Richard E Gerstein Justice Building

While the building its self looks awful and dirty, everyone inside does there job of helping you find what you need.
lines are long in the mornings parking is horrible. Plenty of homeless people around asking for money which usually smell worst that a fish joints garbage. But other than that unless your coming to court on murder charges you should be fine

It’s Jury Duty people! It’s a necessary inconvenience and we can handle it two ways. (1) Go prepared and have the day go by relatively easy, or (2) go with a hump of badness on you and have the shittiest day ever.
This is my fourth or fifth time coming to this particular courthouse for JD and here’s the take:
Jury Duty gives you free parking. Take time to get there early and find it. It’s right across the street from the Courthouse. I come down NE 12^th Avenue and when you pass the hospital the Juror parking is on your left under the overpass. There are HUGE signs pointing you in the right direction.
It’s cold in the jury room. Mind numbing, nipply cold. I hate the cold and that’s why I live in South Florida. Bring a sweater or cardigan. Wear long pants and sneakers with socks if you hate being cold. I had a long sleeve shirt, jeans and a big wooly cardigan and was still freezing. That kind of freezing when all you can think about is being freezing. Next time I am bringing a blanket.
The complimentary coffee is nasty. The thought was there though.
The staff are enthusiastic. Like «fuck off with your bubbly happiness at 8 a.m.» happy. No, I will not repeat shit after you like I am on a cruise ship about to launch into the Macarena with people I know nothing about and have absolutely nothing in common with. Just let me take my oath and go back to concentrating on being absolutely freezing and making it through the day. I brought a book for a reason.
The «Quiet Room» is the best discovery I’ve ever made there. It should be called the nap room… because basically that’s what everyone did in there. No TV and no cell phones here. I woke myself up snorting a little contented snore today. That was surreal. Nobody noticed though, they were all asleep. There are power outlets in here too so you can charge your batteries, while you charge your battery.
Power outlets. As we get more connected to our damned laptops and cellphones and the dependence on them to keep us in touch with everyone, the battle for the power outlets intensifies. There are plenty to go around here but DO charge your toys before you get here. You will be warned to not use the internet to google cases etc. I couldn’t get WIFI on my laptop at all, but I think that was more a PEBCAK error than anything else.
Finally, don’t be that person doing squats in the middle of the jury room. You only look like a total twat.

Well its not as daunting as you think.
The day flies by. There is free WiFi. Bring plenty of charge on your tablet or phone. And Purell.
Gus was our bailiff and wow. This man is the true definition of someone who enjoys his job. He makes the whole process better and isn’t grumpy nor impatient, best customer service.-thanks Gus.
You will get thanked a million times and reminded that they know it’s an inconvenience.
The bldg is old and the first floor restroom is not the one to use.
Staff at the cafes there are nice. Very clean.
The process is actually quite efficient.
So although it seems like you are going to loathe it, it’s not so bad, starting a morning off with The Blind Side and some people watching makes for a start to a day that may appear long and tasking.

Merp. I usually like to come here just for the coffee and movies but … Jury duty. Bad coffee. Like, reallllyyyyyy yucky. Good movies, continually being interrupted by some «calling jurors» nonsense. I do not know if I would recommend this as your regular theater

Jury Duty– this is strictly based on facilities. I am not going to let the annoyances of civic process get in the way of this review.
Alright I was dropped off for my jury duty but make sure to read the signs that explicitly state this is for juror parking ONLY. Make the mistake of parking anywhere else and you’ll pay a lot!
You’ll make a line to go through the metal detectors before entering the building. They allow food and electronic but NO liquids. Leave the coffee, bottled water, energy drinks, etc at home.
What do they have for food? They have an Au bon pain downstairs and on the same floor as the jurors waiting room they have a cafeteria. The cafeteria food seemed mediocre at best. I was VERY happy I brought my Publix sub with me and didnt spend money on that type of food. Its your call.
Bathrooms were clean.
They play movies on the TVs all day. As such, they have a quiet room for those of you that don’t want to watch their movies (don’t blame you.)
There are outlets around the periphery of the jury waiting room. Make sure to grab a seat near one of those.
The saving grace of the day was FREE WIFI. If you have trouble connecting to the wifi you can ask the staff at the front desk and they will help you. Do yourself a favor and brings those laptops and tablets so the day doesn’t drag on that much.
Enjoy jury duty!

Had to come here to perform my civic duties. Well I arrived super early because I wasn’t aware of the location so i chilled in my car. It was so much easier to find then I thought. The directions are clear on your notice and there a big parking signs that say JUROR PARKING where you can park for free. Do not park in the parking lot directly across the building. You will have to pay for that with no refunds. Once you past the building on your left, make the first right turn and then first left turn. You can park in that parking lot. There is a gaurd there to give you a ticket.
The bulding is old. People are nice, always saying thank you for being there. There was one younger looking lady there that was kind of snobby. I didn’t pay attention to her, she ain’t nobody. Anyways, it was boring, nasty, and you will see all kinds of interesting people. For the most part, they were nice. I watched a the blind side before i got called. Boo! My group ended up being dismissed and then we were released at 3:30. Be sure to bring things of entertainment and battery backup. You will be in there for a while.

I have never had a Robles with the courthouse or the employees. I’m Def a fan of au bon pain on the first floor. There’s also another food area on the 7^th floor that few people know about.

… the courthouse is so ghetto and dirty… I thought Los Angeles county courthouse was dirty but this takes the cake. Its makes the LA courthouse look spotless. I had to hold my sweater to my mouth and sanitized my hand every where i went. Only get food at Au bon pain, its the only sanitary looking restaurant there… Overall i hope my next jury service is at the other courthouse which i hear is much better.

Parking is tough. Arrive early. Court Officer was rude and unfriendly, I was just a witness! It was the end of the day on a Friday, so maybe he had heard all the dumb excuses he could handle!

If you MUST come here, follow these simple seven tips for a much happier, safe and healthier experience:
1. DO NOT park in the paid parking lots. If your appointment/​court case happens to be in the morning you will find out that it will take you upwards of 45 minutes to exit the lot. Do yourself a huge favor and park at a meter outside.
2. The line out front (facing south) usually winds around the side of the courthouse at around 8:30am. Once again, do yourself a huge favor and walk to the north side of the courthouse. There you will find a much smaller line, if at all. Every attorney in the building knows this little secret and will enter/​exit from there.
3. To avoid a long wait at the metal detector just inside, empty out your pockets/​purse of loose change, metallic objects prior to getting out of your car. They make you remove your belt as well so keep that in mind, guys. Obviously, leave your firearms, grenades, IED’s, tanks, samurai swords, aircraft, etc. etc. at home.
4. This place is probably the Holy Grail of every known disease/​germ known to mankind. Please keep this fact in mind and carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer in your pocket. If you don’t believe me, ask the night time cleaning crew. Books have been written about the stuff they find after hours inside this esteemed institution where Miami-​Dade brand justice is carried out on a daily basis. (Exaggeration emphasized)
5. The first floor cafeteria is a bit pricey but not bad food quality-​wise. However, I would be cautious about consuming anything other than bottled water at any of the several hot dog carts located outside. If you do, you will be doing it at your own risk.
6. Avoid taking the elevators in this joint. (See Tip #4) These elevator cars are packed full of people with severe and contagious colds for several hours a day. There is NOTHING that the CDC in Atlanta has in their stockpile of weapons that can battle what must live and grow inside these elevators. Try taking the escalators instead. I know I sound like a complete germaphobe but I swear I’m not. I just know what I’m talking about in this case.
7. Lastly, pre-​pack a can of Lysol in your car and spray the bottom of your shoes before entering back into your vehicle. Better yet, place your shoes in your trunk (if applicable) after spraying them. Bring sandals to drive home in.

If you live in Miami-​Dade County, this is the main location you might be called for Jury Duty. When you are called for jury duty, they give you a phone number on your jury notice that you call to see which day of the week you need to report. The information changes frequently 24 to 72 hours before your notice date, so you should check back the evening before your service date. Jury Duty at this location usually starts at 8 a.m. but they recommend you get arrive at 7:30 a.m. to clear security and take the elevator to the 7^th floor, Room 700. Parking for Jury Duty is located under the 836 for $ 5. Do not park on the street or in the front lot used by the public and the lawyers, it’s $ 15.00. You must show your jury notice to receive the discount.
There is wi-​fi, but the wi-​fi user agreement states «Jurors are expressly prohibited from accessing the Internet, through this or any other service during the course of their jury service-​before and after selection for jury duty.»
The lunch option are very limited: Au Bön Pan is located in the bottom floor and there are street vendors across the street. You can also walk several blocks to the cafeteria at Jackson Memorial.

I have been a prosecutor here for three years, and I will tell you that the everyday working of this courthouse, from the front door security to the judges chambers is amazing. I am often in awe of how things are acomplished in such a large building with so many courtrooms.
I have practiced in a great number of court houses, and this is by far my favorite. The courtrooms on the 2^nd and 4^th floor are amazing.
The judges, defense attys, and prosecutors are keep this place interesting in a positive way.

I’d always hated this place. I get called for jury duty like clockwork, every 1.5 to 2 years or so, and it’s always at this place. It’s never at the nice, historic courthouse in downtown Miami that handles all the civil trials and has a bunch of cool restaurants within walking distance. Nope, always the Gerstein criminal courthouse with its institutional 1960s-​Communist architecture, where your best lunch options are 1) the Au Bön Pain on the first floor or 2) a rather crappy Subway near the University of Miami’s medical campus that requires a walk of several unpleasant blocks adjacent to heavy traffic, under a blazing midday sun.
My typical experience here was always one of arriving at 8AM, taking a crowded elevator with people who smell bad up to the 7^th floor jury pool, getting packed in there like sardines with loudly-​coughing people who sound like they are hacking up a pancreas, and trying to make whatever reading material I’ve brought last the whole day, because I never saw the inside of a courtroom. I was never called in my four prior visits.
Upon hauling myself there yet again Monday, my attitude was similar. I didn’t think I was going to be picked; I felt as if I had some kind of immunity. Yet, this time I didn’t make it through two chapters of a book before my number was called. My heart sank as I regarded the people who made up this panel, as they looked like a bunch of assorted crazies, dimwits, morons, what have you. The jury selection process proved me correct. The prosecutor wasn’t even a fifth of the way through her questioning when I started to get a sinking feeling that I was one of the few sane people there. I’m not going to say things I don’t believe, lie in a court of law just to get out of serving. Sure enough, the attorneys were forced to use their strikes on other prospective jurors… and just like that, I was seated in the jury box with the six others who didn’t mark themselves as insane during questioning.
It was here that I started to appreciate how well this building actually functions as a courthouse. While locked up in the jury pool, the prospective juror doesn’t get to see anything, doesn’t grasp the inner workings of the courthouse and what a vast well-​run production it is. There is a lot going on in the corridors and lobbies here, with the hustle and bustle of bailiffs, corrections officers, attorneys, jurors, police officers, judges, clerks, crime scene investigators, court reporters, various interested parties, and of course, inmates. And, as jurors — we the people are truly the stars of this well-​oiled show. As much as everyone whines about it, myself included, it is a real experience — I know I won’t ever view it in the same way. As unpleasant and difficult as it is to hold someone’s fate in hand, in the form of a guilty verdict… if my number is called again, I will gladly serve.
The judges and both the prosecuting and defense attorneys will likely tell you that all of this is not like TV… but I found it to be quite the contrary, I think it’s an awful lot like TV, save for the teary-​eyed confessions on the stand and that jackass know-​it-​all prosecutor who made me want to punch him every time I watched Law & Order: Criminal Intent. It can, at times, be riveting drama, with all the players on the «stage» straight out of central casting. I’m sure most people are vaguely aware that courthouses are public places. However, I don’t think most know that they could actually come and follow trials all day long. To be sure, that would be an unconventional way to pass a free day, but face it, you were probably just going to watch Law & Order reruns anyway. Might as well come to the Gerstein Building and get the real thing!

They have 5,000 people here…500 cops… And parking for 200 people.
For the main court house of Miami-​Dade county… you would expect sooomuch more. Parking here sucks

Absolutely everyone from the judge, to the bailiff, and from the security checkpoint people to the Au Bön Pan restaurant employees… you can tell that everyone here loves their job!
No matter how much you don’t want to be there, the staff makes a huge effort to help make your day go by as smoothly and as quickly as possible.
Coolest parts of the day:
— watching an undisturbed movie «Everybody’s Fine» in the lobby
— free WiFi
— a special thank you from the judge expressing her gratitude for choosing to serve as jury members.
— meeting a stenographer who could type 220 words per minute.