Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench

Book Synopsis: Having served 30 years on the bench in the Maryland court system, author Steven I. Platt is a name synonymous with integrity, equity, and dignity. By the same token, he is a man with a contagious sense of humor, curated with a sharp wit. Inescapably intertwined with some of history’s most pivotal events, the author has been aptly dubbed “the Forest Gump of politics.” Capturing his fascinating life, interspersed with well-known historical figures, this retired judge shares his adventures in Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench.

Lessons Lived serves as a historical account of the growth and transformation of Maryland politics and its judiciary over a 40-year period. Originally intended as a love letter to his grandchildren, the book is a delightfully constructed autobiography that feels more like a Hollywood blockbuster. It provides glimpses into Judge Platt’s own private life as well as those whose names are notable in either politics or other avenues of fame.

This up-close and personal chronicle of the life of one of the most respected and celebrated adjudicators takes the reader beyond the courtroom into private conversations and even the intricacies of ascending the bench.

The author retired in 2007 and founded The Platt Group, a mediation and arbitration consultancy.

Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench offers 30 blockbuster chapters:

PART ONE: My Foray into the World of Politics
Chapter 1: A Democrat at Heart: Mountain Republicans, Two Assassinations, and a Thing Called the “Byrd Machine”
Chapter 2: The Political Scene in Maryland (1966–1986)—A User’s Manual
Chapter 3: The Battle of College Park
Chapter 4: Idealists, Rogues, and Scoundrels in Maryland Politics

PART TWO: Maryland Politics: Establishing a Foothold
Chapter 5: Establishing Human Relations Within the Human Relations Commission
Chapter 6: Counsel to the Maryland Democratic Party

PART THREE: Hanging Out a Shingle: My Days as an Attorney
Chapter 7: The Case of “You Get Your Way at Ourisman Chevrolet”
Chapter 8: The Case of “the Vice President in Charge of Personnel”

PART FOUR: Donning the Robe: My Days on the Bench
Chapter 9: The Orphans’ Court: A Valuable Lesson, an Emperor, and a Promiscuous Prescription
Chapter 10: Becoming a District Court Judge: From “Unknown” to “Most Qualified” in Less than 90 Days
Chapter 11: Serving on the District Court Bench: Freedom Court, a Bail Bond Industry Uproar, and 36 Drunks
Chapter 12: The Making of a Circuit Court Judge: One of “Those Guys,” a Political Network, and Burgers & Beer

PART FIVE: The State of Criminal Justice in Maryland
Chapter 13: Criminal Justice – 1990s Style
Chapter 14: Murderer’s Row

PART SIX: The Civil Docket
Chapter 15: Civil Justice Served in Prince George’s County, Maryland: Family Law Division and Reform
Chapter 16: Foreclosure Fraud
Chapter 17: The Little Girl with 25 Personalities
Chapter 18: The Drug Court Experiment
Chapter 19: A New Case Management Program, Class-Action Fees, and the Management of Other Judges
Chapter 20: Time Marches On (Transitioning Off the Bench … and Then Some)

PART SEVEN: Thriving as a Professional Mediator and Arbitrator
Chapter 21: The Rise of ADR
Chapter 22: Corruption: Make It Go Away!
Chapter 23: The Police Brutality Cases

PART EIGHT: Comic Relief
Chapter 24: Jury Duty for the Judge (PTSD for Defendant)
Chapter 25: Everyone Needs a Hero
Chapter 26: Contempt – An Elusive Concept
Chapter 27: The Wizard of Oz Effect in Mediation
Chapter 28: Strippers versus Strip Club (In the Mood?)
Chapter 29: The Tiki Bar Grand Opening Cases (Be Careful What You Ask For – You Might Get It – Then What?)
Chapter 30: ATTENTION, Shoppers! Sears & Roebuck of America v. Judge Steven I. Platt