Jul 14, 2009 7:35 pm US/Eastern
DeFede: Child Advocate Removed From Top Post
She's Being Replaced By Orlando Prescott
New Miami-Dade Chief Judge Joel H. Brown Said He Wanted New Perspectives & Leadership
Cindy Lederman Will Remain A Juvenile Court Judge
MIAMI (CBS4 I-TEAM) ―
Judge Cindy Lederman, the chief judge for Miami Dade's juvenile court, was abruptly removed from her position Monday in what some fear is a plan to combine the juvenile courts with family court.
"I think there is some concern that if the family court takes over, there will be less emphasis on juveniles, that's about what the issue is," said Seymour Gelber, former Miami Beach mayor and longtime judge who was himself the chief juvenile court judge in the eighties.
Gelber wrote a book about the juvenile court system and included an entire chapter on Lederman's accomplishments. He called her a tough judge, who during her 15 years in juvenile court created a system that truly benefited children.
"It means that you are losing a high quality, high profile person who has national, maybe international connections where she is up and current with everything," he said.
Judge Joel Brown, the new chief judge of the entire court system, said he was moving Judge Orlando Prescott into the top spot in juvenile court to bring a fresh perspective to the job. Brown's statement did not discuss the possibility of folding juvenile court in with family court.
It is well known that Lederman has always opposed combining the two courts. Gelber also favors leaving juvenile court separate.
"The whole purpose is that in a democratic society we've ignored our children," he said. "So what we need are courts that would pay special attention, that would provide special solutions to the problems, that would have a certain expertise, and that's how the juvenile court developed, and I don't see any reason why it shouldn't continue that way."
A nationally recognized champion for the rights of children, Lederman oversaw some of the most controversial cases in the county, including the disappearance of 5-year-old Rilya Wilson. Lederman was relentless in her questioning from the bench of state officials in their handling of the little girl who was never found
Lederman, who will remain a judge in the juvenile court system, declined a request for an interview. She issued a statement instead that read: "I urge everyone here at the Children's Courthouse to give their complete cooperation and assistance to the new administrative judge, as will I."
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