U.S. District Judge Frederic Block presides over a federal courtroom in Brooklyn, where he has heard cases ranging from this year’s 5Pointz graffiti case to the 2003 trial of former Gambino crime boss Peter Gotti. When not on the bench, the 83-year-old judge writes books and plays jazz piano. His first novel, “Race to Judgment,” was published by SelectBooks this fall. It tells the story of a crusading lawyer against the backdrop of actual legal cases. Judge Block, who was born in Brooklyn, was nominated to the federal bench...

Source: Wall Street Journal December 25, 2017 19:52 UTC