Editorial
Front Page - Friday, January 1, 2010
The Honorable Judge Bolton balances judgeship with family, fun
Stephanie Coward
The Honorable Judge Jacqueline Bolton came to Chattanooga in 1973 and worked as a news reporter and anchor for Channel 9 and 3 until deciding to go to law school. From there, she has worked for the city, in private practice, juvenile court and circuit court – where she currently resides.
She decided to go to law school in the mid-’70s. “Chattanooga was a pretty dismal city in the early ’70s, and I decided I really wanted to stay here and make it my home but I didn’t want to stay in journalism, so I decided that I should go to law school. I commuted up to Nashville because there’s not a law school here locally,” Bolton said. “And I commuted up to the night law school in Nashville for four years, then came back and started practicing law at the city attorney’s office.”
Bolton graduated law school in 1981, and after working with the city attorney for a short time, went into the private sector with Al Secor, an estate planner in Chattanooga she called “a sweetheart of a guy.” While in private practice, Bolton did a lot of domestic work and criminal defense work, some personal injury work but mostly just trial work. “I always liked being in court.”
Juvenile court was Bolton’s first judgeship. She did a short stint there from 1989 to 1990. “And then I lost the election in ’90 and went back into private practice law,” she said. “A lot of my friends say it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me because juvenile court is a very difficult place. You try not to take it home with you here, but you definitely take it home with you there.”
Upon leaving juvenile court, Bolton “rocked along” in private practice until she decided to run for the Division 1Circuit Court.
She said that there are appealing aspects to both sitting on the bench and arguing a case in court. “As a lawyer, it’s fun to go there and advocate for your client, especially if you really believe in your client … . [T]hat’s fun to do, especially if you win and do a good job,” she said. “As a judge, ... you’re really more in control of your life. As a lawyer, you get called at 11 o’clock at night by a client or the judge wants you there at 7 o’clock the next morning to finish a case. Your time is not as much your own and as the judge, you can ... kind of control your life a little bit better, and I enjoy that.”
Bolton says residing over various cases does have its high points, such as adoptions. “It’s so much fun to see these kids that you know come from everywhere. They come and they get adopted by loving families who really want them and there are a lot of tears and screams and hollers and ... snapshots. And it’s just lovely to see.”
When she isn’t sitting on the bench or working in her chamber, Bolton can be found boating with her husband Tom. “Tom and I are big boaters,” Bolton said.
“I’m ex-commodore of the Chattanooga Yacht Club. We boat. I’ve had boats my whole life,” Tom said. “She was a sailor and I put her into power boats.”
“Yeah, we call them ‘stink boats.’ Sailors call power boats stink boats,” Bolton countered.
Their current boat, Changed Venue, is a little smaller than their last but much faster, so they can travel farther. Bolton said that since everyone jokes that Tom looks like John Larroquette, of TV’s “Night Court,” they had considered naming the boat that, but Changed Venue won in the end.
The couple met four years ago at a friend’s party and both believe it was a secret set up. “I think it may have been (a set up). If I had known, I wouldn’t have shown up – trust me,” Bolton said.
“But I haven’t been able to get rid of her since,” Tom said, taking Bolton’s sarcasm and running with it. They were married two years ago.
The duo laughed about Tom being the one consistently mistaken as the judge in the family. “They always assume the guy is the judge,” Bolton said.
“I think it’s my hair,” Tom said.
“Yeah, you look judicial,” Bolton responded through laughter.
Along with a new husband, Bolton inherited seven grandchildren, which she called “wonderful.”
Bolton also has a son of her own, Bart Matthews, who plans to follow in her footsteps and attend law school.
Bolton is considering learning how to golf. Tom is encouraging her to pursue this so they can have another activity they enjoy doing with one another. “We just enjoy family and boating and being happy,” Bolton said.
The judge also enjoys reading whenever she can find the time. “I’ll stick my nose in a
book any chance I get,” Bolton said. And though she doesn’t have much time for it anymore, she does enjoy photography.
Bolton’s sense of humor shows through her choice of photographs hanging in her chamber: two 11x13 photos of fireworks. “I thought it was appropriate for a judge’s chambers,” Bolton said. “There’s some that go off in here occasionally.”
What does the future hold for Bolton? She plans to run again in 2014. “I love my job and I want to stay here as long as I’m sane, healthy and hopefully making good decisions.”
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