Press Room

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NSU Law Alumni Excel in Important Cases

Florida Youth on Trial

Ken Padowitz, class of '86, recently served as the prosecuting attorney in one of South Florida's biggest and most unusual cases, the State of Florida v. Lionel Tate. Twelve-year-old Tate was on trial for killing six-year-old Tiffany Eunick, which the defense blamed on viewing professional wrestling on television.

"It was a very difficult case because it dealt with the horrible tragic death of a first-grade, six-year-old girl, and it was also very difficult to deal with the fact that the person who committed the murder was so young," Padowitz said.

Age, however, did not affect Padowitz' handling of the case. "I looked at the juvenile system first to see if we could appropriately prosecute Tate for this vicious and brutal murder of Tiffany Eunick and learned that he would serve an average of six to nine months in a juvenile facility, and I didn't think that was an appropriate sanction," Padowitz said. "So after much thought and review of the evidence, I determined that the 21 members of the community known as the Broward County Grand Jury should listen to the evidence and make a determination."

The grand jury did make a determination. It decided that Tate would be tried as an adult. The trial concluded with Tate being sentenced to life in prison without parole for the first-degree murder conviction.

During the course of this case, Padowitz appeared on numerous shows such as Larry King Live and was constantly in the media spotlight. Yet he didn't view the scrutiny as negative. "The media scrutiny of this particular case doesn't change how I perceive this case," he said. "It doesn't alter what I believe justice demands for the murder of Tiffany Eunick. It [the media] definitely gives me an opportunity to explain some of the decisions I made in the case."

Padowitz believes the NSU Law Center prepared him for this case. He credits many professors with teaching key skills such as preparing and presenting evidence and using criminal law knowledge. "[The professors are] some of the greatest sources of knowledge and information that law students have an opportunity to have contact with," Padowitz said.

In addition to his busy trial schedule, Padowitz is currently an adjunct professor at the NSU Law Center. "I feel it is important for me to share the knowledge and skills I have learned with new lawyers," he said, adding that, "I get personal satisfaction out of it … as well as giving back to the legal community."