Senior U.S. District Court Judge Anthony A. Alaimo of Brunswick died yesterday morning at the age of 89 years. Judge Alaimo was a force of a person and Judge. If we all strive to lead as full a life as Judge Alaimo our nation will be blessed and our world a better place.
A member of “the Greatest Generation,” Judge Alaimo was born in Sicily and his family moved to New York when he was an infant. Judge Alaimo attended Northern Ohio University and then enlisted in the Army Air Corp. His B26 was shot down over the North Sea and he was captured by the Germans having sustained a fractured right collar bone, a broken nose and head lacerations. Over 60 years after his captivity, Judge Alaimo could still recount in exquisite detail the horror of that loss of liberty.
After the War, Judge Alaimo attended Emory University Law School graduating in 1948. Judge Alaimo then practiced for several years with famed lawyer Rueben Garland in Atlanta before moving to Brunswick in 1957 where he continued to practice until 1971. Judge Alaimo was appointed to the federal bench by President Nixon in 1971 when the political South was dominated by Democrats.
Judge Alaimo quickly distinguished himself as jurist, serving as Chief Judge for the Southern District of Georgia from 1976 until 1990. He personally presided over the dismantling of the constitutionally deprived conditions at the infamous Georgia State Prison in Reidsville. Judge Alaimo was one of 2 federal judges to file a judicial complaint against then federal Judge Alcee Hastings following his acquittal on corruption charges.
Judge Alaimo frequently traveled outside of his home district, clearing clogged dockets in other jurisdictions through the force of his personality and work ethic. Judge Alaimo was appointed by the Eleventh Circuit to preside over the first trial of Walter Leroy Moody’s (who was later convicted of killing Judge Vance of the Eleventh Circuit) on obstruction charges. Judge Alaimo was shortly thereafter tapped to preside over the Atlanta airport corruption trial in 1993. Judge Alaimo remained active as a judge until just recently having presided earlier the Fall over the largest verdict in the history of the Southern District of Georgia.
I frequently appeared before Judge Alaimo. He was fair, but tough to parties on both sides of the bar and brooked no foolishness. He was a dynamic speaker. I once heard Judge Tjoflat of the Eleventh Circuit describe Judge Alaimo’s personality as a vortex of activity. Judge Alaimo was extremely well read and eloquent.
Just over a year ago the Georgia Trial Lawyers established an award in Judge Alaimo’s name. In an elegaic eight minute speech, Judge Alaimo invoked the words of poet John Donne, writers Solzhenitsyn, Proust and Honegger’s “King David” in describing his life. Judge Alaimo capturing that inexplicable touch of infinity told of how Honegger portrays King David at the end of his life overlooking Jerusalem and the coronation of his son, Solomon, and Judge Alaimo said, “as he contemplates the wonders of the universe and reminisces over his life, he looks to the heavens and cries out to Jehovah, ‘Oh, what a beautiful life this has been. Bless you for having given it to me.’ And, I join in that cry. God bless you.”
A life wonderfully lived.God bless.
