Former Porter County Superior Court Judge David Chidester passed away Saturday at age 69. Family and colleagues are remembering him as a doer who particularly was out to do for others.
Some consider the former longtime judge’s greatest achievement to be his creation of the Restoration Court, which seeks to help those whose mental health directly impacts their committing of crimes. The court uses a team approach that includes a gamut of professionals with expertise ranging from mental health to social work to the law to help those assigned to its jurisdiction.
“They work really hard to get them stabilized,” said Porter Superior Court Judge Mary DeBoer, who worked with Chidester at the start of her career with the Porter County judiciary in 2011.
“It’s probably his legacy,” added Porter County Chief Public Defender Ken Elwood who met Chidester early in his career as well. He said the Restoration Court has had a significant impact on his clients.
“Many, many, many of our clients suffer from substance abuse and mental health and they are self-medicating,” he said, adding that the innovative program was one of a few in the state when it began.
Elwood preceded Chidester as president of the Porter County Bar Association and served as Chidester’s vice president when he took over. The two played golf together in the Bar Association Golf League and he said Chidester was “just a gentleman. Very honest. Very helpful as a mentor to myself and others.”
Porter County Prosecutor Gary Germann released a statement praising Chidester as well. It read, “Judge Chidester will be remembered as a hard-working, innovative and passionate judge who loved his job and loved his community.”
Chidester’s brother Jeff Chidester, who serves on the Porter County Board of Elections, said the brothers and their sister Becky Betts grew up in Gary. It was Dave’s start in Porter County politics as a Democrat that got Jeff involved in the mid-1990s after he helped him campaign.
“He was just an all-around good person,” Chidester said. “He was always trying to help someone.”
He pointed out that while Dave shared a stepson, attorney Jim Harper with his late wife Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary Harper, who died a year and a half ago, he had no children of his own. Still, he coached Little League for many years. “I always admired him for doing stuff like that, for doing things he didn’t have to do,” Chidester said.
Jim Harper followed his mother, father, and Chidester into law. “I looked up to him and my mom and my dad when I decided to become a lawyer,” he said. “Dave was a funny, kind, and generous man. He was a very loving stepdad.”
Harper said he and Chidester went to many baseball and basketball games together. “He had a passion for the Bears and he also knows more about the Civil War than anyone I’ve ever encountered,” he said. “He liked learning.”
Judge Chidester and Judge Harper had a soft spot for beagles. “He and Mary rescued a bunch of beagles,” Chidester recalled, pointing out that his brother also served as a judge for the Porter County Animal Shelter.
Also important to Judge Chidester was his appointment by former Porter County Sheriff Dave Reynolds to the Porter County Sheriff’s Office Merit Board “because he knew how hard their jobs were,” Chidester said of the sheriff’s officers. “Any time he could make it easier for them, any time he could improve their lives” he was enthusiastic.
Judge Chidester not only ran a private practice and served on the bench in Porter County, but also acted as a public defender in federal court. “In federal court, it’s a different set of rules,” said Jeff Chidester. “Not anybody can be a public defender.”
They were all experiences that Chidester likely pulled from in the mentoring he was known for. “He just made himself available,” said DeBoer. “He was good about stopping what he was doing if I needed some help. To have those judges with that longevity is helpful.”
She said Chidester spent a lot of time compiling and editing Porter County’s local court rules for attorneys coming to court from elsewhere. And when the state came calling with a task for the local courts he was the first to volunteer.
“He would go, ‘Hey, I’m happy to take that on,’” DeBoer recalled. “I got a good flavor for the work ethic that David had,” she added. “He was always willing to step up and take on the tasks that were necessary.”
Chidester is also survived by his mother Irene Chidester and sister Becky Betts. Funeral arrangements have not been finalized, but visitation is planned at Dykes Funeral Home and a funeral mass is planned at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, both in Valparaiso.
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.