- Burglary suspect Arthur Booth was stunned to realize he knew the judge from childhood
- Judge Mindy Glazer was first to recognize her old pal
- They went to middle school together and played football together
- ‘He was the nicest kid … look what happened’ said judge
- Suspect can’t stop crying and buries his head in shame
By KIRI BLAKELEY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
An unexpected class reunion occurred inside the unlikeliest of places – a criminal courtroom.
Miami, Florida judge, Mindy Glazer, was presiding over the case of a man arrested for burglary and theft on Thursday.
But she suddenly realized she had seen the man before – years ago in middle school.
The judge and the suspect had once been playmates at Nautilus Middle School, reports Local10.
Asking the suspect standing before her if he had attended the same middle school she did, the man instantly perked up and seemed to recognize the judge.
The suspect breaks into a huge smile when he spots his old pal.
But then remembering the embarrassing circumstances of their reunion, he immediately breaks down and repeatedly wails, ‘Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!’
Booth covers his head and cries as Glazer tells the court, ‘This was the nicest kid in middle school.
‘He was the best kid in middle school. I used to play football with him. Look what has happened.’
Booth’s cousin, Melissa Miller, says Booth used to be a scholar and athlete, but that drugs took over his life and he eventually turned to crime.
Miller says the scene in the courtroom ‘broke [her] heart’ and that the family is trying to find Booth help.
Miller says the reunion was fortuitous in that they hope it sparks the wake-up call that Booth needs to get back on the right path.
Miller speculated that when Booth saw his old pal, he was thinking, ‘Wow, I had those possibilities and those opportunities … that should have been me up there.”
The judge wished him luck and told him she hopes he turns his life around. She then set his bail at $44,000.
Booth reportedly remains behind bars for the time being.
