Family, colleagues mourn court clerk - The Ledger
As clerk of the appellate court, Birkhold managed all the case-related duties for the 13-county district. Jo Haynes, marshal for the Second District court, said Birkhold always took time with anyone who sought his assistance. We have a lot of people trying to get an appeal through without an attorney, and Jim never seemed to get bothered by what seemed to be repetitive or simple questions. Florida Supreme Court Justice Charles Canady, who had been friends with Birkhold for years, said he was an extraordinary lawyer and clerk. "Jim would listen to people and deal with them respectfully," he said Monday. Birkhold's compassion extended to those he defended years ago, said Canady, a Lakeland native who served on the Second DCA before his appointment to the state Supreme Court. "There was a murder defendant he represented who was convicted," he said, "and every year at Thanksgiving, Jim would visit him in prison. There aren't many lawyers who would still visit a defendant they'd represented 20 or 25 years ago, but it was something that was important to Jim. In a prepared statement, Second DCA Chief Judge Craig C. Villanti said Birkhold was an integral part of the DCA court. Source: www.theledger.com
