As far as hires go, this is a big splash akin to landing Isiah Thomas to coach FIU's men's hoops team. The only difference is R. Alexander Acosta would probably be the one pressing charges against Thomas.
Hopefully, FIU won't have to worry about that after announcing Miami's top federal prosecutor as the new dean of the university's law school. We're sure he and Thomas will play nice together on campus.
Acosta, who has spearheaded prosecutions against celebrities and alleged terrorists alike during his tenure as U.S. District attorney will bring immediate credibility to the FIU program, or so school officials hope.
"His connections at the national and local level and his proven leadership here at home will inspire the next generation of law
students at FIU," FIU President Modesto Maidique said.
Acosta, 40, will step down from his Federal post June 5.
He has presided over one of the nation's largest and busiest federal prosecutor's offices since 2005. His office also convicted brothers Miguel and Gilberto Rodriguez Orijuela on charges of running Colombia's notorious Cali cocaine cartel and the son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor in the first use of a U.S. anti-torture law.
Then Acosta's office took on the Liberty City Six case, which took three tries to finally get a conviction on a group of men who prosecutors said plotted to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago and FBI offices across the nation as terrorist cells for Al Qaeda.
