His longtime friend, attorney Anthony Joseph Barranco, recalls former Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat's laughter.

“That's the thing I remember most about him—his joy,” Barranco said. “I thought the world of him.”

But that joy has given way to a more somber atmosphere as relatives and loved ones braced Friday for the death of 72-year-old Rodriguez-Chomat, a noted former jurist and Florida state representative, whose son says is unlikely to live out the week.