NSU Horizons Fall 2006

horizons 31 alumni journal W hen Reemberto Diaz gave his closing arguments to the jury in his December 2003 defense of two desperate Cuban hijackers, he cried. Diaz, J.D., class of 1979, had always been known for his passion for the law; but when he defended the hijackers, his research took him to a homeland he had not seen since early childhood. Viewing the suffering there first-hand hit him in the depths of his soul. “Who told you I cried?” Diaz asked during an interview, before confirming that he indeed was emotionally overcome by the case of United States v. Yanier Olivares-Samon . The case spoke to the human side of him, not to the profession- ally objective, extremely meticulous side he had shown for decades as a Miami-Dade criminal defense attorney. Diaz still spends most of his time in court, but now he is able to keep middle ground. Florida Governor Jeb Bush appointed the graduate of NSU’s Shepard Broad Law Center to be an 11th Judicial Circuit Court Judge on June 16. Colleague and long-time friend Mario Cano was with Diaz when he got the news of his appointment. They were driving to the Florida Keys for a legal seminar. “A call came in from a guy identifying himself as the governor. Instead of thinking it was one of our friends pulling a prank, Reemberto listened to the whole thing. You could see the glee come over his face,” Cano said. “He’s normally a very controlled person, from years of trials, but he looked at me and told me what was obvious—that was the governor, and he had gotten the appointment.” Circuit Court Judge Julio E. Jimenez said Diaz is a good choice for the bench. “He is one of the best criminal defense lawyers I have ever seen. He has an excellent reputation here in the justice building with all the attorneys and judges, and he’s handled many first-degree murder cases, among them several death penalty cases,” Jimenez said. “He probably has argued about 200 trials; that’s a lot. He’s going to be an excellent judge because he has that experience.” Cano describes Diaz as a dedicated family man. Diaz speaks affectionately of his two daughters (Michelle, 26, and Melissa, 22) and of his wife (Claudine), though he admits he is somewhat of a workaholic. “As an attorney, I worked all the time: weekends, Sunday nights, evenings. I had an office at home, and I’d take home work every weekend,” Diaz said. “Now I read the law and study. I still take stuff home to keep myself informed in changes in the law and to keep current.” Diaz said the transition from attorney to judge has been a smooth one. “To me it’s been easier than I thought it would be,” he said. “It feels great; it is clearly more rewarding than being a defense lawyer because you’re not running around from courtroom to courtroom. My cell phone doesn’t ring all the time.” Diaz said he has always been one to contemplate, which is what he can now do as a judge. “Now I can concern myself with the rights of the defendant and the rights of the victim. I can sit in the middle and see how decisions truly affect people, without getting caught up in defending a point. “I can look for answers instead of looking for arguments,” he said. “Besides, it’s fun to still be able to sit in a courtroom, even though you aren’t trying a case, and watch others do what you’re trained to do.” But there is woe to pay if you deceive him. “Dishonesty really ticks me off both as a lawyer and a judge. Tell me the truth. Tell me what the issues are. Don’t lie to me,” he said. And it is those ethics, said criminal defense attorney Stuart Adelstein, that will make Diaz a good judge. Adelstein shared office space with Diaz for about 10 years. “He’s got the perfect temperament to become a judge; he’s even-keeled, willing to listen, and not short,” Adelstein said. “He understands that both sides have an obligation in their duty to the prospective parties, and he does not get flustered at all.” And with that resolve, Adelstein said, comes the ability to handle difficult cases. Compassion and integrity from the Bench: Reemberto Diaz, J.D., Class of 1979 By Lisa Bolivar Continued on page 35