Alan Stephen Gold
Encyclopedia
Alan Stephen Gold is an American lawyer
and a United States federal judge
. He currently serves on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
.
, Gold attended Miami Beach High School
. Gold received a Bachelor of Arts
degree
from the University of Florida
in 1966, a J.D.
from Duke University School of Law
in 1969, and an LL.M.
from the University of Miami
in 1974.
to Judge Charles Carroll of the Florida Third District Court of Appeal
from 1969-1970. He was briefly in private practice
in Miami, Florida
in 1970, before serving as assistant county attorney in the Dade County
Attorney's Office from 1971-1975.
President
Bill Clinton
nominated Gold to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on February 12, 1997, to the seat vacated by Jose Alejandro Gonzalez, Jr.
. During Gold's confirmation hearings before the Senate, he surprised many when, after being asked which Supreme Court
decision troubled him most, he named Griswold v. Connecticut
. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05EFDE1038F93BA25756C0A961958260 Confirmed
by the Senate
on June 27, 1997, Gold received his commission
on July 1, 1997.
During his service on the district court Gold has heard cases including the trial of Alberto Gutman
, the corruption
and conspiracy
trial of 11 former Miami Police Department officers http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4DD1E38F93AA35757C0A9659C8B63http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4DD1E38F93AA35757C0A9659C8B63 and a racketeering and fraud
lawsuit
against DuPont
. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E1DA1031F936A1575BC0A9679C8B63 Gold also issued an injunction
in favor of the American Civil Liberties Union
of Florida against the Miami-Dade County Public Schools
in a lawsuit challenging the school board decision to remove the book Vamos a Cuba
from school libraries after the book had been challenged by Cuban exile
s. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/25/education/25brfs-003.html
Law of the United States
The law of the United States consists of many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the United States Constitution, the foundation of the federal government of the United States...
and a United States federal judge
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
. He currently serves on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida is the federal United States district court with jurisdiction over the southern part of the state of Florida....
.
Early life and education
Born in 1944 in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Gold attended Miami Beach High School
Miami Beach High School
Miami Beach Senior High School, commonly referred to as "Beach High" or "MBSH", is a secondary school located at 2231 Prairie Avenue in the Miami Beach, Florida, right around the corner from the Miami Beach Convention Center and Botanical Gardens on Prairie Avenue and Dade Boulevard...
. Gold received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
from the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in 1966, a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Duke University School of Law
Duke University School of Law
The Duke University School of Law is the law school and a constituent academic unit of Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States. One of Duke's 10 schools and colleges, the School of Law began as the Trinity College School of Law in 1868. In 1924, following the renaming of Trinity...
in 1969, and an LL.M.
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in 1974.
Career
Gold served as a research assistantLaw clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
to Judge Charles Carroll of the Florida Third District Court of Appeal
Florida Third District Court of Appeal
The Florida Third District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Its ten judges have jurisdiction over cases arising from Miami-Dade Monroe Counties.-History:...
from 1969-1970. He was briefly in private practice
Practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professional services of a lawyer or attorney at law, barrister,...
in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
in 1970, before serving as assistant county attorney in the Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
Attorney's Office from 1971-1975.
President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
nominated Gold to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on February 12, 1997, to the seat vacated by Jose Alejandro Gonzalez, Jr.
Jose Alejandro Gonzalez, Jr.
Jose Alejandro Gonzalez, Jr. is an American lawyer and federal judge.Gonzalez was born in 1931 in Tampa, Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1952. At UF he was a member of Florida Blue Key, Sigma Chi, Phi Eta Sigma, and Phi Alpha Delta, and was...
. During Gold's confirmation hearings before the Senate, he surprised many when, after being asked which Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
decision troubled him most, he named Griswold v. Connecticut
Griswold v. Connecticut
Griswold v. Connecticut, , was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Constitution protected a right to privacy. The case involved a Connecticut law that prohibited the use of contraceptives...
. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05EFDE1038F93BA25756C0A961958260 Confirmed
Advice and consent
Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts, describing a situation in which the executive branch of a government enacts something previously approved of by the legislative branch.-General:The expression is...
by the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on June 27, 1997, Gold received his commission
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
on July 1, 1997.
During his service on the district court Gold has heard cases including the trial of Alberto Gutman
Alberto Gutman
Alberto Gutman — also known as Al Gutman — of Florida. Born in Havana , Cuba, January 4, 1959 and moved to the United States when he was 6 years old. He lived and went to school in Miami Beach, Florida. Republican. Member of Florida House of Representatives, 1984–92; member of Florida Senate 34th...
, the corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
and conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
trial of 11 former Miami Police Department officers http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4DD1E38F93AA35757C0A9659C8B63http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4DD1E38F93AA35757C0A9659C8B63 and a racketeering and fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E1DA1031F936A1575BC0A9679C8B63 Gold also issued an injunction
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
in favor of the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
of Florida against the Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is a public school district serving Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida and the Southeastern United States, and the fourth largest in the United States, with a student enrollment of 380,006 as of July 5, 2010...
in a lawsuit challenging the school board decision to remove the book Vamos a Cuba
Vamos a Cuba
Vamos a Cuba ISBN 1-57572-384-0 is a controversial children's book about Cuba.Critics say that the book doesn't accurately represent life in the communist state...
from school libraries after the book had been challenged by Cuban exile
Cuban exile
The term "Cuban exile" refers to the many Cubans who have sought alternative political or economic conditions outside the island, dating back to the Ten Years' War and the struggle for Cuban independence during the 19th century...
s. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/25/education/25brfs-003.html