Poetry of a Working Man

Circuit Judge Hoyt Elliott believes in a basic formula for success: attention to detail, hard work, consistency. His life is a living testament to these lessons his family taught him (and it didn’t hurt to get a degree from Vanderbilt).By Mary SandersOne thing you may not know about Judge Hoyt Elliott is that he grills up a mean steak every Saturday night.First, he prepares the necessary elements: glowing hot charcoal, chunks of hickory wood, a prime cut of meat. The next step is the liquid whisking of clarified butter and vegetable oil, and the crusting of salt and freshly-ground black pepper. There are no mystery ingredients, fad toppings, shortcuts, or tricks—just quality ingredients, careful preparation, attention to detail, and consistency in execution. It’s a basic formula, but it yields exquisitely good results.The same can be said of Elliott’s life.Elliott was born on November 21, 1955 at People’s Hospital in Jasper. He grew up on Sixth Street, attended Memorial Park School, Jasper Junior High, and Walker High School. He played with neighborhood friends, attended First United Methodist Church with his family, and advanced as a Boy Scout. A typical morning in the Elliott household would find the family gathered at the kitchen table for breakfast, taking turns reading from The Upper Room, a daily devotional. The importance of this seemingly mundane family routine is not lost on Hoyt; Elliott gratefully acknowledges that his loving and stable home kept him grounded.Venturing away from these environs for his higher education, Elliott earned degrees from Vanderbilt University and Cumberland School of Law at Samford. He shared a law practice with his father in the Blanton Building on the square downtown and is now serving his second term as circuit court judge. Elliott proudly notes that, except for school and traveling to Augusta, Georgia, to marry his wife Libba, “most everything significant in my life happened within a one square mile radius.”The Elliott name is well-respected in Jasper. Hoyt’s uncle, Carl Elliott, was a local attorney and most notably a U.S. Representative from 1949 to 1965. Elliott has memories of Uncle Carl presiding over Christmas Eve gatherings with his father’s family—all nine siblings plus spouses and children—always in uniform: blue suit, white shirt, red tie. Elliott also recalls evenings he spent reading aloud to his uncle, whose eyesight had deteriorated in his latter years.Although Carl was one of Elliott’s mentors, the biggest influence on Elliott’s professional life was his dad, Hoyt Elliott, Sr., a man with a strong personal work ethic whose routines and character made an impression on his son at a very young age. Long-time residents of Jasper may remember seeing Hoyt Sr. walk to work daily. Elliott lavishly praises his father for being dedicated, disciplined, and a good provider, and his mother, Sarah, for being the heart of their home.Elliott credits his wife, Libba, for his success and for balancing her job as a financial consultant with First Bank of Jasper with being an excellent mother to their three children: Hoyt III, an Alabama graduate and CPA with Price Waterhouse in Atlanta; Grace, who graduated summa cum laude from Birmingham Southern College in May; and Sarah, Walker County’s Distinguished Young Woman of 2012 and 2013 graduate of Walker High School.Yes, Elliott is an avid Vanderbilt fan, and he enjoys reading about early American history. He also prefers traditional country music, not just for the music itself, but also for its authentic lyrics which he feels to be “poetry for the working man.”Elliott holds that the legal profession is one of public service and enjoys working with his two fellow circuit judges, Jerry Selman and Doug Farris. He derives tremendous benefit from his 23 years of general practice prior to his transition to the courtroom, calling it “wonderful preparation that has helped me to know and understand people.” Elliott is mindful that “when something reaches my desk it is a serious matter that deeply affects someone.”“I try to guard against becoming numb to the significance of each case,” Elliott states. Noting that trials are complex things with multiple moving parts, the judge works hard to cultivate the balance necessary to give each case the attention it deserves, thereby ensuring each person his “day in court.”Working with juries is rewarding to Elliott, and he admires how seriously people take that duty. “These jurors give of themselves to come to the courthouse to hear a dispute in which they have no vested interest just because they are good citizens doing their patriotic duty,” he says. After every jury trial, Elliott takes the time to privately speak to and listen to the jury. He is interested in their impressions of the system and opinions for improvement.There are a few special items in Elliott’s office: a gavel, rarely used by Elliott to manage his courtroom but which got a fair amount of service when a visiting cub scout group got to take turns trying it out; an American Heritage Dictionary—a high school graduation gift from Uncle Carl and Aunt Jane—consulted daily; pictures of family.From behind his desk to the bench, Hoyt Elliott does the hard work day in and day out to help people in Walker County. He practices his profession like he grills his Saturday night steaks: with quality ingredients, careful preparation, attention to detail, and consistency in execution.And that’s a recipe for success.