by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
On April 1, Timothy Collins entered a new chapter in his legal career when he became a Clay County judge.
“I’ve wanted to practice law since I was 10 years old,” said Collins. “I’ve always enjoyed helping people, but when I became an attorney, judge wasn’t even on the radar. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time. It’s a real honor.”
Though some may associate becoming a judge with success, Collins defines it a little differently.
“Success is doing the right thing for the right reason, every time,” he said. “There’s nothing greater than that.”
Prior to his appointment (he replaces Judge C. Thomas McAnally, who passed away in December), Collins had been the director of the Clay County Division of the State Attorney’s Office for over 11 years. It was an office that was hard to leave.
“There was some hesitation about taking this job because I really enjoyed what I was doing before,” said Collins, who personally tried over 30 homicide cases during his tenure. “I thought about it for a while and I just came to understand that I had done everything I could do there. But if someone had asked me to become a judge just two years ago, I don’t think would have done it.”
Collins is a native of Jacksonville where he attended Paxon High School — he graduated fourth in his class — and later Jacksonville University. He earned his law degree at Florida State University. Stints in private practices, including Pajcic, Pajcic, Dale & Bold and, later, Watson & Collins, followed.
His role in the State Attorney’s Office ultimately brought him to Clay County.
Apart from his legal work, Collins has participated in several anti-drug initiatives and also conceived and helped facilitate a documentary, “Crime and Consequences,” which won several awards, including an Emmy, a Telly and the Communicator Crystal Award. The film was shown at various high schools throughout Clay County. He also chairs the Clay County Juvenile Justice Council.
Though has been married for 20 years and has three children, Collins declined to speculate on whether a career in the legal field is their future.
“It’s hard to say,” he said. “They’ve seen how hard it is to do what I do. Being a lawyer is a hard, hard job. You have to love it because you dedicate so much of your life to it and really become an expert. But I look at my oldest son and I see a good, solid work ethic in him. Who knows?”
For now, Collins is just looking forward to sitting on the bench and making a difference.
“I enjoy dealing with people,” he said. “I’m good at it. Most of what we do is represent the people and do what we can do to address their grievances and help them get their lives together. I can’t think of anything more fulfilling. But you know, even without my new job, it would all be worth it.”