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The Marine veteran got here to courtroom as a result of police had taken away his weapons.
They did it below a pink flag regulation that shall we government confiscate guns from other folks deemed unhealthy. Since then, the person had known as 911 to call for that police helicopters prevent following him, and now regulation enforcement sought after a judge to allow them to stay the weapons awhile longer.
In courtroom, Hillsborough Chief Judge Ron Ficarrotta stepped down from the bench, shook the person’s hand and requested in regards to the assist he used to be getting. Then he granted the order permitting government to carry onto the ones weapons.
Risk Protection Court — one of the most more recent courts created to deal with explicit problems, together with two mental health courts additionally began on Ficarrotta’s watch — “was an eye-opener,” the judge mentioned not too long ago.
A cache of guns seized from one Hillsborough County guy who later gave the impression in Risk Protection Court.
Times (2019)
Ficarrotta, 64, identified for advocating for courtroom enhancements, protective judges and coming down off the bench to speak to other folks immediately in his court, retires on the finish of August.
Judge Fig, as he’s known as on the courthouse, as soon as sat down within the jury field subsequent to an indignant, combative juvenile in mental health courtroom. This alarmed his bailiffs, however the judge realized {the teenager} used to be anxious about his sisters in foster care.
“In these types of courts, I think it’s important for people to be eye-level with you,” mentioned Ficarrotta, “that you’re just not sitting up there in the big chair.”
A Tampa local, he arrived on the courthouse 40 years in the past in a new army blue Johnny Carson swimsuit from Belk Lindsey to paintings as a prosecutor for then-State Attorney E.J. Salcines. Like different legal professionals on the town — together with judges, a previous state lawyer and the present public defender — Ficarrotta attended South Texas College of Law, nicknamed E.J.U. on account of the native pipeline by means of alumni Salcines.
A Democrat, Ficarrotta were given appointed to the county bench in 1994 by way of Democrat Gov. Lawton Chiles and to the circuit bench in 1999 by way of Republican Jeb Bush. In 2014, his friends elected him the chief judge, a role he left this summer season because of time period limits.
Hillsborough Chief Judge Ron Ficarrotta at the bench.
Times (2019)
Back when Hillsborough courts had been awash in controversies — amongst them, a judge speculated to have burdened girls, together with fellow judges, and every other accused of snooping in an enemy judge’s place of business — Ficarrotta used to be some of the native judiciary who stayed above the fray. The Judge Ficarrotta who resigned following an affair with a bailiff used to be his cousin, Gasper.
Former Chief Judge F. Dennis Alvarez mentioned Ficarrotta didn’t ruffle political feathers and took care of any problems privately. “One of the few judges that sat back and did their jobs and did a damn good job,” Alvarez mentioned.
Andrew Warren mentioned even if the incumbent state lawyer he defeated in 2016 used to be Ficarrotta’s buddy, the judge turned into “a tremendous partner” in running on inventions within the justice gadget.
Chief Judge Ron Ficarrotta speaks at a Veteran Treatment Court Regional Training Workshop in Tampa. Times (2019)
After he turned into chief judge, his telephone rang nights a few burst pipe flooding a court or a in poor health judge with an enormous docket within the morning. Sometimes, the process used to be conserving judges out of hassle.
In 2017, Judge Margaret Taylor made nationwide news at a bail listening to when she lambasted a University of South Florida soccer participant charged with sexual battery and in addition his trainer, Charlie Strong. In the dust-up that adopted, Ficarrotta organized a gathering between trainer and judge. “A very, very positive conversation,” he reported later on. He most well-liked a chat over cafe con leche to a strongly-worded e-mail.
Ficarrotta began Mental Health Court in 2016, and later a identical one for juveniles, aimed toward steerage positive defendants with mental health problems clear of the prison courtroom gadget and into remedy. “That was the most rewarding thing I’ve done in 29 years as a judge,” he mentioned. “You see the result … ‘Judge, I got a job!’”
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him to the Commission on Mental Health and Substance Abuse to check services and products to be had and techniques to fortify them.
Ficarrotta used to be a well-known face in Tallahassee, and in 2021, six new judges had been within the state funds for Hillsborough County. At house, fellow Judge Nick Nazaretian mentioned Ficarrotta used to be out 4 or 5 nights every week at prison occasions and group conferences.
Recently, the judges were given an e-mail from the chief on a court-related topic when Ficarrotta used to be intended to be in Italy for a marriage. “You know what?” Nazaretian mentioned. “He was in Italy.”
Hillsborough Judge Ron Ficarrotta retires on the finish of August.
[ SUE CARLTON I Times ]
When Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos G. Muniz gave Ficarrotta the 2023 Distinguished Judicial Service Pro Bono Award for his improve of techniques without cost prison services and products, Muniz known as Ficarrotta “a model of the service-minded judge.”
In the previous, Ficarrotta indicated hobby within the state lawyer process. Asked if he is thinking about working in opposition to present state lawyer Suzy Lopez, and most likely Warren, who used to be got rid of by way of the governor remaining 12 months, Ficarrotta didn’t give a definitive no.
But he mentioned fresh deaths of buddies, together with former fellow judge Dan Perry at 67, have made him take into consideration how one can spend his later years. He’s having a look ahead to touring with his spouse, Monica, and plans to take a path on being a courtroom mediator.
He used to be not too long ago shocked with a rite naming a court for him.
“I’m very, very fortunate — I don’t think I have any enemies in the courthouse,” he mentioned. “There’s probably people who don’t like me, but I hope everybody in this courthouse has respected me.”
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