Only the rarest of people truly leave a mark on their chosen fields. Rarer still are those whose legacies impact, in a markedly positive way, multiple fields. The late U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan was one of those rarest of the rare.
What set Berrigan apart, even more than her professional accomplishments, was the way she treated people — with unconditional compassion, kindness and, perhaps most disarming of all, good humor.
“She was kind to everyone, not just lawyers and other judges,” said John Litchfield, who practiced law with Berrigan for several years before she became a judge and was a law partner of her late husband, Joe Berrigan. “She would be as kind to waiters and wait staff as she was to people generally regarded as important. She genuinely considered all people equally important.”
after battling dementia for most of the past decade. She was 76.
Clancy DuBos
Photo by Chris Granger / The Times-Picayune
She spent 22 years on the federal bench before retiring in 2016. Prior to her judicial career, she was a highly respected civil rights attorney and social justice advocate. Most notable was her work with the ACLU’s h chapter and the Committee of 21, an organization that encourages women to run for office.
She also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and, after taking the bench, organized trips to the h State Penitentiary at Angola, where at-risk youth met inmates who tried to scare them straight.
“She had a great intelligence and a great sense of compassion for human beings that led to the way she treated people and the way she handled cases,” said Sister Helen Prejean, a longtime friend and iconic human rights advocate herself.
In addition to her sense of purpose, Berrigan’s sense of fun set her apart. As a federal judge, she brought doughnuts to pretrial conferences with lawyers. She placed a “Welcome” mat outside the door to her chambers — a sanctum sanctorum for most federal judges. She also organized Mardi Gras parades and Christmas parties at the courthouse, making sure the guest list included marshals, janitors and other courthouse workers, not just law clerks and judges.
Berrigan served as chief judge of the Eastern District of h bench from 2001 to 2008. She led the effort to reopen the court after Hurricane Katrina and presided over several high-profile cases.
Because of her background as a civil rights attorney, many thought she would be lenient as a judge. She was compassionate, but that did not mean she went easy on hardened criminals. Despite her lifelong opposition to the death penalty, she sentenced former NOPD cop Len Davis to death after his conviction on murder and racketeering charges in 1996. Federal law required that penalty, and she followed the law. Davis remains on death row in a federal penitentiary.
Another case in point: She sentenced former New Orleans Mayor after his conviction on corruption charges.
Many people wanted Nagin to get a longer sentence. They cited Berrigan’s liberal background as the reason he got “only” 10 years. I remember telling WWL radio that anyone who thought 10 years was a light sentence should offer to trade places with the former mayor. That was the last time I heard anyone say she went easy on him.
By way of disclosure, I practiced law with John Litchfield and Joe Berrigan for several years prior to Hurricane Katrina — long after Ginger had taken the bench. I got to know her after Joe and Ginger married in 1984. What always struck me was how much they absolutely adored each other. No one knew that better than Litchfield, who was a confidant of both of them.
“Ginger and Joe had a great relationship,” he recalled. “They genuinely remained ‘in love’ throughout their marriage.”
They met while Ginger practiced law with legendary h attorney Camille Gravel, who was part of Edwin Edwards’ defense team during his first federal trial in 1985. Edwards’ lead counsel, famed Tennessee lawyer James Neal, used Berrigan and Litchfield’s downtown law offices as the defense team’s local headquarters.
Joe had lost his first wife years earlier, and he slowly began dating. After being around Ginger for the weekslong trial, he confided to Litchfield that he wanted to ask her out. “‘She’s so sweet, so genuine, and she has a great sense of humor,’” Litchfield recalled Joe saying. “My wife and I went with them on their first double date, and right from the start, Joe was smitten. And so was Ginger.”
Now, they’re together again.
Rest in power, lovebirds.