Bench Marks: Behind the Gavel with Judge Craig Cargile
By Sheila Duncan
This week’s Community Connect features someone who wears many hats—and perhaps even robes! Meet Craig Cargile: a devoted husband, father, Judge, and even a singer in his local church. Let’s dive in and get to know Judge Cargile better as he answers a few questions we asked him.
Question: Can you tell us about you and your family.
I have been married to my wife, Mallory, for 19 years. We have 4 children: Emma, 17; George, 16; Vann, 15; and Milly, 11.
Question: Being a judge requires a lot of responsibility. How do you balance your work-life as a judge with your family life as a husband and dad?
Cargile: If at all possible, I try to attend all family activities. I have court dockets often, typically 8 to 10 times each month. Outside of court, we actually have a lot of flexibility as smart phones and laptops allow all other work to be done from anywhere.
Question: What’s your favorite family tradition that you make sure to prioritize, even with your busy schedule?
Cargile: Christmas is a special time of year for our family. We always make sure to set aside time to spend with our immediate family and extended family around the holidays.
Question: As a father, what is one piece of advice you give your kids about decision-making, based on your experience as a judge?
Cargile: One of the biggest problems we see teenagers facing today are the repercussions of making bad decisions with cell phones. A lapse in judgment there can lead to extremely serious consequences socially, psychologically, and legally. As parents, we cannot preach enough to our kids about being very mindful about how they act online and with their phones.
Question: Do you ever find yourself using phrases from the courtroom in your family life, like “order in the house” or “objection”?
Cargile: I do say “for the record” way too much, even though I don’t have a household court reporter. I always tell Mallory that I want our grandchildren to call me “Your Honor” and she thinks I am joking.
Question: How do you unwind after a particularly tough day in court, especially when you need to shift gears and be there for your family?
Cargile: That is always a work in progress. An irony of court cases is that the ones with terrible facts are often not legally complicated because the issues are obvious. However, cases that do not have many bad facts can be agonizing because it leaves me trying to split legal hairs. Also, there are things that you see that you can’t unsee. I try to leave work at work and be present where I am. My whole crew each needs some alone time, so we actually work well together there in allowing everyone to have space to decompress after the day.
Question: Are there any legal lessons you’ve learned that you try to pass on to your kids in terms of fairness, justice, or honesty?
Cargile: Honesty is extremely important and something we talk to our kids about all the time. In my opinion, you have to be honest all the time or you have lost someone’s trust. If someone is honest 90, 95, or even 99 percent of the time, then it is difficult to trust them.
Question: If your family had to stage a courtroom drama, what role would each person play, and who would be the judge?
Cargile: Excluding myself, Vann would likely be the judge. He has the most patience of my children. George would be an excellent plaintiff’s attorney as he has a strong sense of justice and would be able to present a compelling case to the jury. Milly could be the defense attorney as she would welcome any opportunity to tell George he is wrong. Emma would be a fantastic juror because she is a good and empathetic listener.
Question: When your kids look back on your career as a judge, what do you hope they remember most about the example you set?
Cargile: I hope they remember me first as their dad, who loves them and is there for them. Past that, I hope they remember me as being kind and as someone who does what is right, even when it is hard or unpopular.
Exploring your community allows you to uncover its hidden gems and forge meaningful connections with your neighbors. Thank you, Judge Craig Cargile, for taking the time to answer our questions so that we may get to know you and your family on a more personal level.
