107.3 JAMZ! Celebrates Black History Month

Upstate Black History Maker Recognized February 06, 2006
Judge Henry Mims: Judge and Lawyer for the people

Through continued commitment and the fair administration of the law, Municipal Judge Henry Mims is a man who is for the people. His philosophy of law is, "As a Lawyer, I will always serve in the best interest of the Plaintiff." Judge Mims has lived in Greer, South Carolina for 25 years. His interests in law came about when after taking a series of aptitude tests, all the results indicated that he should either pursue sales or law. According to Judge Mims, when it comes to dealing with people and the law, there is not much difference between the two. Each entity requires a keen sense of convincing others to buy into a product that can service a viable need.

With a law degree from Duke University, one of the most prestigious universities in this country, Mims uses his common sense wisdom to help others become aware of the importance of understanding and respecting the judicial laws that govern our community. Judge Mims does not view his position as a man of power and great authority; he views himself as a man with a great responsibility and obligation to serve the Greer community. Judge Mims practices law in Greer, along with his wife, Julliet Mims. He is licensed in both South Carolina and North Carolina, having passed the South Carolina and the North Carolina Bar all in the same week. They do not see their law firm as a business. It is there to act as a beacon for all citizens in the Greer and surrounding areas. Their firm does a lot of Pro Bono work, as well as trial work, criminal law, workers compensation, and personal injury. The main objective is to insure a fair trial and the administration of justice.

Judge Mims points out that there is a dramatic need in the Hispanic community. To deal with this need, he encourages the Spanish Police Officers to take an active role in educating the Hispanic community with a clear understanding of how the law actually works. Most of the cases that involve the people of this particular community are situations where there is a problem with communication. If a man is to have a fair trial, he must first have a clear knowledge of the law and the crime that has been committed. Being politically correct is not a critical concern of Judge Mims. In his court ethnicity is not an issue. The mission is to help people, especially when there is a person standing before him that may have stepped off the track just a little. Sometimes just a slight nudge like forcing someone to get a job, or to go back to school and get a GED is more than enough to point them in the right direction.

One of the things that troubles Judge Mims most is when he is faced with having to deal with the youth of this generation. He is quick to impress upon these young people that there is a choice to do better. The Judge can serve as a prime example. He was a high school dropout. To put it as he phrased it, "knuckle head" that made a choice to get back in school and get his GED. He has no problem with sharing this experience, using it as a means to bring about a real and valid point.

Judge Mims had no real male role model in his life, yet, he explains that there is no excuse for a man to grow up and waste his life. His mother was a strong presence in his life, and she exposed him and his brothers and sisters to books at an early age. They were all avid readers. He has a vivid recollection of this huge bookcase, crammed with a steep of books. It was through these books that he became aware. If he had to choose a man to serve as his ultimate hero, that man would be Muhammad Ali. He admires the way Ali stood up in the world, and more importantly, how he stood up in the ring.

The message that Judge Mims would like to share with the African American Community is, "Understand the dream, then honor the dream. There was nothing in the dream about having your hand always held out. Look at who we are as a people, and then look at what we have endured to survive. Forget about this idea of telling a man to pull himself up by the boot straps. How can a man carry out this task if he is bootless? Just give a man a fair and honorable chance, and then he will be able to buy his own boots."

"We are unaware as to what is going on around us. How can we have a justifiable complaint when we are not exercising our right to vote? How can we bring about a change in the judicial system when we are not willing to serve on jury duty?" Judge Mims made a great analogy when he talked about the situation in Iran. "Whether you agree with the Iraq situation or not, you can still feel its effects. A ton of plywood has been sent over to Iran to help with the restoration process. What if a teen in your neighborhood threw a rock and broke out one of the windows in your home? Until you are able to replace the broken pane, you may have to cover the window with a piece of board. What might have cost you five dollars at one time, will probably cost you twenty five dollars now, because a vast amount of the plywood has been sent to Iran. Think about it, whether you exercise your right to vote or not, the issues at hand are still going to affect you one way or another."

WJMZ salutes Judge Mims for his unselfish efforts to serve all people with his wealth of wisdom, knowledge and common sense when it comes to educating citizens in the working and understanding of the law.