Ocala federal Judge William Terrell Hodges dies at 87. Nixon appointee served 50 years

Before becoming a magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Philip Lammens was a law clerk for Ocala-based U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges.

Lammens said he didn't know much about Hodges when he began working for him in 2002. Lammens, another law clerk and Hodges worked closely together on cases. During his tenure with Hodges, Lammens said he learned more about Hodges.

Even after his time with Hodges had concluded, Lammens, who went on to be a law clerk for another judge and a U.S. assistant attorney for the Middle District before ascending to the bench himself, kept in touch with Hodges. At one point, Lammens practiced in front of his former boss. He called the experience "wonderful."

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Hodges, who last month celebrated his 50th anniversary as a federal judge, died on Jan. 4, 2022. He was 87.

"I'm going to miss his friendship," Lammens told the Star-Banner in a phone interview.

The magistrate judge said he and Hodges often talked and went to lunch.

"He knew about my wife and children and what they were doing," Lammens said.

Judge Hodges graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1951

According to a tribute put together by federal officials, Hodges graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1951. His father was a part-time police officer and barber who owned two small citrus groves. Hodges' mother was a part-time clerk at a retail store and a homemaker.

Seven years after leaving high school, Hodges married Peggy, "the love of his life," during his last semester of law school, according to the tribute. They were married for 58 years and had three sons: Judson, Danny and Clay.

He graduated from the University of Florida in 1956 and received his juris doctor two years later, also from UF. Hodges was in private practice at a Tampa law firm for 13 years before becoming a district judge.

President Richard Nixon nominated him for the position on Dec. 8, 1971 and the Senate confirmed him three days later, according to a court-provided biography. He was 37.

In recent years, Hodges might have been best known for presiding over the criminal cases of four former Marion County Sheriff's deputies accused of beating a suspect during arrest. He sentenced them to federal prison terms in 2016.

In April 2008 the judge sentenced Wesley Snipes to a three-year prison term after the actor was found guilty at trial of willfully failing to file tax returns.

A teachable moment in Judge Hodges' courtroom

Those who knew Hodges described him as a humble man and a great story teller who made you feel at ease when you were in his presence.

To Lammens, Hodges was a mentor who never stopped teaching.

Once, when he was still a federal prosecutor, Lammens filled in for a colleagues on a status conference in Hodges' courtroom. Hodges asked if the government was ready for trial. Lammens expected that question.

But Lammens didn't expect Hodges to ask him how long the trial would last and what the case was about.

Lammens learned a lesson that day: In court, you need to come prepared and know everything about the case, even if it isn't one of yours.

Judge Hodges received many awards and held leadership roles

Hodges served as chief judge for the district from 1982 to 1987, according the court-provided tribute. He attained senior status in 1999 and maintained a full docket until 2015.

Hodges' work was admired from afar and he was appointed to numerous committees. In 1987, then U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist appointed Hodges to serve as a member of the Judicial Conference's Advisory Committee on criminal rules. The government document states Hodges chaired the committee from 1990 to 1993.

Rehnquist, in 1994, selected Hodges to serve on the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference, a chief policy making body of the U.S. Court system. Hodges chaired that committee, only the second district judge to serve in that capacity.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer presented Hodges with the Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. The award is one of the highest that can be given to a federal judge.

Hodges was a founder and former president of the American Inns of Court, Tampa chapter and president of the American Inns of Court Jacksonville chapter.

According to the tribute, Hodges, who always carried a copy of the Constitution with him, was often heard saying that being a federal judge was "the greatest job in the world."

Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118, austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Nixon appointee Judge William T. Hodges dies at 87; presided in Ocala