Berks County Bar Association The Berks Barrister Spring 2021 - 25

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that separated Paul and me in high school.
I soon learned that he and I graduated
from Fleetwood High, exactly 50 years
apart, Paul in 1918 and I in 1968.

Lunch at the Bar

With 50 years of service, Paul Adams
was held in the highest regard by the
bar. Perhaps that is why my office was
also located next to his on the second
floor of the Bar Association at its current
location. By far, the best part of my job
with Paul occurred at lunch time when he
would remove his pen and pencil pocket
protector, place it on the desk, and take
me downstairs to the restaurant in the
basement of the Bar Association, which
was catered by its neighbor, Thomas'
Restaurant. Conveniently, there was a
swinging two-way door that led from
Thomas' kitchen directly into the basement
of the Bar Association. At a very young
age (certainly the youngest in the room),
I was privileged and honored to observe,
listen, and absorb this phenomenal
atmosphere of lawyers talking law, politics,
and practice. There I heard many, perhaps
slightly overstated, war stories. But not
from all; a famous criminal trial lawyer
mostly sat back, rested his eyes, and
awaited his sustenance before going back
to court at 1:30.
This experience immediately cemented
my desire to become a lawyer.

President Judge ( " PJ " )
W. Richard Eshelman and the
Courts of Initial Jurisdiction

In 1973, a coin
toss determined
seniority, that the
new president
judge would be
Judge W. Richard
Eshelman who
started on the
same date as
Judge Frederick
Edenharter. Paul
remained Court Administrator and
Margaret, Court Coordinator, but the PJ
wanted someone to address much of his
time and energy to the JP system; that
is, to visit the offices, interview everyone,
standardize the way of handling cases,
prepare and balance the budget, handle

personnel issues, and requisition supplies
for the entire system.

I soon realized when I was hired
that the system consisted of 18 different
" kingdoms unto themselves " (in which not
all of them welcomed this interference).
To do this job, I needed to know the law
and the intricacies of the office. I had to
ask Judge Eshelman for more training.
The result was that I became certified to
perform the duties of a District Justice
by completing the four week full-time
school in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and
passing the test in the summer of 1976.

Life on the 16th Floor

the courthouse door allowing me in but
refused to run me, with all my paperwork,
to the 16th floor: " I didn't come in on
Saturday to run the elevator. " Fortunately,
I was much younger then. I wrote the
court's Affirmative Action Plan (and I also
had to walk back down).

The Homeless Goddess of Liberty
In those days there was no County
Services Center; that took 16 more years
to become a reality. The building was built
on the former public parking lot where,
until 1991, we parked our cars all day for
a couple of quarters. As part of the 250th

Eventually, all of Court Administration
moved to the 16th floor of the courthouse
with Margaret as the boss, but without
Paul. He actually did retire from one of
the longest, most successful careers in
Berks County history.

Being on the 16th floor reminds me
of another story. Yes, the tumultuous
60s did lead to the earth rumbling in the
legislative and executive branches in a
way that unfortunately causes us to feel
the damage today; however, along with all
the tough on crime legislation came a few
from the other side. One required every
branch of government at all levels to create
and place on file an affirmative action plan.
Guess who was assigned to do this for the
courts? Anyway, I could only do that sort
of " deadly " government work on a Saturday
when there was complete peace and
quiet in the courthouse; but no elevator
operators.

The Elevators of Olden Days

Some of the perks that went with
county elections was to appoint people
to jobs. For instance, every elevator had
its own colorful, friendly operator named
Tootie (who traditionally adorned a
fashionable costume in celebration of
the nearest holiday), Smokey, Fritz et. al.,
working all day until quitting time, which
sometimes was too early. On " off days "
and after hours, the county maintenance
department would have to drive the
elevator. There were many days I had to
walk down 16 flights of steps; but to walk
up 16 floors?
On this particular Saturday, Johnny
Moyer, maintenance director, did unlock

anniversary celebration of the county's
incorporation in 1752, the Services Center
became the new home to the Goddess of
Liberty. The what?

The Goddess had stood outside on the
roof of the former courthouse during its
ninety-one year reign. However, with the
building demolished in 1931, the statue
was made homeless for the next 71 years.
Fortunately, in her elder years, the Goddess
has stood proudly indoors in the weatherprotected first floor lobby of the Services
Center since 2002.

A Brief Chronological History of
the Berks County Courthouse
. . . The First Courthouse

	 The first courthouse was dedicated in
1762 and stood for 88 years. For 10 years
preceding, court had been held in private
homes or sometimes in an inn.

Continued on next page
Spring 2021 | 25
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