Judge Gerald Webb
The Pachyderm Club is one of the few places in Chattanooga where Hamilton County residents want to see General Sessions Court Judge Gerald Webb. Over the next 60 minutes, the man who does the people’s business on the second floor of the state courthouse spoke to a packed room about a variety of topics.
As someone who is tasked with being an integral part of the local judicial system, Judge Webb sees a wide variety of people stand before him for a litany of offenses. One common theme he sees in the gallery of his courtroom, regardless of race, is that people who come before him charged with a crime have rarely been punished before this point.
“What I see as a judge is people who aren’t accustomed to consequences,” said the judge, “So sometime the first time someone has told them “no” is in the courthouse. I have told parents, ‘Either you are going to discipline your child, or I will.’”
Throughout his time at Pachyderm Club, Judge Webb told the club about the impact his parents had on him. He grew up in a strict household, where his parents pushed him and his siblings to do their best.
“They worked hard, there were no excuses in my mother and father’s house. They pushed all of us for excellence. We never had an excuse,” said Judge Webb, “My dad once said, ‘Excuses are tools of incompetence that build monuments to nothing.’”
Because of his parents’ guidance, and his own hard work and dedication, Judge Webb rose through the ranks of the judicial system. Starting as an intern, he also spent years as a defense attorney before becoming Hamilton County’s first African American General Sessions Court judge. The judge told the audience that he was thankful to live in a country where such a career was possible.
“We live in the greatest country on the face of the globe. We live in a country that provides chances and opportunities, regardless of the color of their skin,” he said “We are provided justice, liberty, and an opportunity to succeed.”
When speaking about the citizens who commit crimes in the county, Judge Webb seemed optimistic, but also realistic. The judge reminded those in attendance that the vast majority of people who come through the court system are good people who have made a bad decision, or are influenced by some sort of drug or alcohol addiction. He put the number at around 95 percent. But Judge Webb still acknowledged the other five percent.
“Don’t ever be fooled into thinking that everyone can get back on the right track,” said the judge, speaking about the small group of people who are career criminals, “Now, I will never give up on God’s power and grace to change their lives wherever they are. But there are some dangerous people out here.”
When asked if his job ever resulted in him feeling cynical at times, Judge Webb had a nuanced answer, saying “It’s hard to not feel like that at times. You wonder if people never change, when you see the same people over and over. But then you realize there is a chance for them to change, and you have to work with them till you get them there.”
Judge Webb believes the solution to Hamilton County’s crime and burgeoning gang problem could be solved, at least in part, by placing a renewed importance on education.
“How do you give hope and opportunity to people without it,” Judge Webb asked the Pachyderm Club members. He said, “You do it through education.” The judge also reaffirmed his belief in the importance of strong parenting in society, saying those two factors were missing from society.
Judge Webb made sure to speak about the importance of law enforcement in the judicial system too. “We’ve got to get to the point where decent people have to say, 'We need to empower our police department and sheriff’s department to do their jobs.' They have some of the most difficult jobs imaginable. It’s easy to criticize law enforcement until you try to do what you do for even one day. It’s not an easy thing to do.”
When one of the Pachyderm members thanked the Brainerd High School alum for staying in Chattanooga and helping improve the city, he took that as an opportunity to highlight the things possible in the city, even though people often say certain things are impossible in the Scenic City.
“No one can tell me Hamilton County does not give opportunity to those who work hard. People honor hard work.”
Gerald Webb
We live in the greatest country of the face of the globe. We live in a country that provides chances and opportunities, regardless of the color of their skin. We provide justice, liberty, and an opportunity to succeed.