Friday, March 29, 2024

Judge Jordon recognized for decades of service in E.L.

December 5, 2012
	<p>Mayor Diane Goddeeris, right, delivers a speech honoring Judge David Jordon, left, on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at East Lansing&#8217;s 54B District Court during a city council meeting. Judge Jordon has served as East Lansing&#8217;s 54B District Court judge for 23 years. Julia Nagy/The State News </p>

Mayor Diane Goddeeris, right, delivers a speech honoring Judge David Jordon, left, on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at East Lansing’s 54B District Court during a city council meeting. Judge Jordon has served as East Lansing’s 54B District Court judge for 23 years. Julia Nagy/The State News

Photo by Julia Nagy | The State News

For the past 23 years, Judge David L. Jordon has resided as a judge on the 54B District Court in East Lansing. At the end of the month, his term will come to an end.

During Tuesday’s regular East Lansing City Council meeting, Jordon was recognized for his 23 years of service as a judge.

A few guest speakers, including Mayor Diane Goddeeris and Judge Richard Ball, spoke of the work Jordon has done during the years and emphasized his commitment to the community.

Jordon said he got to have a wonderful career where the only real goal was to do what he thought was right.

“I mean, how cool is that?” he said. “It’s not always easy because you might feel sorry for somebody, but if they did wrong, they did wrong.”

Jordon was elected as judge in 1989 and said there was no particular “aha” moment as to why he ran to be a judge.

“I’ve always been someone who saw both sides of things and felt like I could figure (them) out, you know, that it’s not all one thing or not all the other,” he said. “You have to look at cases and decide them, so I thought it would be a good thing.”

Jon Caterino, a mentor coordinator for the Ingham County Veteran’s Treatment Court, has known Jordon for 40 years, even living next door to each other and having their kids play with each other.

“Next thing you know, he and I are on the golf course together,” he said. “Forty years later, we’re still there.”

Caterino, a Navy veteran, said during the meeting that the goal of the veteran’s court program he works on with Jordon is to help give back to veterans for their service.

“We have a veteran’s court in Ingham County because of the vision of Judge David Jordon,” he said.

Jordon’s last official day will be Dec. 28, while his term will end Jan. 1,2013, and incoming Judge Andrea Larkin officially will be sworn in Dec. 29 and take the bench Jan. 2.

Larkin said she was honored by his support during the election and has spent time since then shadowing Jordon.

“He has not (told) me how to do things (a certain way),” she said. “He’s shown me the different options and ways to do them. (He’s) always been careful to tell me that I can decide what works best for me.”

Looking back on his days as a judge, Jordon said he always did what he thought was right.

“Every so often, a decision might get overruled by a higher court, and that’s OK,” he said. “That’s the system you’re in. So you feel like you do the best you can, you explain why, if it doesn’t happen that way, then that’s OK. But I still get to make the decision I think is right, and that’s as good of a career (as) I can think of.”

Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.

Discussion

Share and discuss “Judge Jordon recognized for decades of service in E.L.” on social media.