Dougherty Magistrate Baxter Howell honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

ALBANY – When Baxter Howell and Willie Lockette were sworn in as Dougherty County Magistrate Court judges in 1991, their status as county employees did not make it to the county’s payroll department, resulting in three months during which they did not receive a paycheck.

In the years since, the pay has caught up and Howell is now the chief magistrate judge, the position he has held since 1997, while Lockette is a Superior Court judge on senior status.

“Judge Lockette did turn to me after three months and say, ‘Are we getting paid?’” Howell said.

In his 35 years on the court, many as chief judge, Howell has been a mentor and inspiration to a number of judges who have moved on to State Court and Superior Court duties.

On Thursday, Howell was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award during a ceremony at the Dougherty County Justice Center attended by some of those fellow judges, family members and Dougherty County Sheriff Terron Hayes..

“I’m very grateful for (this),” Howell said of the recognition during an interview with The Albany Herald following the ceremony. “There are 409 magistrates in Georgia, and it’s really great that they singled me out. I’ve been involved with the Magistrate Court Council and have developed some great friendships over the years.”

The nickname “Bail ‘em out Baxter” has stuck with the judge, a label he proudly wears.

“I don’t like to see anybody in jail,” he said. “Not unless they’re convicted.”

The magistrate’s current four-year term ends in 2028, and he said he is not sure what the future holds for his tenure.

“I just take it day by day,” he said. “I’ll be 80 in September. I’ll try to stay as long as I can.”

Prior to his legal career in Albany, Howell served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam, and he reached the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Georgia National Guard.

The honoree reflects the very best of his generation, Dougherty County Superior Court Judge Victoria Darrisaw, whose first experience with Howell came when she was an assistant district attorney, said. 

The magistrate judge reflects “the belief that people deserve a second chance … or at least a bond,” Darrisaw said. “He may go a little over the line, but he always does it with fairness and heart. He is dependable, he is available and, most important, he cares. I have seen him come off the bench and break up an altercation. His compassion is reflected by his whole life’s work.”

Over the years, Howell has accumulated some accolades, retired Magistrate Court Judge Michael Meyer von Bremen said, including Judge of the Year in 2007 and Workhorse of the Year in 2010.

“As chief, he mentored many other magistrate judges, and several went on to State Court and Superior Court,” Meyer von Bremen said.

During his remarks, Lockette brought up the paycheck snafu that ensued after he and Howell were sworn in on Nov. 1, 1991. 

“Judge Howell was such a calming influence,” he said. “I learned a lot from him. He’s been a great friend, a great colleague, a great example for all who followed.”