7th Judicial District celebrates 65th annual Law Day with Idaho Falls Rotary Club
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IDAHO FALLS – Local attorneys from the 7th Judicial District and members of the Idaho Falls Rotary Club got together Wednesday morning to celebrate the 65th annual Law Day.
Established in 1958, Law Day is celebrated every May 1 to expand knowledge about Idaho’s legal system, the rule of law and the importance of democracy.
The theme for 2024 was “Voices for Democracy,” as speakers discussed the importance of unity in our democracy and community.
Liberty Bell Award
At the beginning, Deputy Trial Court Administrator Alayne Bean presented the Liberty Bell Award to Joseph Lugo, the Bonneville County jury commissioner.
“This award is the most prestigious award given by lawyers to a nonlawyer,” said Bean. “The award honors a person who has strengthened the American system of freedom and justice under the law through their extraordinary contributions in the community.”
According to Bean, Lugo was honored for going above and beyond to learn new jury software to make it easier for jurors to learn about their duties and responsibilities. Lugo even contacted other county courthouses to ensure they knew how to use the new software.
“It is not just Joseph doing his job that is why he’s being recognized as an award recipient today,” said Bean. “It is because he contributes to the effective functioning of our courts on a larger scale than simply Bonneville County.”
Lugo said he was thankful for the opportunity to work with other counties toward a common, helpful goal.
“I just want to thank you for this; I have very few words beyond that. I think that it’s been very useful and helpful, the experience we’ve been able to have with a number of these other counties to get things working more smoothly and get them up and running with the new system,” Lugo said. “I’m just thankful that I’ve had a chance and an opportunity to be in the position I’m in.”
‘You need balance’
Attendees also celebrated Law Day by listening to the main speaker, Lee Radford, with Parsons Behle & Latimer Law Practice. Radford is also the chairman of the Idaho Falls Redevelopment Agency.
Radford spoke about growing up in Idaho Falls, recalling the Teton Dam flood as the moment he realized how special the Idaho Falls community is.
“That morning started off slow, but we started hearing the static of the radio. As we started listening to it more carefully, we learned that the Teton Dam had burst,” said Radford. “All of a sudden, everything started happening. The first thing I remember is the city got an excavator and just started plowing through Broadway, building a canal through the end of the Broadway bridge, a wide channel so that we could save the bridge.”
Radford says the community came together to barricade the river with sandbags, creating walls to save the town from extreme water damage.
“We worked, and we worked, and we were busy, as I remember, through the night,” says Radford. “I remember standing there, after there was nothing more we could do and watching the water crest. And just looking at those big walls of sand we had put together in 36 hours as a community. I just appreciated being a part of a community that could come together and build something so quickly. That’s always a memory I have of community.”
Radford emphasized the importance of unity in a community and the effect of balance on a thriving democracy.
“It’s important to love mercy, it’s important to love people. But, you can’t always love people as advocated by the left. There are limits to that. It’s also important to do justice, as advocated for by the right. But you can’t always do that, because you have to have mercy as well,” said Radford. “Sometimes you need one, sometimes you need the other. You need balance.”