David T. Caldwell

David T. Caldwell (May 6, 1925–May 7, 1993)^[2] was a Second Judicial District Court judge based in Jonesboro, the seat of Jackson Parish in north Louisiana. He was initially appointed to his position on January 31, 1970, by Governor John J. McKeithen to succeed Judge P.E. Brown, who had reached the mandatory retirement age. Caldwell, a Democrat, was then elected on November 3, 1970, and he served until October 1, 1982. The Second Judicial District also includes Bienville and Claiborne parishes; each of the three parishes in the district has a separate judge based in Jonesboro, Arcadia and Homer, respectively.^[3]

Life and career

Caldwell was born in Saline in Bienville Parish to D.B. Caldwell and the former Bertha Kolb (1897–1978).^[4] His second marriage was to the former Betty Sims (born 1939), formerly of Natchez, Mississippi. He had four sons, James David Caldwell, Steven B. Caldwell, Randall B. Caldwell, and David M. Caldwell.^[3]

After graduation in 1942 from Saline High School, Caldwell served for some three years in the United States Army Air Corps, forerunner of the Air Force. In 1945, he studied civil engineering at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. In 1948, he entered the Louisiana State University Law Center in Baton Rouge, where he obtained his law degree in 1951. He then began his private law practice in Jonesboro and for a short time in Baton Rouge. At the time of his court appointment, he was a partner in the law firm of Caldwell and Whitten in Jonesboro. Leon Whitten, who succeeded Caldwell in the judgeship, was his former law partner.^[3]

Prior to becoming judge, Caldwell had been the assistant district attorney for the same Second Judicial District. He was affiliated with the American, Louisiana, and Jackson Parish bar associations. He was a member of the Masonic lodge. He taught the men's Bible class at the Jonesboro United Methodist Church.^[3]

Caldwell died in a Shreveport hospital.^[5] He is interred at Garden of Memories Cemetery in Jonesboro.^[2]

Son James David "Jimmy" Caldwell (born ca. 1946) is a practicing attorney in Shreveport. The second Mrs. Caldwell has relocated from Jonesboro to Marietta, Georgia, where their son, David M. Caldwell (born 1965) also resides. Judge Caldwell was not related to current Louisiana Attorney General James D. "Buddy" Caldwell.^[6]

References