Friday, July 27, 2007

Former AUSA making us proud

Broward Circuit Judge Jeffrey Levenson always was one of the fairest prosecutors to deal with when he was an AUSA. Now he is showing how to judge:

The jurors didn't know that the judge presided in his socks and the defendant testified in the judge's shoes.

That's what happened Tuesday when Broward Circuit Judge Jeffrey Levenson gave the shoes off his feet so Michael Fernandez, 22, could put his best foot forward to testify at his trial on a cocaine-trafficking charge.Fernandez mistakenly was brought to court in his jailhouse garb, said defense attorney Jim Lewis. When deputies finally delivered Fernandez's court clothes, his shoes were missing and he would have had to testify in his jailhouse flip flops, Lewis said.

Enter the judge and his size 11s."He took off his black loafers and said, 'Use these,'" Lewis said. "And sure enough, they were just about a perfect fit."

Love it. Well done Judge Levenson. And you may be wondering what happened to the defendant -- not guilty. I wonder what would have happened if the jury would have seen him in prison flip flops...

2 comments:

Rumpole said...

Bravo Judge Levenson. And I agree, he is a great Judge, misplaced in Broweird.

Anonymous said...

On the other hand, it should be a requirement that judges walk in the shoes of defendants -- before trial or sentencing.