Laying out the law — Idaho judges, famed senator discuss importance of U.S. Constitution

BOISE — The first edition of the Denton Darrington Annual Lecture for Law and Government took place Monday at the Capitol. The lecture series will cover a wide range of topics including the improved administration of the justice system.

Denton Darrington, Idaho’s longest-serving state senator, retired in 2012 after serving 30 years.

N. Randy Smith, judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, said Darrington is a legendary leader and a senator with great heart. Smith said Darrington is well known for his respect for the Senate, its system and the varying views of the senators.

“He paved the road to making Idaho’s judiciary far better than ever before,” Smith said.

Stephen Trott, also a U.S. Court of Appeals judge of the Ninth Circuit, spoke highly of guest lecturer Judge J. Clifford Wallace.

“He is a scholar, repository of wisdom and a thoughtful jurist,” Trott said.

Denton took the podium and recalled the experiences he shared with Wallace while in Washington D.C. working with members of the U.S. Senate and federal chief officers.

“For this farm boy, I was in awe,” Darrington said. “I talked about the fact that it is a matter of the right personalities being in the right places to foster communication between the branches of government.”

Darrington said he has often preached the power of communication and those beliefs have helped him be a successful state senator.

Wallace served for three years as a sailor in the U.S. Navy and later attended San Diego State College. In his lecture, Wallace spoke of the cultural and social importance of the U.S. Constitution.

“Our constitution was not intended to give power to the government, it was to protect the state and its citizens from the government,” Wallace said.

He said the implications of the separation of powers as described in the Constitution are often misconstrued. He said the system of checks and balances are a way to foster equality between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.

“This separation of powers was not instituted because it would create a more efficient government,” Wallace said. “It was created to safeguard the citizens from the powers of the federal government.”

He punctuated each sentence with a slight jab of his right forefinger into the air, much like a young lawyer enunciating his point to a judge towering above him. Wallace, despite his nearly 62 years practicing law, still speaks with the dedication and clarity of a freshly-barred lawyer out to win his case.

Wallace said the Constitution is a portal through which any citizen can become involved in the operations of the U.S. He said party lines may run deep, but the country’s populace must focus on being an American citizen first and foremost.

“This is a topic that has been much debated. I’m sure all of us have our views on the subject. There was a second party and a second view,” Wallace said. “The people should be significantly involved in the political process. The number of Americans that actually go to the ballot box are astonishingly small.”

Wallace said a decreasing number of schools are opting not to teach American history to young students, which lessens the generation’s ability to become responsible citizens.

“Reflect upon our civic responsibility,” Wallace said. “(We must make) the Constitution important every day.”

Chloe Rambo can be reached at 

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