JUDICIAL CORNER
JUDICIAL CORNER
Judicial Profile : Judge Reid Parker Scott II ( Continued from Front Page )
ROGER W . FEICHT
As a law student , Judge Scott initially thought he would practice corporate or bankruptcy law , but then received some pivotal exposure to the courtroom aspect of the law through his Trial Advocacy and Evidence courses at Stetson . An internship had him considering a career as a litigator focused on family law , and he had a memorable lunch with an experienced family law practitioner , Ky Koch . Mr . Koch recommended three years as a prosecutor as a foundation to any career as a litigator . The Palm Beach County community is lucky that Judge Scott followed that advice and began the application process to become a prosecutor .
At that time , Judge Ted Booras led the committee that interviewed candidates for prosecutor for Palm Beach County , and Judge Scott was thrilled he eventually received the opportunity to serve the community he grew up in . While working as an Assistant State Attorney , Judge Scott fell in love with being a litigator and prosecutor . He quickly moved up the ranks prosecuting sex crimes in the Special Victims Unit and serving as the S . V . U . Chief .
In 2014 , he was promoted to the Homicide Unit , where he prosecuted hundreds of homicide cases through 2023 . He learned a lot from other prosecutors , including Andrew Slater , Aleathea McRoberts , Terri Skiles , Jill Richstone , and ( now Judge ) Cheryl Carracuzo . Judge Scott ultimately served at the highest levels in the Palm Beach County criminal justice system , working as both the Homicide Unit Chief and Grand Jury Chief . When speaking to Judge Scott about his time as a prosecutor , it is clear he is proud of his accomplishments making the Palm Beach County community safer and grateful for the leadership of the various State Attorneys he served under .
In 2023 , he recognized an opportunity to expand on his public service due to a number of open seats in the judiciary resulting from various retirements and promotions . Judge Scott is grateful that he followed in the footsteps of other former prosecutors such as Judge Lauren Burke , Judge John Parnofiello , Judge Luis Delgado and Judge Daliah Weiss , who were each instrumental in answering his questions about the potential career change .
After braving the judicial appointment process , he was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit on May 17 , 2023 . Judge Scott currently serves the community in the Circuit Civil Division . Having only practiced criminal law before his appointment to the bench , the new subject matter of his Circuit Civil caseload has added an additional twist to the inherent challenge of shifting from advocate to neutral .
It is clear that Judge Scott works hard in Division AH , adding various comforts of home to his Chambers . A lifelong Miami Dolphins fan , his office has Dolphins memorabilia adorning the walls . He also has a simple , but impressive , exercise equipment set up in his Chambers , including heavy kettlebells , a pull-up bar , and a yoga mat . He often skips lunch and uses his lunch break for a quick workout to clear his mind and boost his energy . Judge Scott is a fitness enthusiast , competing in Brazilian jujitsu and practicing yoga on nights and weekends . At home , he has a wife , three children , and a dog , Pepper , an Australian-Labradoodle mix who sometimes quietly spends her days on the couch in Judge Scott ’ s chambers .
When practicing before Judge Scott , it pays to submit the materials well in advance . He firmly believes that if a motion is important enough for a lawyer to charge his or client to draft it , then it is important enough to give the judge a fair opportunity to carefully review it in advance of the hearing . Therefore , Judge Scott will postpone a hearing if either side submits materials without complying with the deadlines within the Divisional Instructions or the order specially setting the hearing . The Divisional Instructions can be found at https :// www . 15thcircuit . com / division / ah / instructions # special-set
Judge Scott is passionate about fairness in the litigation process . While he appreciates it is an adversarial system , he wants lawyers to avoid gamesmanship on discovery issues . And he urges lawyers to always pick up the phone for a good faith “ meet and confer ” since phone conversations and face-to-face communication are more productive than sending yet another email . Overall , Judge Scott works hard to ensure that his preparation and rulings are fair to both sides to avoid disenfranchising any litigants who appear before him .
From Lantana Elementary School to the Circuit Court bench , Judge Scott ’ s story is impressive , but his high energy and dedication to public service gives you a sense that his story as a judge has only just begun .
1
Roger W . Feicht , Esq . is a Florida Bar Board-certified litigator with the Gunster Law Firm in West Palm Beach , and his practice focuses on the litigation of employment , breach of contract , and other commercial disputes .
Join PBCBA ' s 100 % Club Today !
Is your firm part of the 100 % Club ?
For more details , please visit : palmbeachbar . org / 100-club
PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 14