Mike Satz, State Attorney, Broward County. Photo: Candace West

As Broward State Attorney Mike Satz opts out of the next election in 2020, his departure heralds a new day in South Florida criminal law.

Satz was first elected in 1976 and served 11 terms in office, overseeing more than 200 lawyers. His retirement is “a great loss,” according to Chief Assistant State Attorney Jeff Marcus, hired by Satz in 1983.

“Mike is the most dedicated public servant that could have possibly held this job for as long as he has,” Marcus said.

Broward Public Defender Howard Finkelstein has also chosen not to run in the next election, so voters will have a fresh canvas from which to pick new leaders. As Satz and Finkelstein have regularly butted heads on key issues, many attorneys — Finkelstein included — welcome the development.

“Both of us retiring is a good thing for our changing community, as he and I are the culture wars of the last 40 years,” Finkelstain said. “Time to move beyond it.”

Also enthusiastic about the future is Jamie Benjamin, a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney with more than three decades of experience.

“I'm hoping that the new folks are going to embrace some new ideas,” Benjamin said. “It would be nice to see the state attorney and the public defender try to work maybe a little closer together.”

Satz gave Benjamin his first chance “as a baby lawyer” in 1980, hiring him as a prosecutor. Since then, Benjamin said he's seen Satz's commitment from both sides of the courtroom.

“People say most of the job is administration, but he took it a step further,” Benjamin said. “In cases that warranted special attention, he gave it that attention.”

Police homicide cases were closest to Satz's heart, and he often served as the trial lawyer — an unusual move for a state attorney. Both Benjamin and Marcus said they've always been impressed with how Satz could seemingly memorize anything for trial.

“You have to see it to believe it, but he will try a case through opening and closing argument without a single note in front of him,” Marcus said.

'Entire life for public service'

Benjamin is surprised to see Satz go, but hopes he'll get some time to “sit back and try to smell the roses.”

“He's taken a step back earlier than I expected, but after 44 years, give the guy a break,”  Benjamin said. ”He's basically sacrificed his entire life for public service.”

Satz never married or had children, and spends most of his time either working or working out, according to his chief assistant Marcus.

“His workouts are legendary,” Marcus said.

Satz is stepping back to focus on prosecuting Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz, who is facing the death penalty. The case is huge, with 4 million pages of discovery and 986 witnesses.

“This has been an extremely difficult decision for me,” Satz said in a statement Tuesday.

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Related story: Broward State Attorney Mike Satz Won't Run for Re-election, Will Focus on Parkland Shooter

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A reluctance to be progressive?

Lloyd Golburgh has been a criminal defense attorney in Broward for 26 years, working predominantly on DUI cases opposite Satz's office.

Golburgh said he's seen Satz's caring and conscientious attitude, but is “not entirely disappointed” by his departure, having long taken issue with Satz's “reluctance to be progressive” in handling misdemeanor and DUI cases. While Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties have diversion programs for first offense DUIs — where there are no crashes and no high breathalyzer results — Broward doesn't.

“Unfortunately, if you are unlucky enough to get arrested in Broward County, you're not going to be treated the same way as if you get arrested in either Dade County or Palm Beach County,” Golburgh said.

That said, Satz has made some “progressive” moves, creating various specialized courts designed to intertwine the justice system with social services, including a drug court, veterans court and mental health court.

Though Satz has been “an excellent leader” with whom Golburgh had a good relationship, he looks forward to a new day in Broward criminal law.

“As a general rule, politicians that are in power for too long, I don't think that benefits the people they serve in the end,” Golburgh said.

Eric Schwartzreich has practiced criminal law for 22 years and handled countless cases from Satz's office — one of the biggest being Broward Sheriff's Deputy Peter Peraza, the first Broward deputy indicted for an on-duty shooting.

In Schwartzreich's view, it's the right time to say goodbye to Satz and Finkelstein.

“They were both excellent leaders that had different philosophies and ran their offices in completely different ways,” Schwartzreich said. “Both Howard and Mike have had long, distinguished careers, but change is good and we look forward to the next era.”

Whoever takes the baton, it'll be a big shift for South Florida, according to Michelle Zeiger, senior counsel at Hinshaw & Culbertson's Fort Lauderdale office, who spent six years as a Broward prosecutor.

“It's the end of an era of an excellent trial attorney and esteemed prosecutor,” Zeiger said. “Satz prioritized the safety of the citizens of Broward County and demanded high standards of his prosecutors.”

 

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