A man who has served as a baliff for Hall County courts for more than 20 years was presented with this year's Liberty Bell Award by the local bar association Friday.
Bobby Hall was recognized at the Gainesville-Northeastern Circuit Bar Association's annual Law Day observance. It given each year to a non-lawyer.
Hall retired from First National Bank (now Regions) after 32 years of service and has spent the past 20-plus years serving as a bailiff in the court system, all the while also serving the community in varying capacities including service on PTA boards, the Hall County Board of Voter Registration and his church. He is also known in many circles for his more than 30 years as a baseball/softball umpire in the Gainesville area.
Also Friday, the A.R. Kenyon Award was presented to retiring Hall County State Court Judge Charles Wynne. Judge Wynne is the Chief Judge of the State Court of Hall County, President of the Council of State Court Judges of Georgia, and member of the Board of Trustees of Young Harris College. He is a previous member of the Judicial Council Accountability Court Committee for the State of Georgia and oversaw the formation of the Hall County DUI Court, one of the first three DUI courts in the state.
Judge Wynne is a former president fo the Gainesville Jaycees and the Gainesville Kiwanis Club, and he has previously served as the Lay Leader of the Gainesville First United Methodist Church.
The keynote speaker for the Law Day observance, which was held at the Gainesville Civic Center, was Judge Stephen Dillard of the Georgia Court of Appeals.
The theme of this year's program was "Miranda, More Than Just Words," a reference to the Miranda Warning which requires law enforcement officials to inform a criminal supsect of his or her rights before questioning them. This is the 50th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision "Miranda vs. Arizona."
Judge Dillard’s presentation covered the underlying facts leading up to the landmark case; and he discussed not only the historical significance of the decision but also how it has affected law enforcement in the prosecution of criminal cases. He noted the decision issued by the court was based upon a 5-4 vote and described the decision as a controversial one which has its supporters and critics still today.
