Charles Pickering recognized as Leader-Call Citizen of Year

By Staff
HONORED Leader-Call Publisher Crystal Dupr, left, congratulates Judge Charles W. Pickering Sr. Tuesday on his selection as the newspaper's Citizen of the Year. Photo by Don Hill/Laurel Leader Call
By Brian Livingston / Laurel Leader Call
March 31, 2004
LAUREL The national spotlight on Judge Charles W. Pickering Sr., focused down on his own local community Tuesday.
Pickering, who told the CBS News program "60 Minutes" on Sunday that he's willing to fight again for a permanent seat on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, was named Citizen of the Year by his hometown newspaper, the Laurel Leader-Call.
The newspaper's publisher, Crystal Dupr, said Pickering's tenacity was among the reasons he was selected for the local honor.
To be sure, Pickering, who was elevated to the federal Appeals Court on a temporary basis by President Bush, has solid roots in Jones County. He served as a prosecuting attorney, state senator and built a successful private practice of law. He also has a long tenure as a U.S. District Court judge for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Pickering always found time to give back to his home community through a variety of civic work.