by Kent Jennings Brockwell
Staff Writer
When Duval County Judge James Ruth invited the other 14 county judges to lunch Wednesday, they all thought it was simply a nice gesture. The judges had no idea that they were going to be recognized by one of the top U.S. military commanders for their exemplary efforts.
Ruth, a Florida Army National Guardsman who recently returned from a year-long deployment in Iraq, held the lunch to thank the other Duval County judges for picking up his case load while he was deployed. At the secretly planned luncheon, which was sponsored by Ruth and his wife, Michelline, all of the attendees were quite surprised to see Florida Air National Guard Maj. Gen. Douglass Burnett, the adjutant general of Florida.
At the luncheon, Burnett individually thanked all of the judges for their extraordinary services and presented each with a commemorative plaque. He also presented Ruth’s judicial assistant, Shirley Haag, with a plaque for her services during Ruth’s deployment.
“They made it possible for Judge Ruth to go (into combat),” said Burnett. “They picked up his case load while he was gone. They didn’t have to do that, but they did and I just wanted to thank them for what they did.”
Fourth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Donald Moran also thanked the group for their work, but said he is mainly glad that Ruth came home safely.
“We are glad that James is back,” he said. “We were all worried about him.”
In most cases when a judge is absent for an extended period of time, Moran said the court would usually shut down that judge’s division. But in Ruth’s situation, Moran said all of the other judges stepped up to the plate and each took on a few of Ruth’s cases, clearing his calendar until he returned.
“It was kind of a unique experience,” said Ruth. “They all just picked up the work load and we appreciate all that they did.”
Though thanks and gratitude were showered upon the judges throughout the luncheon, Judge Ronald Higbee said picking up some of Ruth’s case load while he was deployed was not a hassle at all and was simply the right thing to do.
“It was something we were glad to do for Judge Ruth while he was off serving his country,” he said.