"The Robing Room: FL State Judges

Hon. William Thomas	See Rating Details
Circuit Court
Miami-Dade County 11th Circuit	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 5.4 - 13 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: 8.0 - 4 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

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Only items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating.

General Rating Criteria

* Temperament		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Scholarship		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Industriousness		(1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)
* Ability to Handle Complex Litigation		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Punctuality		(1=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)
* General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
* General Ability as a Trial Judge		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
Flexibility In Scheduling		(1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)

Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation		(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
General Inclination Regarding Bail		(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Plea Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation		(1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Involvement in Settlement Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)
General Inclination		(1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)

Comments

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What others have said about Hon. William Thomas

Comments

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: FL9816
Rating:1.0

Comments:
The worst judge on the bench by far. Completely inconsiderate of people and inconsistent in his rulings. It is truly a shame he is on the bench.

Other

Comment #: FL8404
Rating:10.0

Comments:
He is the best judge. He hears people out. He gets the facts, and weighs them out. He makes the best decision possible. Judge William Thomas is fair and just judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: FL8325
Rating:2.4

Comments:
Fully concur with 12/4/2021 opinion below. This judge just shoots from the hip.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: FL8322
Rating:1.0

Comments:
He is HORRIBLE! Stay away if you are in civil litigation. Never in doubt--and never correct. Loves to hear himself talk, even when he is completely ignorant of the law. He should go back to criminal law. Get him out of complex division.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: FL7456
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Incredibly brilliant and awesome judge.

Prosecutor

Comment #: FL6735
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I appeared a few times as a young criminal prosecutor before Judge Thomas for trial and other proceedings. At the time, I thought he was very pro-defense and demanding, but I really admired and jumped at any opportunity to be before him because he stood out as being exceptionally bright and efficient amongst his peers. There really should be no doubt here that Judge Thomas is a great legal mind- any review that says otherwise is suspect as to credibility and motives given that this is an accepted fact in the legal community including amongst practitioners on both sides. Year after year, those among the brightest and most competent prosecutors and PDs in every class were assigned to his division because that's what it took to keep up with him. I can also say that I felt treated with respect and never judged based on my gender, ethnicity, or age- both as a young "C" felony prosecutor and later as a senior prosecutor for violent repeat offenders. Now, as a partner in an 800+ firm that has practiced before many judges in various jurisdictions, I look back and know that Judge Thomas is one of the most capable jurists that I have ever been in front of and he was never really "pro-defense" at all. He is a judge who has the strength of character to do the right thing and see the big picture. He follows the law and uses his discretion in a careful manner. He was and remains a tremendous positive influence to the countless young attorneys who came before him, including myself. He pushed us to be better and to think critically about tough issues. Although he probably wouldn't recall me and we may never run into each other again, it comforts me to know that there are jurists like Judge Thomas protecting our institutions and values.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: FL6100
Rating:1.9

Comments:
a. does not read motions ..ever!
b. never follows through on previous orders
c. blinded by facts
d. simply never follows the law

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: FL5874
Rating:1.9

Comments:
Can't or doesn't want to follow the law. Makes a ruling, changes his mind, completely inconsistent; likes to hear himself talk and half the time he doesn't know what he is talking about.

Litigant

Comment #: FL5798
Rating:10.0

Comments:
The best Judge in Miami-Dade, better yet the only good judge in Miami-Dade. Trust me the Judges in Miami-Dade Civil Court need to go back to Law School they are lost, poor judgement, favoritetisom, Rude and unfair against homeowners.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: FL5399
Rating:2.5

Comments:
Is this man on drugs? He starts screaming after a few minutes or otherwise just gets lost in space.

He seems like a good man but does not like getting too deep in cases that are considered "hot" so as to not step on his bosses tows or go against a connected party or lawyer.

Too bad, he could have been one of the good ones.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: FL4886
Rating:4.3

Comments:
Can't understand all of the glowing reviews. This man has a horrible judicial temperament and loves to hear himself talk. Rude, impatient, and inconsistent. Maybe he was a better criminal judge. I'd never want him on the federal bench.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: FL3901
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I have known Judge Thomas since he was a lawyer at the Federal PD Office. He is an extraordinary person and judge. Few judges anywhere, if any at all, respect the judicial system and process, and inure to serve the public more than Judge Thomas. No judge is better at getting a case to trial than Judge Thomas, in either civil or criminal. No judge brings out the best in lawyers than Judge Thomas. You will serve your clients intelligently and diligently or you will end up in trial unprepared. I love how when he grants a continuance or extension, he asks the moving party for a date that they will absolutely be available. All judges should handle their cases and calendar like he does. Furthermore, he reads more than other judges, but it is well known that he spends more time than I or most people would expect a judge to spend at home preparing for motion calendar or trials. "No Life" has often been used to describe how long he is willing to go in the day to complete a trial or to make room for special set hearings. By far, he is the easiest judge in all the land to get a special set hearing. Even now as father of a toddler, he still is the most available for special set or trials, but is more willing to adjourn earlier in the day. Lastly, more impressive of all about judge Thomas is that he never is a Know It All like many judges are. He will take time to be educated by lawyers and also to read a rule, case or statute to make sure he fully understands before he rules. Rarely, does he rule with prejudice, and almost always tells you what he would need to see in order to change his ruling. You can't get more fair than that. It is too bad that Marco Rubio robbed him of his well deserved opportunity to serve on the Federal Bench. Although, I don't practice much in Federal Court, so I still benefit by not having lost one of the top five judges in the Miami State Court to hear my semi complex disputes.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: FL3399
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I'm going to skip all the ratings. I submitted it previously and forgot to write text. So, the previous ratings are mine. In all, I gave Judge Thomas a high rating.

Quick story that exemplies the character of this judge. I was a public defender just starting out. Judge Thomas was at the time a PD also appearing before Judge that was brutal to him. She was rude, arrogant, and plain mean. She had ordered Will to give him the address of a witness that the prosecution could not find. Will refused. He said he would not help the state prosecute his own client. She threatened him with contempt of court, threatened to report him to the bar, etc. He held firm. She relented. State dismissed the case finally. Since that day, I have admired Will Thomas and trust that he will do what he believes is truly right.

Other

Comment #: FL2300
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Great judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: FL1855
Rating:9.6

Comments:
Judge Thomas is very smart. He is an excellent Judge who reads ahead of time. If you have authority, bring it and he will read and follow it. Also he tries very hard to work out practical solutions. Would not be surprised to see him elevated at some point.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: FL1681
Rating:9.5

Comments:
Smart, hard-working and in total control of his court. Knows the rules of evidence much better than civil lawyers. Pays attention, asks questions, and remembers the answers. Nice demeanor, patient, but doesn't put up with crap. A total pleasure.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: FL1599
Rating:7.8

Comments:
New to civil and really willing to learn. Open minded and smart. Really trying to understand the complexities. He has a nice demeanor and willingness to ask questions.

Other

Comment #: FL1543
Rating:4.0

Comments:
Could be a good judge one day but now very weak. Has no clue of civil procedure rules or Florida statutes. Likely to rule for a large firm.