Judge Mario Goderich, who sat in the REGJB in its heyday, and on the 3rd DCA for fifteen years has passed away.
Judge Goderich was, amongst many attributes, a true gentleman. Never a harsh word from him. He was studious, and kind, and dignified, and the epitome of a Judge. We tried many a case before Judge Goderich in the REGJB. He was one of our favourites, for good reason, and we were not alone in our admiration for him.
There are many more attributes about Judge Goderich, including being one of the first Cuban born appellate judges in Florida. His 3rd DCA bio is here, It is well worth a read. He graduated law school from the University of Havana and was a practising attorney in Cuba until things went south and he and his family had to come to the US, where he started all over again. But we will leave all of those to others to post in the comments section.
We choose to remember him as a gentleman. Unfailingly polite. Hardworking. The kind of judicial temperament that someone is born with.
A true judge in every sense of the word, and a man who made Miami-Dade County better for all of us for serving on the bench. We have missed him since his well earned retirement in 2005.
8 comments:
Mario consistently displayed a level of class, kindness and thoughtfulness that you rarely see these days. One of the best. May he rest in peace.
Steve Bronis
A wonderful, wonderful man. Always kind, polite, and judicious. If he was on my oral argument panel, I would focus on him because he exuded a calm demeanor that helped me relax and focus. He played tennis for many years on weekend mornings at the Shenandoah Park courts. That is where I last saw him years ago. May his memory serve as a blessing to his family, and his judging style as a shining example to my colleagues and me. As both a judge and a person, he is someone to emulated. Rest in peace, Judge Goderich
Mario worked in the UM law library in the early 70s. He was always respectful and exhibited courtesy towards all counsel. I would run across him playing tennis in Miami Springs. Have not heard much about him since he hung up the black robe. A really great lawyer, Judge and Gentleman. Some of the current "Baby Judges" could learn much if they followed Mario's creed.
I was a young prosecutor with what I probably thought was a big drug case. The jury got the case late Friday afternoon and my memory is walking into an empty courtroom around 1130 pm and having judge Goderich waive me over to the jury room for with a mischievous grin to listen to the deliberations. He was such a decent and nice man. He made me feel comfortable at a time when I was new to the courthouse and very much felt like an outsider. Many older judges treated new lawyers with contempt. Not judge Goderich. He was open and welcoming. I wish I would have known he went to law school and practiced in Havana. I bet he had some amazing stories.
I was his first court reporter when he became a Workers' Comp judge in 1975. I was a real novice, just 2 weeks out of court reporting school. He was incredibly kind and patient with me, and helped me see areas where I needed to improve. Through his example, I learned how to always be courteous, polite, and helpful to others. The last time I saw him was about 5 or 6 years ago at Versailles. Ever the gentleman, he paid for my lunch, and said goodbye with a big smile. A great last memory. Rest in peace, Judge. You were the best.
Judge Goderich was the law librarian at UM when I started. He was unfailingly helpful to law students and one of the nicest people that God ever made. He lived for many years over at the Pathways Apartments, where he also was very popular. To see a person who had professionally advanced as far as he had in Cuba, to come over here, and just plug away from the bottom was an inspiration to many a young lawyer. At every stage of his service he was regarded uniformly positively by peers and subordinates alike. (At Miami, we called him Dr. or Professor out of respect) His distinguished service as a comp judge, then a circuit judge, and finally a DCA judge was at the very top levels of performance.
It is interesting that Judge de la O had such nice things to say about him, since that judge keeps one from saying that they do not make them like they made Mario Goderich. He is ever bit as fine, with the one exception that it is enraging that he looks today the same as he did the day he was sworn into the bar.
Real nice guy. Good judge. Good person. Sorry to hear.
I know this is too little and too late, but a comment to another recent post was spot on - Judge Goderich was a true gentleman and outstanding jurist and deserved more recognition upon his passing. I for one apologize for my omission.
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