Farewell to Judge Matthewman

By John R. Byrne

It was a heartfelt--and very funny--sendoff for Magistrate Judge William Matthewman yesterday at the Wilkie D. Courthouse. Magistrate Judge McCabe served as master of ceremonies, and the other speakers included former Magistrate Judge O’Sullivan, Magistrate Judge Reinhart, and Judge Williams.

At the outset, Judge McCabe unveiled an incredible throwback photograph of a young (and mustachioed) Judge Matthewman from his days as a K-9 officer with the City of Miami. Yes, his dog, Fuzz, was pictured too. I wish I had snapped a photo of it. As Judge Williams observed, Judge Matthewman looked ready to audition for CHiPs.

Although the speeches prompted plenty of raucous laughter, they also made clear how much respect and admiration Judge Matthewman’s colleagues have for him. And, although I probably should have known this already, I learned that Judge Matthewman was an accomplished criminal defense lawyer before taking the bench, including trying a high-profile death-penalty case before Judge Ungaro.

In his own remarks, Judge Matthewman cracked a few jokes, of course. But he also shared some words of wisdom that judges and lawyers alike could take to heart. For judges, he recalled what Judge Cohn told him when he first took the bench: “This job isn’t that hard. Listen carefully to the arguments and just be reasonable!” And for lawyers, this: Be concise. In your openings, your examinations, and your closings. 

And with that, I’ll end this blog post.