A lot of water had passed under
the bridge since Mindy Glazer and Arthur Booth were classmates at Nautilus
Middle School.
Both seemed destined for
impressive things. He was a dedicated student and a good athlete, she was putting
in the work that would eventually lead to a life in the legal profession.
Earlier this week, the two had
an unlikely reunion in a place neither of them might have expected – a
courtroom where she was the judge and he was the defendant brought before her
on a charge of burglary, docket number F15-13303.
As Mr Booth, dressed in orange
prison garb, stood in the dock, the Miami-Dade judge asked the defendant if he
had attended Nautilus Middle School, located in Miami Beach.
Mr Booth replied that he had,
and then was rocked by emotion, apparently overwhelmed by the circumstances of
their reunion. “Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness,” he sobbed.
Ms Glazer told the courtroom
that Mr Booth had been the “nicest” and the “best kid’ in school. She said she
had always wondered what had happened to him.
“I used to play football with
him, all the kids, and look what has happened,” she said, according to
Local10.com news. “I’m sorry to see this.”
Mr Booth’s cousin, Melissa
Miller, told the news channel that he used to be a dedicated student and
athlete, but that drugs had taken a grip of his life and that he had eventually
turned to crime.
“It just brought back memories
of how smart he was. He was a scholar, a well-rounded athlete, bilingual,” said
Ms Miller.
“I was heartbroken. It just
broke my heart. We’re really trying to find help because there's really a need
for help.”
Ms Glazer wished Mr Booth well
in turning his life around. “I hope you’re able to come out of this OK and just
lead a lawful life,” she said.
And then, in a move that
underscored the different paths their lives had taken, Ms Glazer set her former
classmate’s bail at $44,000. He remains behind bars.
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