Judge William Hoeveler

 By John R. Byrne

I never practiced before Judge Hoeveler but he's another judge whose name often comes up when I hear lawyers talk about great trial judges. His claim to judicial fame, of course, was presiding over the trial of General Manuel Noriega. And even Noriega was impressed. He told the judge, "The one shining light through this legal nightmare has been your honor. You have acted as honest and fair as anyone can hope for."

Some other quotes about the judge:

• Judge Eugene Spellman: “I call him the biblical judge. He has the wisdom of Solomon and the patience of Job.”

• Judge Fay (on Hoeveler as a trial lawyer): "Smart, witty, and extremely handsome, he was impossible to deal with in front of a jury. Always the courtly and courteous lawyer, he was adored by judges and jurors alike. Try making a living trying cases against a guy like that!”

• Attorney Aaron Podhurst: "He acted like Abe Lincoln. He never raised his voice, and he was a fabulous lawyer, and he was a great trial judge."

• The Miami Herald called him "The Court's Mister Clean" and The Miami News rated him the "The Best Judge in Town."

And then there's this story, recounted in this excellent FBA profile on the judge: 

"Before one of the many drug importation trials he presided over, a defense attorney told the judge that the defendant was still in a jail uniform and needed a few minutes to change. The judge stood up, took off his sweater and handed it to the attorney, saying 'Make sure he’s seated when the jury comes in, and he’ll look fine in this. I hope he likes blue.'" 

So, yes, Judge Hoeveler was the kind of man who'd give you the shirt off his back.

FBA write-up below:

Judge William Hoeveler was nominated by President Carter to the district court, where he served from 1977 to 2017. Hoeveler enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and served a tour of duty in the Pacific as a lieutenant from 1942 to 1946. Judge Hoeveler presided over several notable matters, including the Elian Gonzalez proceedings and the 1991 trial of former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, who was convicted on multiple counts of drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering. United States v. Noriega, 746 F. Supp. 1506 (S.D. Fla. 1990), aff'd, 117 F.3d 1206 (11th Cir. 1997).