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Sunday, September 21, 2008
Ind. Courts - New federal judge, William Lawrence, feted in Mooresville
Nick McLain reported Sept. 20th in a long story in the Mooresville-Decatur Times that begins:
Maybe they put something in the water here. For some reason, the community of Mooresville knows how to raise federal judges.A native son, William Lawrence, recently was sworn in as the newest judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. He joins Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen, another former Mooresvillian (Mooresville High School class of 1961), who was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana in 2007. Van Bokkelen’s father was the town doctor for many years.
Lawrence was a 1965 graduate of Mooresville High School, having grown up on Carter Street since his birth. His father owned the sawmill on South Street. He mentioned several names as an influence during his formative years, including Bob Patterson, a former teacher, and Jack Brown, the former football coach and teacher.
“Every one of them had a significant impact on my life,” he said. “I have nothing but fond memories,” he said.
His investiture ceremony in July also had a strong Mooresville presence, with Van Bokkelen speaking and Tim Currens and Steve Harris, who own a local law practice, and Dick Newcomber, who owns a local lumberyard, also in attendance. George and Jana Carlisle, former owners of Carlisle & Son Funeral Chapel, are cousins of Lawrence and were also present.
“Joe (Van Bokkelen) was just noting how rare it is for a community to have two lifetime-tenured district court judges,” Lawrence said.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 21, 2008 09:18 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts