He has been described in emails to us as a great judge and an even better man.
The Miami Herald Obit is here
We recall this "experiment" which was widely reported at the time:
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Richard Feder’s “grand experiment” in decorum and dignity made national news when he asked trial lawyers in his courtroom to wear black judicial robes, to remove the sartorial vices of a mid-1980s Miami courthouse and elevate it to one of British judicial majesty.
Judge Feder was just one of those judges whose path we didn't cross very often. His reputation was sterling and we welcome comments about his life and career.
Some readers have remembered Judge Feder:
Juan Gonzalez said...
A great Judge and even greater man. When you were in his court you sensed that he was special without him saying a word. I am a better person to have practiced in his court
Judge Feder was my husband's uncle, his mother's cousin. He was a wonderful and caring man who would give you the shirt off of his back, if it was all that he had. He had a special way about him, that you did not find in many people of his stature. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him
Services will be at 11:45 a.m. Aug. 11 at Temple Israel, 137 NE 19th St., Miami. Donations can be made to the ACLU.
Dedicated Judge. Made an effort ton improve our judicial facilities and institutions.
ReplyDeleteJudge Feder was my husband's uncle, his mother's cousin. He was a wonderful and caring man who would give you the shirt off of his back, if it was all that he had. He had a special way about him, that you did not find in many people of his stature. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
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ReplyDeleteJudge Richard Yale Feder. One of the classics in Miami-Dade County jurist history. Judge Feder knew the law and he loved the law and he respected the law. The law was his life and he spent his entire career, as an attorney and a judge, giving back to the community by teaching the importance of the law and how it affected our every day lives.
If you were lucky enough to appear before Judge Feder, and even luckier to try a case before him, the experience was quite different than pretty much any other judge in our Circuit.
He was old school, distinguished, he had that air of Old Bailey's in his blood. Rumpole would have loved that style given Horace's connection to "the motherland" as he sometimes refers to the Queen's Court.
If you were in trial before Judge Feder, you were asked to wear a robe, just like they do in England. He has a closet full of them and he walked you into his chambers and you picked one out. No wigs though.
He opened all of his trials by explaining to the jury the history of the Magna Carta and our jury system. It was quite formal.
Judge Feder has a brilliant son, Scott, who practices here in Coral Gables, Board Certified in Civil law.
He is stepfather to Ellen Sue Venzer as well. Judge Feder swore in Judge Venzer when she first became a judge.
Judge Feder will be missed. He lived 88 years and it was certainly a life well lived.
Cap Out .....
A great Judge and even greater man. When you were in his court you sensed that he was special without him saying a word. I am a better person to have practiced in his court.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Juan Gonzalez. I can't say it better.
ReplyDeleteI tried some cases before Judge Feder wearing the robes. On breaks (before cell phones) the lawyers would go into the hall to use the pay phones. Other lawyers would stop and stare and wonder when did these guys become judges. Some even would come up to us and call us "Judge", and make small talk to brown nose. Once Chief Judge Wetherington found out about this he sent an order that attorneys could not wear their robes outside of the court. I found out it was more comfortable to take off your jacket when wearing the robe. My partner hated the robes because as he put it, "he dressed better than the other lawyers". After the trial, Judge Feder would take the time to critique the performance of the attorneys in a constructive manner. He was a great guy sorry to hear of his passing.
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ReplyDeleteCaptain, I don't know who you are, but you obviously knew my friend Richard Feder, and appeared before him. You nailed it. I'm glad you were able to share your trial experience in his courtroom. That was the experience that Herald Reporter Harold Cohen wrote about in the obit when he talked about Judge Feder's "grand experiment".
Judge Feder was one of a kind and he will be missed.
Bloch filing a lawsuit in a desperate attempt to win the election is pathetic. Was going to vote for him but not now.
ReplyDeleteLovely man and an excellent judge. Dedicated and compassionate. Will not see his like again soon.
ReplyDeleteDavid Ovalle's article about Bloch's lawsuit.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article94917192.html
Bloch's lawsuit against Del Rey: https://www.scribd.com/document/320838796/Complaint-Filed-8-10-2016-pdf#from_embed
ReplyDeleteHe asked us to wear robes once during a trial and we all loved it. Good guy. RIP.
ReplyDeleteBloch showing how desperate he is before he gets trounced. Takes all the dirt from the local blogs and puts it in a lawsuit. And then attaches a-forms and informations as if del rey is somehow involved.
ReplyDeleteIf he wants to sling mud, bloch should go run for mayor of sweetwater or hialeah. Shouldnt we expect more from a sitting judge? I dont know del rey from a hole in the wall, but ill vote for her. And bloch should get a jqc complaint for this drivel.