The Platt Group, Inc.

Judge Steven I. Platt (Ret.) pens this blog which focuses on the intersection of law, economics, politics and the development of public policy. His blog is published as an Op-Ed Collumn in The Daily Record, a daily business and legal newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland and read widely in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan corridor and in the mid-atlantic region. He also writes, speaks and consults extensively on these subjects.

Website: https://www.apursuitofjustice.com/
Follow:

The Platt Group, Inc. Blogs

A Pursuit of Justice

Blog Authors

Steven Platt

Latest from The Platt Group, Inc.

            My transition off The Bench was punctuated by my entry into several worlds which differed greatly from “The Bench,” but also from each other. This was not inadvertent. Rather, it resulted from several years’ worth of advance planning, calculated career diversification choices and like everything else in life and love – a little bit of luck.             Before describing that interesting and challenging process, some historical, personal, and legal context explaining why and how…
The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and the rapid nomination of a replacement with a different judicial philosophy should remind both those who voted in the last Presidential election and more pointedly those who didn’t that “Elections have consequences” and this is one of them. The visible hypocrisy that has provided the context for the contrast between the timing of this nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett and that of Judge Merrick Garland should…
http-www-apursuitofjustice-com-wp-content-uploads-2020-07-1-jpg
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MARYLAND STATE OF MARYLAND                           *                   v                                                  *                      CASE No: CT 95-1837A DEMETRIEUS BROWN                            * OPINION AND ORDER OF COURT             Before the Court is Defendant, Demetrieus Brown’s Motion for Reconsideration of Sentence in the above captioned case.             On August 19, 1996, following a trial presided over by this judge, a jury convicted Mr. Brown of: Count 1:          2nd Degree MurderCount 2:          Use of a Handgun…
INTRODUCTION: I appreciate this opportunity to discuss the role of the “Expert” in the 21st Century profession of dispute resolution from the perspective of what I now call myself, “a Recovering Judge.” I spent a total of 29 years from 1978 to 2007 on three different Trial courts. I was also assigned to Maryland’s intermediate appellate court on multiple occasions. For the last 17 years, I have engaged in the world of private dispute resolution…
INTRODUCTION: I appreciate this opportunity to discuss the role of the “Expert” in the 21st Century profession of dispute resolution from the perspective of what I now call myself, “a Recovering Judge.” I spent a total of 29 years from 1978 to 2007 on three different Trial courts. I was also assigned to Maryland’s intermediate appellate court on multiple occasions. For the last 17 years, I have engaged in the world of private dispute resolution…
A retired judge on Wednesday cut in half the 100-year sentence he gave a defendant 23 years ago, partially granting a defense motion asking him to reconsider. The defendant, Gerald Jamar Cook, 40, was convicted of second-degree murder and related offenses in 1996 for the shooting death of William Louis Miller the previous year. Cook, who was just shy of his 18th birthday when he committed the murder, has served 23 years of his sentence. Prince…
A retired judge on Wednesday cut in half the 100-year sentence he gave a defendant 23 years ago, partially granting a defense motion asking him to reconsider. The defendant, Gerald Jamar Cook, 40, was convicted of second-degree murder and related offenses in 1996 for the shooting death of William Louis Miller the previous year. Cook, who was just shy of his 18th birthday when he committed the murder, has served 23 years of his sentence. Prince…
This writer’s 21st Century “branding” is “Senior Judge” when I am recalled to sit as a Trial Court Judge or as a Mediator for The Court of Special Appeals or one of the Trial Courts in Maryland. When I am not recalled, I function and am referred to as a “Mediator” or “Arbitrator” in the Private Sector.  As such, I mediate or arbitrate disputes which may or may not be filed cases in state or…
This writer’s 21st Century “branding” is “Senior Judge” when I am recalled to sit as a Trial Court Judge or as a Mediator for The Court of Special Appeals or one of the Trial Courts in Maryland. When I am not recalled, I function and am referred to as a “Mediator” or “Arbitrator” in the Private Sector.  As such, I mediate or arbitrate disputes which may or may not be filed cases in state or…
As the new year approaches, I welcome the opportunity in this space provided by The Daily Record, to reflect on the last almost 12 years since I “retired” as a full-time judge and entered a very different world of Private ADR, consulting, as well as public speaking, lecturing and teaching for diverse organizations. I have also been lucky enough and honored, during that time, to have been approved by the Court of Appeals to be…