David Young

Bio:

Born in Miami, Judge Young followed in the footsteps of his father — attorney Burton Young — when deciding a career.

A one-time law clerk for F. Lee Bailey's law firm in Miami, Judge David Young attended Tulane University, where he was President of the Student Body. He later graduated from the University Of Miami College Of Law.

In 1984, he became a Florida assistant state attorney in under Janet Reno, a position he held until 1987.

After holding several prestigious legal positions in Miami, in 1993 he was elected as County Court Judge in Miami-Dade County, and he was re-elected twice. Then in 2000 Judge Young was elected as a Circuit Court Judge in Miami-Dade and was re-elected to the bench once more.

In Miami he was a strong advocate for a unique probation monitoring program, under which he met monthly with individuals with addiction problems. His dedication to fair justice has resulted in being honored with the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Award of Distinction on three separate occasions.

Judge Young is known for his sharp sense of humor, occasional bursts into song from the bench, and provocative sentencing. He also recieved a significant amount of media attention for his role in a high-profile case in May 2005 — he sentenced two America West airline pilots to jail for attempting to operate a plane while intoxicated.

In May of 2007, Judge Young stepped down to host the series "Judge David Young."

Judge Young sits on the board of the Miami-Dade Humane Society and devotes time to many animal rescue initiatives. He is a huge fan of Broadway musicals, and is an avid collector of penguin items.