Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat
Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat was a judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court, Criminal Division, in Florida. He was elected without opposition in April 2010 to replace retired Judge William Johnson. Rodriguez-Chomat took office in early 2011. His term expired on January 2, 2017, and he did not seek re-election in 2016.[1][2][3] Rodriquez-Chomat died of cancer on August 19, 2017.[4]
Education
Rodriguez-Chomat was born on June 28, 1945. He received his A.A. from Miami-Dade Community College in 1967 and his B.A. from St. Thomas University - Biscayne College in 1969. From 1969 to 1975, he served in the U.S. Army Reserve. He also received his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 1974.[5]
Career
Rodriguez-Chomat began his career in 1971 as an internal revenue agent. He then served as a Certified Public Accountant in 1976. He also ran his own law practice, Law Offices of Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat & Associates, P.A. In 1994, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, where he served District 114 as a Republican from 1995 to 1999. He joined the circuit court in 2011.[2][5][6]
Noteworthy cases
Flipped-off judge gives teen 30-days in jail
Judge Rodriguez-Chomat made national headlines when a video of his sentence against Penelope Soto on February 4, 2013 went viral. Soto, an 18-year-old woman brought in on drug charges, appeared before Rodriguez-Chomat in a bond hearing. After Rodriguez-Chomat set her bond at $5,000, she walked away laughing and said "Adios" to the judge in a mocking tone. The judge called her back and increased her bond to $10,000. At this, Soto, while walking away, flipped off the judge and told him to "*expletive* off". For this, Rodriguez-Chomat gave her 30 days in county jail.[7][8]
See also
External links
- 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida: Judges Directory
- CBS Miami, "Judge Flipped Off In Court Has History of Short Temper," February 6, 2012
Footnotes
- ↑ 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, "Judge Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 University of Miami School of Law, "Miami Law Alumnus Sworn IN as Miami-Dade Circuit Judge," February 10, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ Law.com: Daily Business Review, "18 new bench assignments in Miami-Dade," January 5, 2011
- ↑ Local 10 News, "Judge Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat dies at 72," August 20, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Florida House of Representatives: Representative Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat
- ↑ Martindale.com, "Law Offices of Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat & Associates, P.A."
- ↑ CBS Miami, "Judge Flipped Off In Court Has History Of Short Temper," February 6, 2013
- ↑ CBS Miami, "Bird-Flipping Teen Appears In Drug Court," February 6, 2013
