I have now practiced law in Miami-Dade County for over 40 years. My non-lawyer friends are surprised when they learn that Judges in Florida do not use gavels. Twenty five years ago when my wife Myriam was invested as a judge, she received several gavels from numerous associations and organizations. From the Cuban-American Bar to the Dade County Bar, she received gavels made of everything from marble to glass. Even though they adorn her chambers nicely, she has never used one, except maybe as a paper weight.
In the movies, judges use gavels to bring order to a rowdy courtroom. This has never been necessary in all of my years of practice since judges have always been respected and litigants showed some degree of decorum. Sadly, it looks like we may need to bring the good old-fashioned wooden gavel into service in Florida.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]