This is the thirty-second of our Court Times articles that highlight up close and personal a member of the Indiana Judiciary.
Steuben Superior Court Judge William C. Fee is our judge featured in this issue. He grew up in Angola in Steuben County and went to Purdue University, graduating in 1977. He graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1980. He was elected to the bench in 1984 and has been reelected five times. Judge Fee has worked on many projects to improve the administration of justice, including serving as co-chair of a Supreme Court task force to enact court rules regarding the admission of evidence. Former Chief Justice of Indiana Randall Shepard twice appointed Judge Fee as Chair of the Domestic Relations Committee of the Indiana Judicial Conference.
He is a member and former president of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) and has served on a number of AFCC committees, including serving as the Co-Chair of the Child Custody Consultant Task Force. The Indiana Coalition against Domestic Violence selected him as its outstanding judge in 2000. He recently received the “Champion for Children” award, presented by a community-based anti-violence and safe exchange organization.
Judge Fee and his wife Amy have a son and two daughters: Landon, age 20, Jaelyn, age 18, and Sienna, age 9.
What do you like most and least about being a trial court judge?
I like the dynamics of a trial. Watching good lawyering and trying to stay a step ahead is one of the best parts of my job.
Is there a judge who has said they like budget battles or administrative duties?
Nor I, either. But if that is considered a given, then I would say that I do spend a lot of time worrying about finding the best outcomes for kids in custody cases when both parents seem lacking.
Why did you decide to study law?
I double majored in prelaw and education, aka a career goal and a backup plan. However, I do enjoy teaching.
I am old enough now to have been asked this question many times. I used to answer by saying that law was the highest profession to which I was suited. While that is still true, eventually I recalled a distant childhood memory. One Saturday morning, I was tagging along with my father as he went about his errands. We went into an office and sat across from a man behind a desk. I remember being sternly warned beforehand to sit quietly. Then I watched as my father listened intently to his words. When it was over, he told me the man was a “lawyer” who was helping him with a question. That registered. Prior to that day, I was still young enough to think my father already held all of the answers.
What would you do if you were not a judge?
I would be in the practice of law, focusing on mediation. I am a trained mediator and on the registry—inactive, of course.
Who are the people you most admire?
My parents, William and Charlotte Fee. Everything that I am and can be is built upon the foundation they laid. Being a judge has made me so appreciative of the importance of good parenting. I was lucky. So many others who appear in court are not so fortunate.
What are your hobbies?
At 17, I purchased at auction my first antique radio, a 1939 Zenith postmodern multi-band, short wave floor model. That led to the acquisition of so many others (mostly of the same era). I am now restricted as to how many may be displayed in our living room. I confess that I still occasionally sneak a new find into the garage-but that is another story.
In 1985, just after I was first elected as judge, and before lake properties skyrocketed, I moved into a “vintage” (circa 1880’s) cottage on Lake James. I wanted to be on the water and ski as often as possible. Over the years, through a lot of sweat equity and a major remodel, that cottage has become the home that my family and I enjoy today. So, if we are not involved in some home improvement project, my family and I are most likely enjoying lake activities. I still enjoy water skiing-except now the recovery period is so much longer!
What are your favorite books?
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway is a favorite. It is a timeless tale of triumph of spirit over flesh: “a man can be destroyed but never defeated.” I still read Hemingway whenever possible. He was a prolific and versatile author.
I just finished Garrison Keillor’s autobiography, The Keillor Reader. I recommend it only if you are a fan of Prairie Home Companion, as I am.
I am reading and enjoying My Bright Abyss, Meditation of a Modern Believer by Christian Wiman.
How would you describe your childhood?
I grew up in a house about two blocks from the courthouse where I now spend my days. My early childhood in Angola was idyllic, really. I was raised in a loving home, safe and secure. Church was a big part of my upbringing. I rode my bike A LOT. I had a paper route. I was a Little Leaguer. At age 11, our world was rocked when my father died in a tractor rollover accident. That tragedy knocked the pegs out from under my brother and sisters and me for some time. It was my mother who pulled us through. On her own, she raised the four of us and saw to it that we were all college graduates. I always wondered how she persevered.
When I was grown, I asked her. She just said:
“I prayed every morning for the strength to do what had to be done that day. Then I did it. After you kids were in bed, I went to my room, closed the door and cried. The next day, I would do it all over again.”
She is still my hero today.
What is your favorite quote?
Two spring to mind. The first is a reminder to live today fully:
“Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans.”
—John Lennon (Beautiful Boy)
The second is taped to the inside of my bench as a reminder to maintain humility, patience and helpfulness in the courtroom:
“Take your job seriously, not yourself.”
—Author Unknown
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
We enjoy northern Michigan two to three times a winter and at least once toward the end of summer. Other than that, when all the work is done, it is time for what my wife Amy and I call “porch time” at Lake James.
Do you have a favorite meal or restaurant?
Favorite meal, hands down, especially this time of year, is my wife’s meatloaf. I grill all year round and turn out a mean garlic burger. Amy and I have a special restaurant in Venice, Florida called The Crow’s Nest.