DAVID WAKSMAN HAS PASSED AWAY

UPDATE: Funeral Information:
Thursday, at Noon, Star of David, 7701 Bailey Road, North Fort Lauderdale. 

His family will be sitting shiva afterwards. As some alert readers have pointed out, David was- and always will be- a law enforcement officer. As such, we cannot print his home address. Such information, we are sure, will be available at the funeral. 


David Waksman was an ordinary guy. You wouldn't give him a second thought walking down the hallways of the REGJB. He was a New Yorker. And Ex-cop who walked a beat in the Bronx. 

He was an ordinary guy. Right up until the time he walked into a court room.  Then he was extraordinary. 

David was part of a golden era of prosecutors in this town. Working for State Attorney Janet Reno and the extraordinary talent she had in her major crimes unit, David was one of the best. He handled the difficult cases. When a police officer was murdered or when a serial killer was arrested- and in one extraordinary series of cases- a former police officer who was a serial killer- David was the prosecutor people turned to- a master in the courtroom. 

He gave Miami the best he had, prosecuting difficult cases, training young prosecutors and teaching them that a lawyer's word was his or her  bond. When David told you something, you didn't need to follow it up with a letter (or email). He brought honor to his office, our courthouse, and our State. And when it was all over, he quietly walked away to a retirement cut way too short by his untimely death. 

David Waksman was in every regard extraordinary. 
May he rest in peace. 

LAESER, WAKSMAN, GILBERT TO RETIRE.

The title of the post links to the New Times article. 

Budget cuts are to blame.   The Dade SAO now loses three top trial prosecutors who have over 100 years of combined experience. 

The loss of these three prosecutors is bound to adversely affect our community. They did their job for decades, and they did it supremely well. 

But lets look a little deeper. Certainly  the prosecutors' office loss of three  top trial lawyers  may result in a rare not guilty on a serious capital case in the future. But what the  Dade SAO also loses is the experience that is passed on to younger and less experienced prosecutors. When Mr. Laeser tried a case, he usually had a younger prosecutor with him. Someone who could study and learn what it takes to throughly investigate and prepare a case for trial.  Mr. Laeser, Mr. Waksman and Mr. Gilbert took seriously their responsibility to train attorneys. When they leave the SAO, their knowledge and experience and ability to train younger lawyers leaves with them. 

And that is an irreplaceable loss indeed.