Fifty Years of Justice : A History of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida

“Succeeds in lifting the veil to capture the daily drama, excitement, and importance of one federal district court’s work—all within the framework of the legal and political developments of the time. This fascinating and invaluable narrative history is a must-read for all serious students of Florida’s federal judiciary, as well as of the general history of the state.”—Walter W. Manley II, coeditor of **__The Supreme Court of Florida and Its Predecessor Courts, 1821–1917__** “On any day, America’s courts are a trove of human interest, significant drama, and the making of public policy. With the Middle District of the federal judiciary in Florida as its focus, this book explains how the courts work, reveals frequent dramatic conflicts, points up the injustice to the public when judgeships remain vacant, and illustrates the importance of the independence upon which the integrity of the courts depends.”—Martin A. Dyckman, author of __Reubin O’D. Askew and the Golden Age of Florida Politics__ “Gives insights into the way that many major cases have been resolved by judges and lawyers who were so frequently called on not only for hard work but for courage and integrity.”—Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, former president, Florida State University, and former president, American Bar Association “The true stories discussed in this edition tell the real story of Florida. And in Florida, reality is much more interesting than fiction.”—Richard S. Dellinger certified mediator, Florida Supreme Court and Middle District of Florida Representing half of the state’s population, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida is one of the busiest federal courts in the nation. It is recognized most often as the battleground for the Terri Schiavo “right to die” case, but it has been at the center of major decisions for more than fifty years. The famous and the infamous have stood before these judges, including young civil rights lawyer Thurgood Marshall, mobster Santo Trafficante, drug lord Carlos Lehder, baseball star Denny McLain, movie star Wesley Snipes, criminal defense attorney F. Lee Bailey, and Constance Baker Motley, the first African American woman to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Representing half of the state's population, the U.S. Middle District Court is one of the busiest federal courts in Florida. It is recognized most often as the battleground for the Terri Schiavo “right to die” case, but it has been at the center of major decisions for more than fifty years. The famous and the infamous have stood before the judges of the Middle District courts, including young civil rights lawyer Thurgood Marshall, mobster Santo Trafficante, drug lord Carlos Lehder, baseball star Denny McLain, movie star Wesley Snipes, criminal defense attorney F. Lee Bailey, and Constance Baker Motley, the first African American woman to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.The verdicts have made headlines, but little is known about the inner workings of the court in which they were delivered. In Fifty Years of Justice, James Denham presents the fascinating history of the U.S. Middle District Court of Florida from its founding in 1962 to the present. Readers will discover the intricacies of rulings, the criminal defendants and civil litigants, and the dedicated officials—the unsung heroes—who keep the justice system running day to day. From desegregation to discrimination, espionage to the environment, trafficking to terrorism, and a host of cases in between, litigation in these courtrooms has shaped and shaken both state and nation. This book looks at the U.S. Middle District Court of Florida, which represents about 1/2 of Florida's population and is one of the busiest courts in the state, interpreting and applying Supreme Court decisions in cases such as the Terry Schaivo "right to die" case