11Th Circuit Historical News
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The Historical Society of the U. S. Courts in the Eleventh Circuit 11th Circuit Historical News Volume XV, Number 2 https://sites.google.com/site/circuit11history Summer 2018 Judge Joseph Woodrow Hatchett A Florida legend in the fight for equality and justice By Rashad A. Green Over the course of nearly 60 years in the Deep South, and the first to serve as the practice of law, Joseph Woodrow a federal judicial officer in the South. He Hatchett built a legacy that will influence was the first African-American appointed and inspire many generations to come. to the Florida Supreme Court, and, A Florida civil rights hero, Hatchett is a to this day, remains the only African- man of great courage, determination American to win a statewide election in and heroism who has spent much of his See “Hatchett,” page 20 adult life dedicated to the fight for social justice, freedom and equality for all. The official portrait of former United States Chief Circuit Judge Joseph W. Hatchett was Hatchett achieved what was presented to the Eleventh Circuit Historical considered impossible at the time. He Society on May 17, 2002, at the United States became the first African-American to Courthouse in Tallahassee. It now hangs in the represent the Department of Justice in Elbert P. Tuttle Courthouse in Atlanta. (Simmie Knox, artist) About the author: Rashad A. Green is a partner at the law firm of Fernandez Green, LLP in Tampa, Florida. His practice is focused in the areas of criminal defense, civil rights and appellate law. Green, a native of Tallahassee, Florida, is the son of Hatchett’s eldest daughter, Cheryl. Green and his wife, Meagan, have one son, Jackson Woodrow Green, who was gifted the middle name of his great- grandfather. A forgotten story: The William Augustus Bootle Federal Building By Stuart E. Walker and William H. Larsen By January 1907, construction at the new federal Authors' note: building was in full swing. Following the daily progress, This is the second part of a two-part series. The first part Macon’s local newspaper asked: “Do you know where covered the history of Macon's federal buildings from the birth of is the busiest place in town from seven in the morning the federal judiciary in Macon (1880) until the beginning of the 1 to four in the afternoon?” The answer: “It is where the construction of our current courthouse (1905). Part II picks the marble-cutters of the Government building are at work story up there, recounting a murder at the construction site that 2 under the shed in the yard in the rear of the building.” led to a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court and then following The workforce, according to the newspaper, consisted the story through the completion of the courthouse (1908). All photos are provided by the authors, unless indicated otherwise. See “A Forgotten Story,” page 28 Historical News is produced as a courtesy by The Florida Bar. Message from the president Collegiality makes 11th Circuit special This is my first letter as opinions on matters that president of the Historical the public deems to be Society. I am honored to inherently partisan in nature. serve in this role. Much is Recently, public dialogue owed to Leonard Gilbert, my about the nomination and predecessor, who tirelessly and confirmation of judges might wisely led this organization. give the impression that the Thank you, Leonard. We judiciary is a political branch will miss your steady hand. of government, accountable I also thank the officers and primarily to partisan interests. trustees of the society for One need only glance at their continuing, unwavering news coverage of the process commitment to serve the court. to replace Supreme Court Our circuit has welcomed Justice Anthony Kennedy to four new judges confirmed appreciate the intensity of this by the U.S. Senate in the narrative. first half of this year: Judge Of course, the idea held by Elizabeth “Lisa” Branch of many that courts constitute the Eleventh Circuit, Judge a third political branch runs Michael Lawrence Brown counter to the ideal of judicial of the Northern District of independence embedded in Georgia, Judge Tilman Eugene our Constitution. Alexander “Tripp” Self III of the Middle Hamilton wrote: “The courts District of Georgia, and Judge Halsey G. Knapp, Jr., is the new president of the Historical must declare the sense of Annemarie Carney Axon Society of the U.S. Courts in the Eleventh Circuit. the law; and if they should of the Northern District of be disposed to exercise WILL Alabama. instead of JUDGMENT, the In July and August, five additional consequence would equally be judges were also welcomed by our circuit upon their the substitution of their pleasure to that of the legislative 1 confirmations by the U.S. Senate: Judge Britt Cagle Grant body.” In other words, we might as well have “no judges of the Eleventh Circuit, Judge Emily Coody Marks of distinct from” the legislature if judges are to have no 2 the Middle District of Alabama, Judge Jeffrey Uhlman different aims. The judiciary must be different. Our Beaverstock and Judge Terry Fitzgerald Moorer both of outgoing president sent a message to this society just the Southern District of Alabama, and Judge R. Stan Baker before the presidential election in 2016 emphasizing this of the Southern District of Georgia. point and quoting the late Richard Arnold of the Eighth Circuit: “There has to be a safe place.”3 They have all hit the ground running after filling vacancies sorely needing to be filled. This is not to say, of course, that courts do not directly have a hand in some of the most important political The arrival of new judges is always a joyful occasion for a events of our time. They necessarily do. Judge Elbert court, and not just because it helps to spread the workload Tuttle once mused in an interview that he originally (although in itself this is likely a substantial source of joy). thought his appointment to the former Fifth Circuit would There is a much more important reason for joy: collegiality. allow him to “retir[e] to a quiet life on the court.”4 But his I write you today in my first Message from the President appointment followed the Supreme Court’s 1954 decision to highlight and celebrate the collegiality of the Eleventh in Brown v. Board of Education by only a couple months, Circuit and the courts within, which is essential to their and his legacy grew in part from what observers perceived work and to the health of our republic. as courageous and unpopular decisions he made in Collegiality in any profession is not to be taken for Brown’s wake. Said Judge Tuttle of his own application of granted. But it especially may not be taken for granted precedent, however, “I don’t know whether we ought to in the federal courts, where judges routinely issue be recognized for doing something naturally.”5 2 President's Message, continued Judge Tuttle’s use of “we” is as instructive as his includes advocacy on behalf of this essential and refusal to take credit for what others branded activism. redeeming collegiality in our courts. As a public, we must Collegiality is the glue that holds our courts together never forget how much we benefit from courts that do not despite pressure from the outside world to toe a different see themselves as yet another forum in which a polarized line. It is an essential respect our judges have for their political climate divides everyone neatly into teams. colleagues that arises from the shared understanding that 1 The Federalist No. 78 (Alexander Hamilton), available at http://avalon.law.yale. all are on the same mission to uphold the rule of law — edu/18th_century/fed78.asp. together. This shared understanding, in turn, is built on 2 Id. trust that colleagues are committed to faithful application 3 Leonard H. Gilbert, “The Importance of Civic Education,” 11th Circuit Historical of precedent despite individual disagreements. News, Vol. XIII, No. 3, Winter 2016, available at https://sites.google.com/site/ Fortunately for us, the Eleventh Circuit has a proud circuit11history/2016-newsletters. tradition of collegiality. It isn’t clear that every other circuit 4 Ronald Smothers, “Atlanta Journal; Granite to Honor What Words Built,” New is as fortunate. York Times (June 11, 1990), https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/11/us/atlanta-journal- One of the purposes of this society is to foster public granite-to-honor-what-words-built.html appreciation of the federal court system, which I believe 5 Id. SHARE YOUR NEWS! Submit items for publication in the 11th Circuit Historical News to Wanda Lamar, executive director of the Society. (email: wanda_lamar @ca11.uscourts.gov). Historical articles on the federal courts and judges within the Eleventh Circuit will be considered, as well as investitures, courthouse dedications, portrait presentations, memorial ceremonies and oral history programs. IN THIS ISSUE: Judge Joseph W. Hatchett: A Profile ................................................................. 1 Part II: William Augustus Bootle Federal Building ......................................... 1 Message from the President ................................................................................. 2 The 2018 Eleventh Circuit Judicial Conference ............................................... 4 Leonard Gilbert’s report to the conference .................................................... 5 Minutes of the Eleventh Circuit Historical Society Board of Trustees and Membership Meeting .................................................................................. 7 2018-2020