This week I was called for jury duty. While it can be a hardship and an inconvenience, I tried to get the most out of my stay. I spent most of the day sitting in a waiting room, so I did some work on my laptop, read a book, and fell asleep a few times. Ended up spending the day in the waiting room and did not get selected for a panel.

Here is where I spent most of my day. This is the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building, one of several courthouses in Miami-Dade County. This is where all criminal cases are tried for the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida. (Florida is divided into 20 judicial circuits spread across its 67 counties. The 11th is one of only four circuits that only serves one county.) Civil trials are heard at the Dade County Courthouse, downtown.
http://img93.exs.cx/img93/125/tour01gerstein010sc.jpg

This is not a hot vacation spot -- on the right is the Dade County Jail:
http://img93.exs.cx/img93/1332/tour01gerstein029sj.jpg

I took many pictures, which I have organized by theme. Each theme will be presented in segments.

During my lunch break I took the time to photograph the surrounding area. The Gerstein Justice Building is located in Miami's Civic Center district, which is about 3 miles northwest of downtown Miami. Civic Center is also the location of Jackson Memorial Hospital, Dade County's only public hospital and the largest hospital in the state.

Let's begin where it all started. Here is a bit of Miami history.

Below is the original Miami City Hospital, today affectionately known as "The Alamo." One of the first Miami medical pioneers was Dr. James Jackson, one of Miami's first doctors. Today this building serves as the administrative offices of the Public Health Trust of Miami-Dade County, as well as a reminder of humbler beginnings.

Who would have thought that a small clinic "in the middle of nowhere" would go from this...
http://img187.exs.cx/img187/7538/tour02jmh019wu.jpg

... to this:
http://img131.exs.cx/img131/6166/tour02jmh021ro.jpg
(that's Metrorail in the foreground, btw)

Today, Jackson has grown to become the second largest hospital in the United States that operates under a single license. JMH serves as the teaching hospital for the University of Miami School of Medicine. UM's medical campus, the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center, and JMH are all part of the same complex:

http://img225.exs.cx/img225/9595/tour02jmh035io.jpg

http://img225.exs.cx/img225/8159/tour02jmh041qm.jpg

http://img225.exs.cx/img225/571/tour02jmh056tz.jpg

http://img225.exs.cx/img225/3327/tour02jmh060bk.jpg

http://img225.exs.cx/img225/7664/tour02jmh072pc.jpg

http://img183.exs.cx/img183/7458/tour02jmh084uw.jpg

http://img170.exs.cx/img170/1042/tour02jmh098ht.jpg

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute/Ann Bates Leach Eye Hospital, considered one of the world's finest centers for ophthalmology:

http://img212.exs.cx/img212/6238/tour02jmh104vr.jpg

Some various pics around the UM/JMH campus:
http://img220.exs.cx/img220/1449/tour02jmh127ur.jpg

http://img220.exs.cx/img220/571/tour02jmh138ze.jpg

http://img220.exs.cx/img220/7223/tour02jmh149gg.jpg

http://img220.exs.cx/img220/2614/tour02jmh152sz.jpg

http://img205.exs.cx/img205/2476/tour02jmh195di.jpg

A walk down UM's medical campus:
http://img205.exs.cx/img205/3465/tour02jmh202ao.jpg

http://img205.exs.cx/img205/3936/tour02jmh212xi.jpg

http://img205.exs.cx/img205/4899/tour02jmh222gm.jpg

http://img205.exs.cx/img205/1808/tour02jmh231ff.jpg

Lois Pope Life Center (front view):
http://img216.exs.cx/img216/7462/tour02jmh267jo.jpg

Lois Pope Life Center (rear) / Miami Project to Cure Paralysis (I really like the logo -- it's so inspiring):
http://img216.exs.cx/img216/738/tour02jmh249ba.jpg

http://img216.exs.cx/img216/7230/tour02jmh257bz.jpg

Under construction:
http://img216.exs.cx/img216/659/tour02jmh277to.jpg

http://img216.exs.cx/img216/8931/tour02jmh282om.jpg

http://img216.exs.cx/img216/9706/tour02jmh291bv.jpg

Last but not least, this is the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. It is the only Level 1 Trauma Center for adults and children in the South Florida. These are where South Florida's most critical patients are treated. Most patients arrive by helicopter, and a special high-speed elevator rushes down from the roof to the trauma units. When it was completed in 1992, it was the largest trauma center in the world. It was even featured on Discovery Channel program several years ago.
http://img216.exs.cx/img216/6416/tour02jmh300fa.jpg

I should mention that across the street is Cedars Medical Center, not affiliated with UM/Jackson:
http://img122.exs.cx/img122/9173/tour02cedars018xf.jpg

http://img122.exs.cx/img122/7099/tour02cedars038yt.jpg

And to think, it all started with this:
http://img223.exs.cx/img223/4990/tour02jmha028wh.jpg

Metrorail Civic Center station:
http://img219.exs.cx/img219/8400/tour03metrorail018ao.jpg

http://img219.exs.cx/img219/8608/tour03metrorail021ws.jpg

Cedars on the left, Jackson on the right:
http://img219.exs.cx/img219/3109/tour03metrorail037uz.jpg

Downtown skyline, to the southeast:
http://img219.exs.cx/img219/1438/tour03metrorail044vp.jpg

Another skyline, with State Attorney's office on right:
http://img110.exs.cx/img110/2266/tour03metrorail050wv.jpg

Metrorail train (Heavy Rail is great!!):
http://img110.exs.cx/img110/4053/tour03metrorail062oz.jpg

http://img169.exs.cx/img169/7193/tour03metrorail070cj.jpg

Metrorail (upper) and Metromover (lower) tracks at Metro-Dade Government Center station:
http://img169.exs.cx/img169/9514/tour03metrorail088td.jpg

My view from the jury pool waiting room (looking through a window, sorry for the haze):
http://img155.exs.cx/img155/7697/tour04skyline013qo.jpg

Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) as it crosses the Miami River, with Coral Gables skyline in the background:
http://img216.exs.cx/img216/7208/tour04skyline053rn.jpg

http://img180.exs.cx/img180/6631/tour04skylinesw02cg6tw.jpg

NW 12th Ave drawbridge:
http://img216.exs.cx/img216/236/tour04skyline084lf.jpg

Downtown/CBD:
http://img216.exs.cx/img216/5831/tour04skyline079wv.jpg

Brickell:
http://img216.exs.cx/img216/6241/tour04skyline069cm.jpg

Taken outside the courthouse:

Northwest Miami, looking away from downtown:
http://img180.exs.cx/img180/2992/tour04skylinenw016da.jpg

http://img180.exs.cx/img180/6358/tour04skylinenw022jx.jpg

the growing Park West/Overtown area:
http://img84.exs.cx/img84/2818/tour04skylinenw04pwot2th.jpg

Downtown, One Miami under construction (left), and American Airlines Arena (center, foreground) (That's Marge Simpson above, promoting a shampoo):
http://img202.exs.cx/img202/8693/tour04skyline103pl.jpg

Performing Arts Center taking shape:
http://img202.exs.cx/img202/923/tour04skyline118jo.jpg

http://img205.exs.cx/img205/2894/tour04skyline126is.jpg

Another Coral Gables view from Civic Center:
http://img84.exs.cx/img84/541/tour04skylinesw04cg2ll.jpg

the new Federal Courthouse under construction, designed by Arquitectónica:
http://img174.exs.cx/img174/614/tour05downtownfed0fk.jpg

Bonus pic, looking toward the Everglades, west, Miami River and I-95 in foreground:
http://img174.exs.cx/img174/703/tour05horizonwest016ff.jpg

wow, very nice tivo! civic center is a very urban area of miami that's rarely seen. sorry to hear about your boring jury duty experience, but you did manage to get something good out of it. a whole mess of great pics!

there's so many pics here i don't know which to comment on, but the one of metrorail with the brickell skyline in the background is awesome. & i love the way the new courthouse has turned out. love the glass patterns.

Excellent tour. Miami's Civic Center is one of the city's most underated areas.

Great pics Tivo. I spent a little time at the eye center and a few visits to to Jackson as a kid. As you can imagine it has changed, just a little bit :). Love the pictures. Anyone want to do a phot threat on the 79th street causway area lol? Where did you take the bonus picture from? You were up pretty high.

uh that would be photo thread, multitasking can be bad

Excellent pictures! especially those of the skyline. Thanks for sharing.

excellent tour, great shots, great camera

thnx

Great pics tivo. Lots of cool vantage points. What building is that in the picture that is 5th from the bottom?

yep...I love the downtown and metrorail shots....thanks alot for the tour:):)

Those are great. I was in the area today and didnt realize how built up and urban it is. You've captured it well!

TIVO :) , Your GREAT BRO :) !!!, Did you get a chance of being a JUROR ??? :) , I was there one time, THE JUDGE Kicked :bash: me out, LOL, I told him the truth, I was a BAD GANG :bash: Leader, :jk: hehe, haha, hoho, They never called me AGAIN !!! :cheers:
ALSO :) , You GOT a Good PIC of where I worked at for the LAST 22 Years !!! TIVO :) !!!, Its the SECOND PIC where you typed in " Metrorail train ( Heavy Rail is Great !!! ) "To the RIGHT of the METRORAIL TRAIN is Where I work, THE Yard at the Bottom of the RAIL with the Smaller buildings NEXT to the NEW WINN DIXIE Food Store on N.W. 12th AVE. GREAT PIC there , BRO !!! :cheers:
ALSO TIVO :) , the White LOOKING two story House in those PICS is the OLD JACKSON HOSPITAL :) back in the 20's and 30's KNOWN as " THE ALAMO ", if you read the SIGN on the HOUSE, its Where Jackson Memorial Hospital Started IN, :) They preserved IT !!! :cheers:

AMAZING PICS TIVO! this is definetlty one of my absolute favorite parts of miami... one of only a few areas that you dont need a car... and the position of the metro station is sooooo convenient

i worked at ronald mcdonald house for a month last year... and took the metro every day... the entire campus it totally pedestrian friendly and there are restaurants all over the place for lunch... its a great area

my girlfriend's grandfather was bascon palmer... i gotta show her these pics...

again tivo, great! places like civic center really are the future of miami!

Thanks for all the replies, guys!

The Civic Center station is the second-busiest station in the entire Metrorail system, second only to Government Center, which is three stops down. Hospital employees, corrections workers, and courthouse staff use this station heavily.

Chuck: this is the second time I've been summoned for duty; the first time was two years ago. This year I got criminal court, last time I got civil court (at the Dade County Courthouse). For civil court I went through the voir dire process (where the attorneys on both sides interview you) and then was excused. This year I never had to be interviewed and just left. So, no more state jury duty for a year.

rohan:The picture was from the Stephen P. Clark Government Center (a.k.a. County Hall).

nimby: Interesting coincidence!

EBOSS: The picture you are referring to is the new Performing Arts Center (http://www.miamipac.com/). I edited the message so that the label appears. Thanks for pointing it out.