Superior Court Judge Giles Clark, a fixture in courts in Bladen and Columbus for more than a half-century, died July 4 in Wilmington.
Clark had been hospitalized while undergoing treatment for cancer at the time, according to his death announcement.
Clark, 96, began his career on the staff of the N.C. Attorney General when he was admitted to the bar in 1958. He began private practice in Elizabethtown in 1962 and became a judge in Recorder’s Court in 1966. After two years there, he moved up to District Court judge, and was an elected Superior Court Judge from 1975 until 1993. He continued to serve as an emergency judge well into his 80s.
Judge Clark often said his interest in the law came from “sitting on the floor” of the Bladen County courtroom while his late father, H. Manley Clark, was sheriff. He was a faithful member and leader at Elizabethtown Baptist Church. Clark was recently honored with a portrait in the Bladen County Superior Courtroom – only the fourth judge so honored in Elizabethtown.
Ret. Chief Resident Superior Court Judge William Gore of Whiteville said Clark was respected across the state.
“He was a judge that you could send anywhere, to any courtroom, civil or criminal, and he wasn’t afraid to take a case,” Gore said. “He was always fair, and a great jurist.”
Gore said he was intimidated when he stood before Clark the first time. He said he had heard stories but didn’t know what to expect.
“I did not come from a legal family,” Gore said, “but Judge Clark was always fair, and no nonsense. He was really my first mentor. He helped a lot of new lawyers learn how to do the job and follow the law.”
Gore was a district court judge when he moved up to a superior seat, making him second to Clark as Chief Superior Court Judge.
“I could always go to him for advice,” Gore said. “When he retired and told me I would be moving up, I agreed on the condition that I could still discuss cases with him every Saturday.”
Clark served during the time known as “court reform” in North Carolina, when the district and superior courts were expanded. Clark was a judge in Recorder’s Court, which was replaced by District Court for traffic and other minor violations.
Gore said Clark and Superior Court Judge Ray Walter of Brunswick County took the oath of office in all three counties in the judicial district – Columbus, Bladen and Brunswick – as a gesture to everyone in the district.
“They legally didn’t have to,” Gore said, “but they wanted people to know that this was a legitimate move, and they wanted everyone to be confident that they were serious about being fair.”
Ret. Chief Resident Superior Court Judge Douglas Sasser said his career was just starting as Clark was winding down his own.
“He was always well-respected,” Sasser said. “Young attorneys were intimidated by him, but they found out it was because he had such a respect for and knowledge of the law. He helped equip a lot of attorneys for the court system.
“I never heard anyone say a cross word about him,” Sasser said. “He was strict, but he was fair, and you knew if he ruled on something, it was right in accordance with the law.”
“He was a great mentor,” Gore said. “He had a wry sense of humor that you had to be careful about, and you learned a lot in his courtroom. I was fortunate to have served with him.”
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