by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
On a day when County Judge David Gooding helped preside over 54 adoptions, the most ever in Duval County on a single day, it was fitting that Gooding held court under his father’s watchful eyes.
Gooding joined with County Judge Waddell Wallace and the county’s Family Support Services Thursday afternoon to create or enlarge 54 families. That brings the December total number of adoptions to 58, a record for Duval County.
Gooding typically presides from a first-floor courtroom in the Duval County Courthouse, but the sheer number of adoptions and people involved forced the proceedings to move to courtroom 4 on the second floor where a painted portrait of Gooding’s father, Judge Marion Gooding, hangs above the jury box.
Marion Gooding wasn’t the only approving father on Thursday. Gooding heard from dozens of adoptive fathers and mothers thanking the county for adding to their families.
The first adoption of the day enlarged the Dunbar family by adding adopted daughter Jasmine. Her brother Stephen is scheduled for adoption next year by the Dunbars. Asked why the Dunbar family wanted to take the children in, mother Mary gave a simple answer that spoke for many of the adoptive families.
“Because I love them,” she said, wiping away tears.
The atmosphere in the courtroom resembled a Jaguars game more than a court proceeding. The court was decorated with balloons and packed with families. Each adoption was punctuated by applause.
The jury box was jammed with VIPs including City Council members Elaine Brown and Glorious Johnson, Duval County Chief Judge Don Moran, Sen. Jim King and Lucy Hadi, secretary of the state Department of Children and Families.