Miami Judge Leifman wins William H. Rehnquist Award
Miami Judge Leifman wins William H. Rehnquist Award
Miami-Dade County Judge Steve Leifman has been named the National Center for State Courts’ recipient of the William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence.
Judge Leifman is being recognized for his work helping people with mental illnesses who are either in the criminal justice system or at-risk of incarceration. One of the nation’s highest judicial honors, the Rehnquist Award is presented annually to a state court judge who exemplifies judicial excellence, integrity, fairness, and professional ethics. Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, Jr., will present the award to Judge Leifman during a ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on November 19.
“Judge Leifman has built a national reputation for his pragmatic, collaborative, and focused approach to finding long-term solutions that improve people’s lives and the health of the community and the courts,” NCSC President Mary McQueen said.
Judge Leifman’s work has done much to transform the way people in the criminal justice system with mental illnesses are treated. Several years ago, Judge Leifman realized that many of the same people who came before his court were repeatedly. These defendants were charged with minor offenses, such as loitering, and they exhibited signs of being distraught and disheveled. This revolving door from courthouse to jail to street and back was costly to taxpayers, placed large burdens on the correctional and judicial systems, and was devastating to defendants and their families.
Judge Leifman was determined to find a better way to handle these cases.
Florida Chief Justice Jorge Labarga said Judge Leifman epitomizes judicial excellence: “Troubled by people with mental illnesses cycling through his Miami courtroom, Judge Leifman decided to take action. His unwavering commitment and compassion in the years since that moment have brought astounding results, changing and saving lives, bringing families back together. He has made our courts more just and our society more humane.”
Labarga recently recognized Leifman’s work by giving him Florida’s Chief Justice Award for Judicial Excellence.
Judge Leifman in 2000 created the 11th Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project, which diverts individuals with serious mental illnesses who do not pose a risk to the public away from the criminal justice system and into community-based treatment and support services. This has resulted in fewer arrests and incarcerations of people with mental illness, reduced crime, reduced injuries to law enforcement officers, improved public safety, reduced cost to taxpayers, and improved the administration of justice.
Since this project’s inception, Judge Leifman also has developed the nation’s largest crisis intervention team training program that teaches law enforcement offices to recognize signs of mental illness and to respond more effectively to individuals in psychiatric crisis. Judge Leifman also has served as an advisor to the Florida Supreme Court, resulting in the development of specialized training programs for judges to help them better handle cases involving people with mental illnesses.
