Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 24, 1994 TAG: 9405240053
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Kathy Loan
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: "Your honor."
That was about the tamest joke heard Friday night as the Montgomery-Radford-Floyd Bar Association roasted two outgoing Circuit Court judges at its annual outdoor dinner and election meeting.
The gathering, hosted at Dick Davis' Cumberlea property, was a chance for the lawyers to loosen their neckties, trade their suit-jackets for sweaters and enjoy some live bluegrass music and good food from Chris' of Radford.
The bar used the occasion to honor and dishonor two "your honors": Kenneth Devore, who retired earlier this month, and Dow Owens, who will retire next month.
Master of ceremonies Kendall Clay, a Radford lawyer, reminded the audience this was a roast. You say nice things at funerals, he said. "We don't want to get the two mixed up."
Some joked that it was obvious Owens had another month on the bench - remarks about him were tamer than those about Devore.
Alan Groseclose, a Pulaski lawyer, used his time to lambaste Owens for a reputation for hurrying through a full day's docket at breakneck speed. He joked that Colin Gibb is succeeding the highest paid judge in the state - if you figure Owens' yearly pay by the hour.
Gene Nuckolls and Rod Layman also latched onto Owens' penchant for expediency.
"We're going to miss him on the bench. Although we miss him quite often on the bench," Nuckolls said.
"It was said that on opening day of the term that nary a lawyer would venture into the court because they feared being appointed to a 300-hour, $300 case," Layman said.
But, seriously folks, Groseclose said, "We're going to miss him and we certainly wish him well in his future."
David Warburton, public defender, joked that in 1979, Owens was running for re-election as commonwealth's attorney but was passing out matches with a picture of himself from 1966. Closer inspection, Warburton alleged, showed that campaign workers were putting "re" in front of the "elect" - recycling matchbooks from campaigns of years past.
As for Devore?
Dutton Olinger of Blacksburg gave a sometimes searing monologue that brought back stories not only of the retired judge but of other lawyers and judges.
He alleged that Max Jenkins hasn't won a case since Devore accidentally drank a cup of Jenkins' tobacco juice.
And he said that the only reason Devore got the judgeship in the first place was because he was such a good lawyer, "Kenny had all the business tied up and the lawyers wanted to get rid of him," Ollinger said.
Emcee Clay even managed a parting shot. "A lot of people have said a judge appears a lot wiser after he's been off the bench for a while. We sure hope that's true."
Owens and Devore took the "tributes" in good humor.
Owens spoke of his "deep love for our profession." Devore said: "I love you all."
Ed Burnette, president of the Virginia State Bar, commended the local association for its tradition of gathering each year -defense lawyers, prosecutors, lawyers all - to mingle outside the confines of the courtroom.
Such a gathering serves a useful purpose in maintaining bar-bench relations, Burnette said.
Marc Long, a Blacksburg lawyer who was elected president of the Montgomery-Radford-Floyd group, said he wants to promote continuing education by having monthly luncheon meetings with guest lecturers.
He also wants to continue a bar-bench committee to promote better relations between lawyers, court clerks and judges.
The association voted Rod Crowgey its president-elect; Patrick Moore, Radford vice president; Gino Williams, Floyd vice president; Christopher Tuck, Montgomery vice president; Fred Kellerman, secretary; Marshall Frank, treasurer.
Frank was not at the meeting, but was returned to office for at least the second time.
That's the price you pay when you're guilty of collecting 100 percent of the dues of a 90-member organization.
by CNB