Happy ending follows amazing courtroom coincidence
MIAMI --It was a big day for a Miami-Dade judge and a defendant who once appeared in her courtroom,reports CBS Miami
It all started with a bond court video seen and heard around the world.
"Did you go to Nautilus for middle school?" Judge Mindy Glazer asked the defendant.
"Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness," is all inmate Arthur Booth could say.
Glazer recognized her former middle school classmate as he appeared before her to face burglary charges.
"I'm sorry to see you and I always wondered what happened to you," she told him.
On Tuesday, Glazer met with Booth once -- again under better circumstances.
He was released from jail after nearly 10 months. He caught a break and was released on a court program.
Glazer stood by waiting - along with his family - to greet Booth as he walked out of jail.
"Take care of your family. Try to get a job. Stay clean," Glazer told Booth. "You're going to do something good for somebody else."
"You better believe it. You better believe it," Booth responded.
The two hugged, with big smiles on both their faces.
"She's an inspiration and a motivation to me right now. Mindy is incredible," Booth said. "'Cause I know where I could've been, but I'm not giving up on life. It's just a new lease on life for me right now."
"He had a good judge who wanted to give him a chance," Glazer said." This is a group effort to see you succeed. Don't let us down."
"I won't. I promise not to," he said.
Booth also says he also owes a lot, not only to his lawyer but to the prosecutor.