As chief judge, Donald Moran has never hesitated to speak his mind.
For 21 years, he’s been the public face of the 4th Judicial Circuit, including on issues like the often-criticized $350 million courthouse.
He’s direct, which sometimes can be interpreted as gruff.
And he’s always confident, until he has to talk about himself. Then he’s a little uncomfortable. Sometimes more than a little.
Like when you ask about this month’s heavily attended retirement ceremony.
“It was certainly more than was warranted,” he said.
And when you try to get him to talk about what kind of a leader he is.
“I don’t know. You’d have to ask others.”
It’s one of the many contradictions in the life of a boy whose family lived on Jacksonville’s Westside, though he graduated
from Orleans American High School in France.
Of a man who said he forgot he applied to law school then went on to become Florida’s longest-serving chief judge.
And of a person his younger brother describes as having “a real loud bark, but not much of a bite.”
Friday is Moran’s final day as chief judge of the circuit that comprises Clay, Duval and Nassau counties.
The end of a storied judicial career where his closest contest was by far his first, when fewer than 100 votes separated him and his opponent, who had been caught damaging Moran’s yard signs.
A narrow first victory
Attorney Hank Coxe was on the hiring committee that interviewed Moran for an assistant state attorney’s job in 1973.
When asked what stood out about Moran, Coxe didn’t talk about the rookie’s legal prowess. It was his height, which Coxe hoped would help their city basketball league team.
“But he was useless,” Coxe said.
Not long after Moran was hired, Ed Austin returned to be state attorney when Don Nichols resigned. Moran said he felt “very fortunate to work for someone like Ed Austin.”
He said Austin was always approachable and appeared interested in what people wanted to talk to him about.
When Moran decided to run for county judge at age 29, the first person he went to for advice was Austin. They talked quite a while, then Austin told him, “I think you can win this, Don.”
Coxe wasn’t as sure. He thought it was a little early in Moran’s career for the move.
“We knew he was likely to get his rear end kicked in this election,” Coxe said.
It wasn’t an easy race. But late in the game, Moran caught a break, of sorts.
His opponent was caught tearing down Moran’s signs, Coxe said.
Moran was furious, said Coxe, who was still in the state attorney’s office. He told Coxe he wanted the other candidate prosecuted.
“No, you don’t,” Coxe told him.
What Moran really wanted, Coxe advised, was to give Coxe a letter saying he didn’t want his opponent prosecuted. As though a judicial race was above such a fray.
Moran did just that and he won by several dozen votes. He would never face a serious challenger again.
Several years after being elected county judge, Moran applied to fill a circuit vacancy. He made the list sent to the governor, but he wasn’t selected.
He tried again and in 1983 was appointed by Gov. Bob Graham.
A decade later he took over as chief judge from a man he respected, but who was removed from the job after making what many considered were racially insensitive remarks.
Learning from someone else’s mistakes
According to The New York Times, Chief Judge John E. Santora Jr. was quoted by The Florida Times-Union as saying, “We have been too good to them (African-Americans). They’re the ones committing the crimes.”
There were other similar statements attributed to him, as well.
It was a turbulent time, for sure. Santora met with the judges in the circuit and said he would step down if any one of them asked him to do so, Moran said. No one did.
Moran believes it’s because the judges knew the civil rights issues Santora had taken on, such as having “colored” bathrooms and water fountains removed from the courthouse/police station.
Moran said he learned a lot from Santora, including from his troubles.
“Mainly that your personal opinion ought to be kept to yourself,” he said. “It isn’t as valuable as you may think it is.”
The Florida Supreme Court removed Santora as chief judge. Moran took over in 1993 and has been there since.
During that time, his colleagues have seen him be tough, fair, caring and incredibly funny.
Building his legacy
Not everyone would enjoy working for their big brother, but County Court Judge John Moran did. “As a boss he can be very demanding but at the same time he can be very forgiving,” John Moran said.
There’s no doubt Don Moran’s size and presence can intimidate people.
“He’s a big guy with a big personality and a big voice,” said Circuit Judge Mallory Cooper. “Once you get used to it and realize that’s part of who he is, it’s nothing. It’s just him.”
Moran’s ability to solve conflicts without leaving grudges was a gift he had, they said.
Moran said a chief judge must be mindful of the group as a whole when making decisions.
He said he’s never done anything to benefit himself. And he never made any assignments based on his personal feelings, good or bad, about someone. The assignments were based on criteria, such as seniority, how long a judge had been in a particular job and how close he or she may be to retirement.
“If people sense it’s been a fair thing, and you’ve gone by rules, then nobody really complains,” he said.
During his tenure, several diversion programs were added, such as drug, mental health and veterans courts. Moran also supported the efforts of his judges to addrress on social issues that were important to them and the community.
Such as Circuit Judge David Gooding’s longtime adoption efforts, including the recent home for the holidays event. He also backs Circuit Judge Henry Davis’ efforts as he pushes for juvenile issues to be addressed.
Moran points out Davis and Gooding’s efforts aren’t driven by a hope of getting their names in the paper. They’re driven by a desire to make the community better.
Moran got his name in the paper plenty as he pushed an issue he thought was necessary for the community. During the years the new Duval County Courthouse was debated, he became its most vocal and most criticized supporter.
The courthouse saga
The old courthouse had been deteriorating for years. Finally, there was hope for a new one when Mayor John Delaney added a $190 million facility to his Better Jacksonville Plan.
The price kept rising but Moran kept stressing the need for the building.
That led people to believe Moran was trying to build a Taj Mahal, his brother said.
Don Moran points out the size was decided by professionals who examined the need of the offices within the building, the demographics of the circuit and the projected growth.
He worked closely with Cooper and Judge Lance Day on the facility.
Moran’s goal was to make sure the place was durable and would last for decades. Those floors you see aren’t marble, he said. They’re made of a synthetic material that is easier to take care of and will last longer.
There also was the public battle with Mayor Alvin Brown over new furniture for the courthouse. Moran said he understands the budget was tight but could not support bringing moldy, broken down furniture from the old place to the new building.
Coxe enjoyed bringing up that fray during Moran’s retirement ceremony, when he asked if Brown was comfortable in his chair. One of the chairs that Moran had fought to get.
He said the buildings durability was a must for a building that has 5,000 people come through each day.
Moran said City Hall couldn’t compare to that and perhaps only shopping malls at Christmas time could come close.
“And we’re not even holding specials,” he said, with a smile.
Moran found out that not every story that put him in the news was related to his work.
Finding a positive in a family tragedy
When two of Moran’s sons got arrested, their last name made it news. Obviously, he said, it was tough as a father to see that happen.
“You’d like to go in there and knock their heads together,” he said.
But what happened to Moran’s son, Donnie, changed their family forever.
In December 2008, the younger Moran was ejected from his truck after a DUI accident along Butler Boulevard. John Moran said he was thrown so far, they didn’t find him for a while.
For his brother and sister-in-law, Elaina, the pain was incredible.
At one point they wondered if their son was going to live, John Moran said. Then came the thoughts of what kind of life would he have as a paraplegic.
But Donnie’s resilience got the family through that period.
His positive attitude and his never asking “Why him?” amazed the family.
“We all marvel at how well he’s done,” Moran said.
The younger Moran lives on his own, drives himself places and owns a medical supply business. He still goes hunting and he plays wheelchair basketball.
“He gets along real well,” Moran said of his son. “It’s kind of inspirational.”
Donnie is such a positive person that Brooks Rehabilitation Services asks him to talk to families in similar circumstances.
The talk shows families that even though they’re devastated, they can see things will be OK, Don Moran said.
“They’re going to be different but they can be OK,” he said.
Moran believes the accident made his son value life more.
Spending more time with his four children is among the plans he has in retirement. He has three grandchildren and one on the way.
A life abroad
As a teenager, Moran spent about 18 months in France, when his father took a two-year contract for a job there.
He recalls the huge amount of traveling the family did, which was encouraged by the school and enjoyed by his mother.
“I went to every church in Europe,” he said.
His brother brags that Moran was an All-France right tackle, something the chief judge didn’t mention when he talked about his time overseas.
He also didn’t talk about participating in the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain.
When John Moran asked about it, his brother said, “You don’t have to outrun the bulls, you just have to outrun the drunk guys.”
After serving in the Navy, Moran handled personnel issues at Anchor Hocking in Jacksonville. He liked the job but decided to take a leave of absence to see if he would enjoy law school.
The leave of absence became permanent. Moran enjoyed law school and the career that followed.
John Moran saw how much his brother enjoyed it, he attended law school about 10 years after graduating from college.
A time to retire
Last week, Moran recalled he was a young man when the rule was passed that judges had to retire at age 70.
“I remember thinking at the time, ‘Who would work until they’re 70?’” said Moran, who hits that milestone in August.
While he would probably run again if he could, Moran said it’s a good time to leave.
“You can become a grumpy old man, although my wife would say, ‘What do you mean become’?” Moran said.
There’s a time to retire, he said, “and I don’t think it’s when you’re 80 or 85.”
His colleagues will miss the day-to-day engagement with him and just his presence in the building he helped build.
Judge Mark Mahon, who is the new chief judge, said he and Moran were talking about an issue last week, when Moran said, “Maybe next month we …” before catching himself that there is no next month for him.
Moran has signed up to be a senior judge, which he will do after a year. He could volunteer immediately for that assignment, but he’ll wait the year when he can get paid, he said.
John Moran thinks that decision isn’t based on getting paid. He believes his brother is waiting to give Mahon time to run the courthouse his way. To say Mahon’s in charge now.
“If he’s in the courthouse, people have a tendency to come to him,” John Moran said his brother.
At the end of his retirement ceremony, Moran was shown the sign dedicating the courthouse as the Donald R. Moran Jr. Hall of Justice.
He was surprised by the honor, which was decided on by his fellow judges.
Moran jokes that he thought there was a hall of justice in Batman, but when he looked it up, he discovered it was actually in Superman.
Because judges don’t use the public entrance to the courthouse, he’s only seen it twice. He jokes he’ll probably lose his pass and see it when he comes to visit.
He appreciates the recognition, but it’s clearly another honor he’s uncomfortable with.
***
Circuit Judge Mallory Cooper
Cooper praised several characteristics of Moran, but especially his loyalty to his employees. “I found that to be admirable,” she said.
Cooper said the biggest misperception about Moran is that he’s a bully because he’s big and vocal when stressing his position. That’s not the case at all, she said.
“I’m not going to say I’ve never been screamed at,” she laughed, “but I haven’t been screamed at much.”
She described Moran as positive, helpful, encouraging and a good listener.
County Judge John Moran
John Moran is five years younger than his brother, Chief Judge Donald Moran. He described the older Moran as a “typical big brother.” When Don was 18, John was 13, which meant he was pest. “I was always turning him into mom and dad.” But after Don went to law school, John did, too.
He’ll miss not seeing his brother every day at work and piling into his Suburban two to three times a week for lunch. “It’s interesting and fun to talk to Don,” he said. “He always knows what’s going on.
Attorney Hank Coxe
Coxe worked with Moran as an assistant state attorney under Ed Austin. He said Moran’s single greatest quality is that he’s a “remarkable people person.”
He understands how people behave and why, and he appreciates why they see things differently.
Coxe also praised Moran’s ability to not let the personal attacks get to him.
“He just wasn’t going to let it affect how he behaved,” Coxe said.
Former Mayor John Peyton
Peyton praised Moran’s commitment to building the courthouse that was long-needed.
It was during Peyton’s time in office that the once-planned $190 million courthouse became the $350 million courthouse, partially due to rising construction and material costs.
“His personal commitment to this project is what enabled it … to stay on task through three administrations, three mayors,” he said of the project that began with Mayor John Delaney, continued through Peyton’s administration and into Mayor Alvin Brown’s tenure.
“God knows we needed a courthouse and the politics are never right to build one,” Peyton said.