As a youngster, Giles Clark remembers sitting on the floor of Bladen County’s Superior Courtroom and watching the proceedings. He had a front row seat because his father, H. Manley Clark, was sheriff. Those courtroom sessions were how he became interested in a career in law.
Today, the portrait of the retired jurist hangs above the bench of the Superior Courtroom inside the Bladen County Courthouse in recognition of his distinguished career.
A packed courtroom of court officials, local leaders, family and friends gathered Tuesday, March 24 to honor the 96-year-old judge who presided over trials for 25 years.
“I’m proud to have served as a lawyer, as a judge and all the other things that are involved in the practice of law,” Clark said. “We’ve got an absolutely wonderful crowd here. I’m truly, truly amazed at this whole thing.
“If all the people that have helped me along the way were present, we’d need about four or five courtrooms,” Clark said. “The court has been so good to me .. I thank you.”
With that, people in the courtroom gave a standing ovation to a judge who swore in many of the lawyers who attended the ceremony. Among that group is Michael McGuinness, who was sworn in by Clark 42 years to the day of the portrait unveiling.
Elizabethtown lawyer Goldston Womble was sworn in by Clark 51 years ago.
“It was both an honor and a privilege to try cases in front of Judge Clark,” Womble said. “It was always an adventure, but it was also a learning experience.”
Womble told a few stories about appearing before Clark, then concluded by saying “I’ve also had the privilege of attending Elizabethtown Baptist Church with Judge Clark. He has a love for law and he loves lawyers, but his greatest loves are his family, his church and his community. He is a man of deep faith. I don’t know anyone who is more deserving of the honor he is receiving than Judge Giles R. Clark.”
Superior Court Judge Ashley Gore presided over the session.
“It’s not very often that I get to preside over a court session where everyone is happy to be here,” she said, drawing laughter from the crowd. “Indeed, that is the case today and it’s for a very special reason.
“On these very special occasions, it reminds us that our courthouse is indeed a community. As you can see from all of the people here today, from the judges, to the attorneys, to the clerks, to the people in our community here to celebrate Judge Clark,” Gore said. “Today, we honor the legacy of senior resident Superior Court Judge Giles Clark. Judge Clark, it is an honor to be able to participate in this dedication and to sit in the seat that you once occupied.”
Clark’s portrait is the fourth to be hung inside the Superior Courtroom along with Chatham Calhoun Lyon, Jerome Bayard Clark and Edward B. Clark.
Retired Superior Court Judge Bill Gore, a colleague of Clark’s on the bench, drew laughter when he told the audience that “I enjoyed following Judge Clark because he was one of the few judges where if he had been somewhere for six months, they were actually glad to see me.”
On a serious note, Gore said, “We thank you for seeking to put justice above all else and for always seeking to do what was right in this courtroom and the others that you served and also in this community.”
Chief District Court Judge Scott Ussery and Superior Court Judge Ashley Gore unveiled Judge Clark’s portrait to the audience.
“It’s an honor to be here celebrating Judge Clark’s legal and judicial career,” Chief District Court Judge Scott Ussery said. “No one is more deserving of this honor.”
Clark began his legal career in 1958 as a staff attorney with the North Carolina Attorney General’s office, worked in private practice from 1962-68 and was judge for Bladen County Recorders Court from 1966-68. He was a District Court judge from 1968-75 and Superior Court judge from 1975 until retiring in 1993. He served as an emergency judge upon retirement.
Leave a Reply