Small Town News

Community Stunned, Saddened By Death of Judge David Turner

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On Tuesday, hundreds of people from Meriwether and surrounding counties gathered to pay respects to Judge David Jasper Turner, who served as Meriwether Juvenile Court Judge for 35 years and was serving as municipal court judge for 10 cities.

The municipal courts served by Judge Turner include: Manchester, Warm Springs, Woodbury, Pine Mountain, Hamilton, Shiloh, Waverly Hall, Talbotton, Molena and Thomaston.

Turner, 67, passed away Sunday, Aug. 30 at West Georgia Hospice in LaGrange. Memorial services were held at Manchester First Baptist Church with Dr. Bob Patterson officiating.

While so many people remember Turner as an attorney and judge, his wife, Joan, says it is the personal side of the man many failed to see.

"David did not like being in the limelight," Joan said. "He was such a wonderful person, but he did not talk about those things, although he affected so many lives.

"An example of that surfaced on Saturday, the day before he passed away," Joan said. "As I was in the parking lot at LaGrange Hospice a gentleman approached me.

"He told me had driven from Meriwether County because he wanted Judge Turner to know how he had impacted him.

"He told me that the Judge had sentenced him to jail, but that he was right in doing so. However, he also told me he wanted the Judge to know that it was the best thing that could have happened to him.

"He told me the Judge had treated him like a person, not a criminal, and because he had sentenced him to jail it had helped him turn his life around.

"One time, a young man walked up to us when we were out somewhere and told David that he had once sentenced him to the Regional Youth Detention Center. He also told him that was the best thing that could have happened to him because he turned his life around and is now a teacher.

"There were so many stories like that."

Judge Turner is also credited for working with two programs, in Meriwether County through the courts that are extremely unique.

Judge Turner worked very closely with the Prevention and Responsible Choices (PARC) at Roosevelt Warm Springs.

TURNER would sentence youth, through the Juvenile Court, to spend time doing things throughout the day in a wheelchair.

"It was great;" Joan said. "It gave them a total different outlook on life.""

Turner is also credited for working with a Meriwether County student suspension program that was proven to be very successful.

Students appearing in his court, that the school and state laws required to be suspended or expelled, would be sentenced to participate in the Pathways school suspension program.

"It was great," Joan said. "The students would attend classes at Pathways, with a certified Meriwether County school teacher, and continue their studies. That way, the student didn't get behind in class work and lost no credit for schoolwork.

"We had so many people calling wanting to know about the program. I worked with the school system, while at Pathways, to begin the program. It only works if you have a judge that will work with you. There are no other programs in the state such as this one.

"It was great because most students that are suspended want to be out and about doing things, but when they have to attend school anyway, why bother getting into trouble.

"David thought it was wonderful because it kept the students learning.

"While the students weren't appreciative at first, they eventually would come around and thank David for helping them."

THAT WAS the professional side of Judge Turner, what was more impressive about him was his non-professional side.

"He loved children," Joan said. "He was all about children. He loved his two daughters and my son. He treated my son like he was his own child.

"He adored our three grandchildren.

"David was a tender-hearted and compassionate person.

"ONCE he learned about some children in Pine Mountain that were not going to receive anything for Christmas. So, he worked through the police department and found out the size of clothes the children wore, some of the things they might like for Christmas and things they needed.

"He completed his day in court in Thomaston (one of the municipalities he served) and went to Wal-Mart. He returned home with his trunk loaded. He and I sat in the floor and wrapped presents for the longest. He then took the items to the Pine Mountain Police Department and the family never even knew where the items came from.

"That's the way he wanted it. He wanted everyone to think the items came from Santa Claus. He never took credit, it was not about him, and he loved children.

"That was not an unusual thing for him to do. If something tugged at his heart and he felt someone was truly in need, it was not out of character for him to do things like that.

"What impressed me most was that he would do the shopping. He didn't tell someone else to do it."

Judge Turner's daughter, Emily Smith, has a very similar memory.

"When I was young girl, Dukes of Hazard was the big thing," Smith said. "We were shopping one day and a little boy was crying because he wanted a Dukes of Hazard car and the store was sold out.

"My Dad went out and found that car and mailed it to the little boy.

"He was always doing something for someone and didn't want any credit for doing it."

One thing that could be said of Judge Turner was that he had lots of friends.

"If David considered you a friend, you had a friend," Joan said. "He was friend through thick and thin and he cared about his friends.

"HE LIVED by the rule, if you can't say anything good about someone then don't say it.

"I never remember him saying an unkind word about anyone. He cherished people and his friends dearly."

While Judge Turner loved people, he was also an animal lover.

"Our Yorkie, Jazzy, was his heart," Joan said. "I saw a Yorkie puppy and wanted one, but he reminded me that we already had too many animals, and we did. Animals are attracted to our house. It's like they know if they showed up there and looked cute and in need, they have found themselves a new home.

"The staff at Pathways presented me with Jazzy as a gift for Bosses Day shortly after that. I didn't know what to do. I thought, as I was taking the puppy home, you had better look cute or David is going to throw us both out of the house.

"I called him at work and told him he needed to come home. He wanted to know if something was wrong and I told him there wasn't, but he needed to come home.

"He arrived and Jazzy was lying in the floor and David almost had a stroke. He wanted the names of all the employees and was just livid.

"He picked Jazzy up, put it on his shoulder and that was it. For the past nine years Jazzy has slept on his shoulder every night. Jazzy met David every evening when he got home and he would always tell me he would get to me, but I knew the routine and he had to spent time with Jazzy first.

"He always said he didn't have any oil paintings of his children, but he did have an oil painting of Jazzy in his office. That's how much he loved Jazzy.

"I took Jazzy to visit hinv at Hospice and he loved every minute of it. She just licked him to death."

JOAN ALSO SAID there were other things about Judge Turner people didn't know.

"He was brilliant, but had so much common sense," she said. "He was hard working and wasn't afraid of getting his hands dirty.

"I think most people thought he was just a city boy from Atlanta, but he could do anything and build anything.

"We have a cabin in North Carolina that we both love so much, and he built it with his own hands.

"He could build, fix, put together, do plumbing, do anything at home or at the cabin. Wherever we needed it done.

"We had looked for a cabin for so many years and he kept telling me, we'll know it when we see it.

"One day we found this piece of property with a trout stream, waterfalls, just our dream place. It was eight and a half acres. We bought the land and he built the cabin."

As far as the family man.

"He loved me and the children so much and would do anything for us," Joan said.

"For Christmas five years ago, he bought me a horse named Hank.

"Hank was my nickname as a child, when he found out the horse that had been picked out for me was named Hank, he knew that was the horse for me.

"I had horses but eventually had to sell them because I boarded them out of town. I missed those horses and he knew that.

"WE SPENT Christmas at the cabin every year after it was built. Five years ago, we were going to the cabin as usual. He wanted to visit some friends and he wanted to go by and drop off their Christmas presents. I would always go over to look at the horses and that day there was a beautiful Palomino there.

"I commented on what a beautiful horse it was and David told me it was mine.

"You know, a horse is such a personal thing, but he had been talking with friends trying to find the perfect horse for me and he did.

"When we got back to the cabin that Christmas, I had all these presents and all of them were for my horse, a halter, a saddle and other things.

"We have been so completely devoted to each other for many, many years, I loved him dearly. We were just meant to be."

JUDGE TURNER will always be remembered by his family as a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend and by the community as a judge, leader and mentor to all.

Funeral notice, 8B Turner's impact on area,4A

"I never remember him saying an unkihnd word about anyone."



Copyright 2009 The Manchester Star-Mercury, Manchester, Georgia. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2009 The Manchester Star-Mercury Manchester, Georgia. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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