Retired judge honored, in part, due to his work on behalf of youth
Clark County’s juvenile court building will have a new name to honor a retired longtime Superior Court judge who, in the words of a colleague, “always took an interest in young people.”
The Clark County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution last month renaming the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center the Robert L. Harris Juvenile Justice Center.
The center at 500 W. 11th St. handles juvenile criminal misdemeanor and felony cases, as well as certain family law cases.
Harris, who left office last month in accordance with the state’s mandatory retirement age for judges, was informed of the renaming at a Dec. 18 retirement party. Commissioners surprised him with a plaque and brief ceremony.
“I was flabbergasted,” Harris, 75, said this week. “I had no inkling anything like that was in the works.”
Commissioner Steve Stuart said other judges brought the idea to rename the building to commissioners, and the decision was a no-brainer.
“He was the longest serving Superior Court judge in the state and he had a long history focusing on juvenile issues,” Stuart said. “Those two things made it a relatively easy call for the board.”
Superior Court Judge Barbara Johnson agreed, saying Harris showed his love for young people outside the courtroom, as well.
“He was a coach and took an interest in young people,” she said. “We felt that it was appropriate to honor him in a particularly noteworthy way.”
Harris, who was appointed to the bench in 1979 by then-Gov. Dixy Lee Ray, has handled some of the biggest cases in the county’s history, including the death penalty case of child murderer Westley Allan Dodd.
Harris was the presiding Superior Court judge over juvenile court from 1997 to 2007 and helped reform the county’s truancy program. He also was instrumental in establishing a Family Law Annex to ease the crunch on the courthouse from divorces and child support matters.
Asked when the center’s signs and voice mail greetings will reflect the name change, Stuart said he didn’t know.
In October 2007, an agency that prosecutes child abusers in Clark County and helps support abuse victims was renamed the Arthur D. Curtis Children’s Justice Center in honor of the longtime elected prosecutor.
Laura McVicker: 360-735-4516 or laura.mcvicker@columbian.com.
