READ MORE: A beloved judge's death started a 'chaotic' time. One year later, it still resonates.
Here are five things we learned about why Wall was a beloved member of the community:
1. His laugh. "I remember his laugh in court," said Melynda Cook Howard, who succeeded Wall after his death. "You weren't just an attorney, you were someone who was doing a service for your client. Judge Wall was attached to this community. He came from a blue collar background and he never forgot that. He may have been a very big man, with a big robe with big shoes, but he forever was someone who could reach out his hand, shake it and have a conversation with everyone."
2. His ability to work with all people. Butler County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer, also a Middletonian, said Wall was a man respected by those on both sides of the bench.
“Being a judge is very difficult, many of the people you interact with are in an adversarial role,” Dwyer said. “But he was able to gain great respect from people who were on the other side of the bench.”
3. His humility. "His gift was he didn't present himself as a giant," said James Sherron, who now holds the Municipal Court seat on which Wall once sat. "He was just a guy from Middletown. It was more than just being humble. He was comfortable in his own shoes. He was just a guy who had a job to do. He just happened to do it better than anybody else. That was one of his secret qualities."
4. His activies in the city. Butler County Common Pleas Judge Noah Powers was once Middletown's mayor, and he and Wall became allies in civic events, including MiddFest and Veterans Day ceremonies.
“He really cared about the community,” Powers said. “And he wanted to interact with people and organizations.”
5. He was a 'judge of the community.' "Because he came from here ... he didn't deal with a person by a case number, he dealt with them as a person," Cook Howard said. "He might know their mother, he might know their father, he might know their kids … he passed sentences thinking of the person as a whole and not simply a guy who happened to be a defendant today."
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