Judge Robert W. Lee

It was the year 2000 and the outcome of the presidential election hung by a chad. The historic recount in Florida generated death threats, worldwide media coverage, and late-night talk show spoofs before it landed in the U.S. Supreme Court. Broward County Judge Robert W. Lee had a front row seat.

Judge Lee, who is now set to retire, was then-chair of the Broward County Canvassing Board and had been a judge for just two years when he suddenly found himself in the thick of a controversial hand recount that vaulted him into the international spotlight and resulted in one of the most bitterly contested presidential elections in American history.