Open Ninth

The foundation of every conceivable website and app is a computer analyzing data and developing algorithms. Artificial intelligence is everywhere and the field of data science is shaping our world. But, should it shape our courts? Join Chief Judge Fred Lauten and Dr. Thomas Clarke as they explore this question and discuss the impact of artificial intelligence and data science on the judicial system. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

Old age. While we can all agree everyone is destined for it, we can’t quite seem to reach a consensus as to when we’ve arrived. AARP tells us we’ve earned senior status at 50. But, if you’re looking for that discount on a cup of coffee at McDonald’s, you’re out of luck until you reach 55. Burger King completely disagrees and won’t discount your fries until you’re 60. White Castle draws the line at an oddly designated 62. And, Taco Bell weighs in with Medicare, reserving old age for 65. However, Social Security plans to prolong your youth (and your retirement fund) by pushing old age off until 67. And, while this may be confusing to most – it is certainly not confusing in the slightest to an alarming array of swindlers, scam artists, conmen, and abusers who prey on the elderly across the entire age spectrum. To get a better understanding of what’s happening to the elderly in our society – and begin to understand what needs to be addressed to make a positive shift – listen in on Chief Judge Fred Lauten’s conversation with Bob Blancato as they take a deep dive into what it means to be elderly and at-risk in America. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

The Eighth Amendment to the Constitution prohibits inflicting cruel and unusual punishment – but did you know that it also prohibits excessive bail or fines? While the bond system has a long history in the United States, the idea of what constitutes excessive bail and its socioeconomic implications continue to evolve. In today’s episode of Open Ninth, Chief Judge Fred Lauten and Ninth Circuit Judge Jenifer Harris walk us through this evolution of the bond system. Listen in as they explore its impact on the courts, defendants, and the community at-large. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

The Eighth Amendment to the Constitution prohibits inflicting cruel and unusual punishment – but did you know that it also prohibits excessive bail or fines? While the bond system has a long history in the United States, the idea of what constitutes excessive bail and its socioeconomic implications continue to evolve. In today’s episode of Open Ninth, Chief Judge Fred Lauten and Ninth Circuit Judge Jenifer Harris walk us through this evolution of the bond system. Listen in as they explore its impact on the courts, defendants, and the community at-large. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

What do you envision when you think of the Clerk of Courts? If your thoughts start with stacks of files and end with paying your traffic ticket, gab your headphone and listen to this episode of the Open Ninth. Join Chief Judge Fred Lauten as he sits down with Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell to talk about the myriad ways the Clerk of Courts and the Judicial System work together to serve the more than 1.7 million people living in the district. From the establishment of the Lydia Gardner Self Help Center to the May 14th launch of the new debit card system designed to streamline juror compensation, the Clerk’s Office is much more than paperwork and processing payments. Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell received her Juris Doctorate from Florida State University College of Law. The youngest candidate to be elected to the Orange County Commission, Clerk Russell served as a Commissioner for eight years before being elected as Orange County Clerk of Courts in 2014. Clerk Russell is the first African American female Clerk elected in Florida and the first African American Clerk in Orange County. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

What do you envision when you think of the Clerk of Courts? If your thoughts start with stacks of files and end with paying your traffic ticket, gab your headphone and listen to this episode of the Open Ninth. Join Chief Judge Fred Lauten as he sits down with Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell to talk about the myriad ways the Clerk of Courts and the Judicial System work together to serve the more than 1.7 million people living in the district. From the establishment of the Lydia Gardner Self Help Center to the May 14th launch of the new debit card system designed to streamline juror compensation, the Clerk’s Office is much more than paperwork and processing payments. Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell received her Juris Doctorate from Florida State University College of Law. The youngest candidate to be elected to the Orange County Commission, Clerk Russell served as a Commissioner for eight years before being elected as Orange County Clerk of Courts in 2014. Clerk Russell is the first African American female Clerk elected in Florida and the first African American Clerk in Orange County. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

So you’re going through your mail and you see a jury summons. Don’t think “oh, no.” This is an opportunity for you to play a vital role in our jury system, and could possibly impact your future life choices – at least that’s what happened to today’s podcast guest. Mayanne Downs is the first woman president and managing editor of GrayRobinson. She has served as president of the Orange County Bar Association, the Legal Aid Society, and the Florida Bar, and is the first woman appointed City Attorney for Orlando. Her experience serving on a jury years ago sparked her interest in pursuing a legal career. Now a widely respected attorney, she sits down with Chief Judge Fred Lauten to share her passion for jury service. Each year, nearly 200,000 residents of Orange and Osceola counties receive a jury summons. Providing a jury trial to persons accused of a crime or involved in a civil dispute would be impossible without persons from a rich, diverse cross-section of our community responding positively to their summons. Tune in to this podcast, to hear about Mayanne’s latest experience while reporting for jury service. Next time you receive a summons, you may just be pleasantly surprised. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

With the advent of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, everything seems larger than life. And, as consumers, we’re able to process more information than ever – sometimes with an insatiable appetite. It’s no wonder the public’s demand for information on high-profile cases has been met with gavel-to-gavel coverage by competing news outlets. In this podcast, Chief Judge Fred Lauten sits down with Circuit Judge Diana Tennis to discuss her decades long legal career, which featured prominent news commentary on high-profile cases such as the Casey Anthony and the John Zimmerman case. After a brief, two-year stint with the Ninth Circuit Public Defender’s Office, Judge Tennis set out to establish her own practice. Along the way, she established herself as a prominent legal analyst who synthesized complex legal concepts in more palatable formats that laypersons could understand. Tune into this podcast to hear Judge Tennis’ incisive and humorous account of her life on either side of the camera. Although she misses being in the courtroom where she’d passionately advocate for her clients, Judge Tennis now enjoys interpreting the law utilizing the wealth of knowledge she’s accumulated along the way. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

With the advent of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, everything seems larger than life. And, as consumers, we’re able to process more information than ever – sometimes with an insatiable appetite. It’s no wonder the public’s demand for information on high-profile cases has been met with gavel-to-gavel coverage by competing news outlets. In this podcast, Chief Judge Fred Lauten sits down with Circuit Judge Diana Tennis to discuss her decades long legal career, which featured prominent news commentary on high-profile cases such as the Casey Anthony and the John Zimmerman case. After a brief, two-year stint with the Ninth Circuit Public Defender’s Office, Judge Tennis set out to establish her own practice. Along the way, she established herself as a prominent legal analyst who synthesized complex legal concepts in more palatable formats that laypersons could understand. Tune into this podcast to hear Judge Tennis’ incisive and humorous account of her life on either side of the camera. Although she misses being in the courtroom where she’d passionately advocate for her clients, Judge Tennis now enjoys interpreting the law utilizing the wealth of knowledge she’s accumulated along the way. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

So you’re going through your mail and you see a jury summons. Don’t think “oh, no.” This is an opportunity for you to play a vital role in our jury system, and could possibly impact your future life choices – at least that’s what happened to today’s podcast guest. Mayanne Downs is the first woman president and managing editor of GrayRobinson. She has served as president of the Orange County Bar Association, the Legal Aid Society, and the Florida Bar, and is the first woman appointed City Attorney for Orlando. Her experience serving on a jury years ago sparked her interest in pursuing a legal career. Now a widely respected attorney, she sits down with Chief Judge Fred Lauten to share her passion for jury service. Each year, nearly 200,000 residents of Orange and Osceola counties receive a jury summons. Providing a jury trial to persons accused of a crime or involved in a civil dispute would be impossible without persons from a rich, diverse cross-section of our community responding positively to their summons. Tune in to this podcast, to hear about Mayanne’s latest experience while reporting for jury service. Next time you receive a summons, you may just be pleasantly surprised. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

In this episode of Open Ninth, Chief Judge Frederick Lauten, along with Administrative Judges Julie O’Kane and Patricia Doherty, speak about the state of the courts in 2017. Besides providing an overview of their respective divisions, the Judges also discuss the Ninth Circuit’s relationship with the legislature, the impact of Hurricane Irma on social services and the courts, and the loss to the judiciary of three dearly beloved jurists – Judge Scott Polodna, Judge Ted Coleman, and Judge Rom Powell. The Ninth Circuit is the third largest circuit in the state of Florida, employing about 360 staff, including 65 judges and their judicial assistant. Judge Lauten predicts an increase in staff will be necessary in 2018 to handle the impact of Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Irma damaged Puerto Rico’s power grid, prompting a large migration of Puerto Rican immigrants to Central Florida. With the large influx of native Spanish speakers to our community, the Ninth Circuit may experience an increased demand for court interpreters. Judge Lauten also discusses the Circuit’s efforts to address issues with implicit bias in the court system. In 2017, the Circuit invited experts to provide training on implicit bias to all our judges. Noting the importance of the topic, Judge Lauten is honored to sit on a diversity panel that identifies and provides recommendations on a series of diversity and racial issues present in the justice system. Judge Lauten is optimistic that we will see even more advances in our circuit in 2018. Tune in to find out more. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

Ever have a dispute that you wanted to settle but didn’t think you had the money or resources to hash out in Court? Or maybe you thought that filling out a stack of complicated documents just wasn’t worth the hassle or time? Did you know that there is another way to settle a dispute outside of a courtroom – one that can be resolved quicker and costs less money? In this episode of Open Ninth, Chief Judge Fred Lauten sits down with Lawrence Kolin, a mediator at Upchurch, Watson, White, & Max, to discuss the purpose and advantages of mediations. With a law degree from the University of Miami Law School and over a decade’s experience in mediation, Kolin became a full-time mediator with the Orange County Bar Association in 2010. Kolin defines a mediator as being a neutral third party who facilitates a meeting between two conflicting parties in efforts to help both sides find a resolution. A mediator, as explained by Kolin, is different from a judge or lawyer in that the mediator does not litigate, take sides, or make a ruling in the case. Kolin states that mediations are voluntary, confidential, and are risk-free – if a resolution is not achieved, the parties can continue litigating their case in Court. After last year’s impact from Hurricane Irma, the Orange County Bar Association provided mediation services to all Orange County residents completely free of charge. If you’d like help resolving a dispute that you may be having with either a neighbor or landlord, or a consumer complaint, property damage or settlement issue, please visit www.orangecountybar.org for more information. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

Ever have a dispute that you wanted to settle but didn’t think you had the money or resources to hash out in Court? Or maybe you thought that filling out a stack of complicated documents just wasn’t worth the hassle or time? Did you know that there is another way to settle a dispute outside of a courtroom – one that can be resolved quicker and costs less money? In this episode of Open Ninth, Chief Judge Fred Lauten sits down with Lawrence Kolin, a mediator at Upchurch, Watson, White, & Max, to discuss the purpose and advantages of mediations. With a law degree from the University of Miami Law School and over a decade’s experience in mediation, Kolin became a full-time mediator with the Orange County Bar Association in 2010. Kolin defines a mediator as being a neutral third party who facilitates a meeting between two conflicting parties in efforts to help both sides find a resolution. A mediator, as explained by Kolin, is different from a judge or lawyer in that the mediator does not litigate, take sides, or make a ruling in the case. Kolin states that mediations are voluntary, confidential, and are risk-free – if a resolution is not achieved, the parties can continue litigating their case in Court. After last year’s impact from Hurricane Irma, the Orange County Bar Association provided mediation services to all Orange County residents completely free of charge. If you’d like help resolving a dispute that you may be having with either a neighbor or landlord, or a consumer complaint, property damage or settlement issue, please visit www.orangecountybar.org for more information. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

Think back to your first few jobs. Did you babysit the neighbors’ rambunctious kids who, now that you are thinking about it, weren’t too much younger than you were at the time? Or were you one of the legions of high school students working retail at the local mall? Perhaps you waited tables or worked the line as a short order cook or tended bar? Whatever you were doing, we’ll venture a guess that the job you did then has absolutely nothing to do with the job you are doing now. Or does it? In celebration of Labor Day, 10 Judges from the Ninth Circuit talk candidly with our host, Chief Judge Fred Lauten, about their first jobs. From paperboy to waitress to organist – not one of our judges can draw a straight line from where they started to their jobs today in the judiciary. And despite that, those first jobs were decidedly instrumental in shaping who they became both on and off the bench. Grab your headphones and listen in. Let us know what you think about the podcast.

How difficult is it to design a courthouse you may ask? Considering there’s a host of factors that influence its design – including complicated security needs and changing, heavy traffic flow patterns – there’s certainly more to it than meets the eye. In this episode of Open Ninth, Michael LeBeouf and Chief Judge Fred Lauten discuss the $185 million budget and ten years spent planning and building one of Orlando’s most photographed landmarks – the Orange County Courthouse. Tune in to hear Michael address some rumors surrounding the construction and design of the courthouse, such as whether the building’s height was purposely kept shorter than the downtown SunTrust building or whether the building’s design was somewhat modeled after Disney World? Get the answers to these questions and much more during this fascinating episode. Michael LeBeouf, the lead architectural designer for the Orange and Osceola County Courthouses, grew up in Dayton, Ohio where he graduated from Kent State University. After moving to Orlando, FL in 1985 to join HLM Design, he has been the lead designer in numerous court projects including the Palm Beach County Courthouse. A long-time Seminole County resident, Michael often bikes to his downtown Orlando office when weather permits. Let us know what you think about the podcast.