FORMER JUDGE HOWARD MOUSE GROSS PASSED AWAY

Howard "Mouse" Gross, a former REGJB circuit court judge and one the legends of the Justice Building passed away in December, 2018. Judge Gross was a judge during the cocaine wars of the 1980's. He sat on the bench during a time when the judiciary and the practice of criminal law, as well as Miami in general changed in fundamental ways. The influx of drug money changed Miami from a sleepy southern town, to a chic metropolis.

 Where the criminals were, the money was, and that's where the lawyers went. The change in Miami spawned the careers of some of the best criminal defense attorneys in the nation including Roy Black. Jack Denaro, Joel Hirschorn, James Jay Hogan, Steve Bronis,  and Richard Sharpstein to name a few. Local characters like Sy Gaer , Mel Kessler, and Stuart Mishkin flourished in the practice of criminal defense. Judge Gross was on the bench for all of this, along with his compatriots like Judge Ellen Morphonios, Judge Arthur Snyder, Judge "Fast" Gerry Klein, and our own and still practicing Ted Mastos. 

His obituary is here.