The Honorable Judge Gordon Murray graduated from Miami Carol City Senior High School in 1978. As one of the inaugural winners of the Golden Drum Award for community service, Judge Murray was awarded a full scholarship to attend the University of Miami. It was that commitment to community service that changed the trajectory of Judge Murray’s life and why he is fondly referred to as the Community Judge.

As a “Double Cane”, Judge Murray went on to lead an award-winning legal career prior to joining the bench. He was the first African-American Assistant State Attorney in Monroe County, went on to work for Janet Reno as a prosecutor before opening a private practice focused on criminal defense and family law. During his time in private practice, Judge Murray won numerous awards for his commitment to the minority communities including CABA Distinguished Service Award, the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Bar Association Pro Bono Award, the Miami-Dade County Community Pillar Award and The Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Award.

Judge Murray was elevated from his position as a General Magistrate and appointed as a County Court Judge in 2017. He currently serves as Associative Administrative Judge in the County Civil division at the Caleb Center in the heart of Liberty City which, coincidentally, is the same place he received the Golden Drum Award some 40 years earlier.

In addition to his work from the bench, Judge Murray has always given his time on issues affecting today’s youth. Through his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, and his masonic lodge, King James 15, Judge Murray has given countless hours to mentorship, encouragement, and development of our next generation of leaders.