in cases from all quarters — many will mention his impartiality and demeanor. That he was the perfect persona of a federal judge, yet still a humble human being.
Paine, of Palm Beach, spoke at his retirement reception in 2007 saying he was flabbergasted by the number of people who came out on that rainy day.
"You folks are awfully nice to be here," he said in his hallmark genteel way.

And here's his Wiki entry:

Paine was born in 1924 in Valdosta, Georgia. His family moved to Palm Beach County in his childhood. Paine graduated from Palm Beach High School in 1941. He received an Associate of Arts degree from the University of Florida in 1943.
Paine joined the United States Naval Reserve from 1943 to 1946 and served in the Aleutian Islands on a fleet tugboat, taking part in salvage, diving, target towing, and combat actions during the bombardment of the Kurile Islands. After returning to the United States, Paine received a Bachelor of Science from Columbia Business School in 1947 and an LL.B. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1950.
Paine was in private practice in West Palm Beach from 1950 to 1979. President Jimmy Carter nominated Paine to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on July 12, 1979, to the new seat created by 92 Stat. 1629. Confirmed by the Senate on October 4, 1979, he received commission on October 5, 1979.
While a judge on the district court, Paine presided over several notable cases, including
The trial of the Seminole leader James E. Billie on charges of killing an endangered Florida panther, [1]
The trial of John Piazza for NFL match-fixing [2]
The revocation of U.S. citizenship proceedings of Bohdan Koziy. [3]
The trial of stockbroker Leslie Roberts on mail fraud and conspiracy charges. [4]
Paine assumed senior status on May 20, 1992.

1 comment:

Stephen said...

Sad news. Judge Paine was a great jurist; perhaps I have a soft spot for him as he handed me a big win early in my career. I do not want to minimize or make light of his service as a smart and fair judge, but we would be remiss if we did not also remember that Judge Paine was responsible for opinions that contained, without question, the greatest sub-headings in the history of jurisprudence. Remember these gems from Joyner v. Monier Roof Tile, Inc., 784 F.Supp. 872 (S.D.Fla.1992): "The Unforgettable Firing"; "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"; "A Car in Every Garage, a Chicken in Every Pot and Every Man a King"; "Reconstruction of the Fables"; and "... and Justice for All"? My personal favorites are these sub-headings from Kingston Square Tenants Ass'n v. Tuskegee Gardens, Ltd., 792 F.Supp. 1566 (S.D.Fla.1992): "To 12(b) or Not to 12(b), That is the Question"; "Judicial Fourplay: Cort v. Ash"; "Talkin' 'Bout A Resolution"; "For Whom the Southern Bell Tolls"; and "RICO-Chet". Rest in peace, Judge!