Portrait of Greene judge Lou Dayich unveiled
When he was sworn in as Court of Common Pleas judge 10 years ago, Lou Dayich likened it to a 鈥減assing of the baton.鈥�
It蘑菇视频 a race that蘑菇视频 gone on in the same location since the current Greene County Courthouse was built in 1851.
鈥淵ou can tell that when they built it, it wasn鈥檛 built for any one person, for any one case,鈥� said Dayich, who finished his leg of the relay when his term ended at the start of 2026. 鈥淚t蘑菇视频 really kind of a monument to justice. It蘑菇视频 nice that we have a place to settle our disputes peacefully.鈥�
He was back in the courtroom Friday morning, as he unveiled his official portrait during a ceremony in Courtroom 1.
The photo was taken by Janice Morris, the wife of the late Greene County lawyer Charles Morris.
It joins a long procession of portraits of Greene County judges. Dayich蘑菇视频 image now hangs on the opposite wall from James Lindsey, who presided over a district that combined Greene with Washington and Fayette counties from 1861 to 1864.
Friday蘑菇视频 ceremony was attended by county officials and members of the legal community who鈥檇 worked with Dayich in his many roles over the years: lawyer, public defender, district magistrate, Court of Common Pleas judge and eventually president judge, which he鈥檇 held for the last five years of his term.
鈥淵our insight, your institutional knowledge, your legal knowledge and desire to do the right thing was a great asset to this court,鈥� said Judge Jeffry Grimes, who picked up the baton from Dayich as president judge.
H. Terry Grimes, who spent 23 years on the bench before retiring as president judge in 2009, has known Dayich for 39 years, since he swore him into the Greene County Bar.
He never told Dayich at the time (鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want him to get a big head鈥�), but he was an 鈥渆xcellent attorney.鈥�
鈥淗e not only was knowledgeable in the law, but his main matter was understanding human nature and using common sense,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e knew when to advise a client, 鈥楬ey, we better do this.鈥� And he knew when to advise a client otherwise.鈥�
Over the years, H. Terry Grimes became good friends with Dayich, who he praised as 鈥渁 great storyteller.鈥�
The only time he recalled seeing Dayich angry was when he found a defendant Dayich was representing guilty of stealing a piece of farm equipment.
At first, Grimes thought Dayich might be upset at his client, who had convinced him of his innocence, for misrepresenting the facts of the case.
As it turned out, he was mad at Grimes.
鈥淗e thought it was very unfair that I had familiarity with farm equipment and West Virginia geography, both of which were vital points in the facts of that case,鈥� Grimes said. 鈥淏ut true to his nature, the next day, he was back to his jolly self, and I never saw him angry again.鈥�
Greene County Commissioner Blair Zimmerman read a proclamation from the county board commemorating the day as Law Day, as well as Judge Dayich Appreciation Day.
Afterward, people walked over to get a closer look at the portrait, and stopped by to talk to to Dayich.
He said has seen how prospective jurors react to the portraits when they fill the room for jury selection. It蘑菇视频 a good gauge of how long judges last in the collective memory, he said.
By the time it gets to what former president judge Farley Toothman called 鈥渢he moustache area,鈥� people might draw blanks.
鈥淲hen they come in, they鈥檙e like 鈥業 remember that judge, and I remember that judge,鈥� and then they go, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know who that guy is,'鈥� Dayich said. 鈥淪o for a little while, at least, people would probably remember that judge.鈥�