Investiture

I've been to probably 50 of these things over the years. After a judge is appointed by the governor, or wins an election he or she takes the bench, and, a few months later, has a ceremony at the old courthouse on Flagler Street. My friend Alan Fine was appointed last year, surprisingly. I was surprised because he's a lifelong Democrat, and typically sitting governors pick their own. Rick Scott, whom I dislike intensely, does have ONE good thing going for him: he's been picking good judges, regardless of political affiliation. Alan was in this number. I typically dislike investitures for the same reason I disliked high school student government meetings: a bunch of sycophants climb over each other to kiss politically important tucheses. Like student government types, the lawyers who are big shots in the bar association tend to NOT be my kind of folks. A few shook my hand today, and darted off in pursuit of more important hands to shake. I realized I truly LIKE about 20 lawyers total -- and that's pushing it. Still, today was surpsisingly moving. Retired Federal Judge Alan Gold was to simply do the swearing in. Instead, he asked for an indulgence to tell a story. Ha! As if! A federal judge can order the FBI, CIA, and IRS to come kicketh the crappola out of anyone. Like some lowly state judge was going to refuse his request. Anyway, Judge Gold told us he was Alan Fine's cousin, and when he was first installed as a judge, Fine's Dad gave him a gift of a gavel -- from another uncle who was a beloved judge in New Jersey. Alan Fine's Dad died last September. Judge Gold said that when Mr. Fine handed him the gavel, he said "Alan -- keep it in the family." Looking skyward, Judge Gold reflected that it was as if Alan Fine's father knew that someday... All of us got teary eyed, and then applauded loudly. We retired to La Loggia for lunch, site of the venerable old lawyer's haunt Sally Russell's. I love walking in there; I always thing of my mentor Ed Perse, and his sacred table. I once sat at Ed's seat, and the long time waiter Sonny admonished me to get up -- the chair was for Ed, whether he came for lunch that day or not. We ate, and shook some hands. Alan's former partner Scott was there with his dad, a retired judge, who wrote an infamous opinion about the divorce of another old friend, Alan. We laughed about that. Scott himself went through an awful divorce, and enough time has passed that he can laugh about it. I asked him if he thought about becoming a judge. No, he said, the salary wouldn't even cover the alimony he has to pay forever... Tonight there's a party at the stately house where Alan and Victoria live -- a gorgeous 3 acre estate. Wifey, the Ds, and both D boyfriends are invited. We'll hobnob with the legal machers. There'll be plenty to drink, I'm sure. Alan will be a terrific judge. It's great when the right people find the right spots at the right time.