Monday, July 27, 2009

Great piece on the Chief

John Pacenti covers Judge Moreno here

From the intro:

When socialite Paris Hilton came to town for a civil trial, she was upstaged by none other than Chief U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno.

Pragmatic, smart and funny, the Miami jurist stopped seasoned attorneys who were litigating the question of whether Hilton adequately promoted her film box office bomb "Pledge This!," to ask incisive questions. Since it was a bench trial, Moreno was serving as a jury of one and had no need for rote legal arguments.

Despite his good humor, Moreno is a stickler for proper courtroom decorum. He gently chastised an out-of-town attorney representing Hilton repeatedly for failing to stand up when addressing him. He prompted an out-of-town attorney in another case to borrow a tie before speaking at the courtroom lectern. Given the judge's jocularity and ready smile, the attorney asked if he was kidding.

The judge wasn't.

Moreno said his insistence on decorum is based on respect for the institution.

"I think a federal courthouse, or any courthouse for that matter, is a secular temple," he said. "We dress in robes because it's a secular temple. People dress in suits, and I think people behave better when they are dressed better."

7 comments:

Rumpole said...

I often saw him tell an attorney to get a tie before speaking in court when he was in State court.

He has a great sense of humor, and controls the courtroom, but I am 100% certain I was the first lawyer to ever make him so angry he stormed off the bench. JR was there. But I seriously doubt they will remember the incident.

swlip said...

What kind of (male, presumably) lawyer comes to court without a tie? Especially when he's from out of town? You might as well come to court with no pants on. Sheesh.

Anonymous said...

state court is more like a bathroom, than a temple, and rumpole is the janitor

Rumpole said...

Oh yeah? Sez who?

Anonymous said...

What is wrong with balls in court?

fake fred moreno said...

MEEEEEEESTER Markus!

Watch your step here. You're taking a walk down a path to which you do not know where it leads mi amigo.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

FYI:

Federal judges cannot use a greater likelihood of rehabilitation to justify a longer prison sentence for a criminal defendant, a divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled today. The court recognized a split among circuit courts on the issue

Cap Out ....