Judge Charles Jackson 2005 (Photo courtesy of Charles Green, Quin-T Democrat Club)

By Barrett J. Brunsman • bbrunsman@enquirer.com • February 25, 2010

From the Cincinnati Enquirer Article ...

CHILO - Charles W. Jackson didn't wear a robe over his suit and bow tie during the 16 years he was a judge in Clermont County. He didn't want to be an imposing figure.

"He wanted people to understand he was there as a helper - to help protect and serve the people of the county and carry out the requirements of the law," said Karen Shearwood, one of his daughters. "He didn't want people to be afraid."

The American flags at all the courthouses and other county buildings have been ordered to fly at half staff through this week to honor Judge Jackson, who died Monday at age 88.

"He wouldn't admit it, but he would secretly enjoy it," Shearwood said. "He was just a very unpretentious man."

A 38-year resident of the Ohio River village of Chilo, whose population dropped to 103 with his passing, Judge Jackson was a large figure in the history of the county.

In 2007, he was named the first Living Legend of the county Democratic Party.

"When he's referred to among the party faithful, his name is The Judge," said Dave Lane, party chairman. "You didn't have to say Charles Jackson or Judge Jackson - you knew who was meant."

He was a social worker at the Glenview School for Boys while attending night classes at the Salmon P. Chase College of Law when it was in Cincinnati. He began working as a lawyer in Batavia in 1955.

"His first office was a converted broom closet," Shearwood said. "It was so small they could barely get his desk in there. You couldn't shut the door because then there wouldn't have been room for the one chair for clients.

"He had a large hand in building the first library in Clermont County," Shearwood said. "It was the last county in Ohio to have a public library. He was one of the lawyers who sued the county commissioners," who had diverted money allocated by the state for a library to pay for what they had deemed more important public projects.

"He helped form the park board and served on the first one," Shearwood said. "He served on the library board and the Senior Services board."

Still, "he was an old country lawyer," Shearwood said. "He didn't charge a fee when people couldn't pay. We had chickens and rabbits (taken in barter). We even got a dog once, Rusty, in exchange for legal services."

He served two years as state representative of the county in the early 1960s.

He was elected a part-time judge of the old County Court in 1962. Judge Jackson practiced law while serving a four-year term on what was the predecessor of Municipal Court.

In 1966, he was elected judge of Probate and Juvenile Court, where he served two six-year terms before retiring in 1979.

"He was instrumental in the juvenile jail getting built," Shearwood said. "He was incensed that juvenile offenders were put in with hardened adult criminals" before then.

He was born Charles William Jackson on Dec. 14, 1921, in the Norwood home of his parents, Charles and Erna Schmidt Jackson. He grew up in Pleasant Ridge and graduated from Withrow High School in 1939.

During World War II, he worked on aircraft while serving in England as a sergeant with the 368th Fighter Group of the Army Air Corps.

He was preceded in death by his wife of about 30 years, Dora Stringer Jackson. He had four children by his first wife, the late Evelyn Jackson.

In addition to his daughter Karen Shearwood of Point Pleasant, survivors include a sister, Mary Stephenson of Madeira; two sons, Bill Jackson of Mount Washington and Andrew Jackson of Fayetteville in Brown County; another daughter, Paula Cooper of Littleton, Colo.; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A family memorial service will be private. Judge Jackson requested cremation. Memorials: Quin-T Democrat Club, 785 Greenmound Road, New Richmond, OH 45157.

Reprinted with permission of The Cincinnati Enquirer
Copyright 2010 by The Cincinnati Enquirer

By Charles A. Green
(Published in the Clermont Sun "Progressive Advertiser" Labor Day 2005 edition)

Charles Jackson has long been revered for his outstanding work as a Clermont County Judge. When he retired in 1978, he had served on the bench for 16 years. With his dedication to fairness and a remarkable sense for attending to details, Judge Jackson's service to our County Judicial system was truly honorable.

Born in Cincinnati and raised in the Norwood and Pleasant Ridge neighborhoods, Charlie graduated from Withrow High School in 1939. He volunteered for the Air Force in World War II and served as an Armorman in the 368th Fighter Group, stationed in England. He returned home and took a job as a Social Worker at the Glenview School for Boys. Meanwhile, he pursued a law degree from Chase Law School on the GI Bill. After two and a half years of night school, Charlie graduated and began his career as a lawyer.

His first job in Clermont County was with the Chris Rosenhoffer firm in Batavia in 1955. Mr. Jackson had moved his family to Summerside in 1948 and was glad to be working closer to home. He initially threw his hat into the political ring in 1958, when he ran against the popular 12-term Judge John Haddon. Although he lost that race, Charlie was a natural-born campaigner, combining his innate charm with sheer perseverance to become a contender. He attended every County function and event year-round, and wrote personal thank-you's, not just to all his contributors, but also to every person who signed his candidacy petitions. It all paid off two years later when he ran for State Representative and won.

In 1962, he was elected County Court Judge, the position we now refer to as Municipal Judge. Four years later, he made the transition to Probate/Juvenile Judge and was re-elected to a second term in that capacity in 1972. During his final term, he moved to his home in Chilo, where he was active in the community's historical preservation efforts.

On serving as a public official for Clermont County, Judge Jackson humbly gave credit where credit was due. "Any office," he said, "is as good or bad as the staff, and I had outstanding staffs in both of mine. Any success I had is due to the staff and they were devoted to success."

Reprinted with permission by the author.