Local attorney David Pence passes away
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
A formidable foe in the courtroom, but a trusted friend to those who knew him outside the courthouse, has died.
David Pence, a Hillsboro attorney who practiced in Highland County for more than 30 years, passed away Wednesday, March 9.
Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss said he and Pence started their law careers around the same time, and that while Pence was a formidable opponent in the courtroom, he counted him as a close friend.
“Dave is one of the first attorneys I became friends with. I started practicing in 1976 and we became good friends over the years,” Coss said. “It’s just a shock and I’ve been sick since I heard it. We had coffee every morning for 30 years. He was one of the group over at Wanda’s Restaurant. He was a good friend to a lot of people, and he could get along with just about anybody, no matter what their background. He is going to be a big loss.”
Among Pence’s many achievements, when the state of Ohio first began requiring attorneys be specially certified to defend in capital cases, Pence was the first, and for a time the only, attorney in Highland County to be certified, Coss said.
Court reporter and Highland County Democratic Party Chairperson Dinah Phillips graduated from Hillsboro High School two years behind Pence, and said that he was a great friend, who will be missed.
“He always had a smile and he was always genuinely interested,” Phillips said. “It’s a great loss to his family, and a great loss to Highland County.”
Coss said Pence was a tough opponent in the courtroom, but that he was always able to move on and not let that affect his relationships with people.
“Dave tried a lot of cases, and I had more against him than probably any other attorney over the years. He was a great trial attorney,” Coss said. “He was one of the best people I’ve ever seen be able to analyze how people will respond to a case or a witness. He always had a lot of insight into that, and that made him a very tough opponent in a jury trial. Over the years, he and I had many courtroom battles. He was a great adversary in court, but he was like I am in that we always left it inside the courtroom. For some people, it’s hard to separate that from the person, but Dave was always able to do that. He was always tough as an attorney, but never mean spirited or malicious. I think everyone who knew him respected him for that.”
Phillips said that Pence had an enviable courtroom presence, but he was genuinely liked by other attorneys and the community.
“He started working as an attorney about the same time I started working as a court stenographer,” said Phillips, who said her sons and Pence’s son were also close friends. “He was an assistant prosecutor under John Crouse for several years, and of course was an attorney on his own.
“He was probably one of the best criminal attorneys in the area. He just had a knack of relating to jurors and would have a rapport with jurors that most attorneys would love to have.”
Coss said that Pence “was a man of many interests. I never knew anybody who tried so many things in life. I played a lot of golf with him, but he did a lot more things than I did.
“He was into canoeing and sailing and motorcycles, racing pigeons. He started a fox run and hunting reserve. We fished together a few times.”
“He really was just a special person,” Phillips said.
“You couldn’t find anybody who didn’t like David Pence. I would venture to say that if you asked 100 people, you wouldn’t find anybody who would have a negative comment in regard to David.”
Arrangements are under the direction of the Turner Funeral Home in Hillsboro.
Please check back to our website or to www.turnerfuneralhomes.cc for more information.[[In-content Ad]]
David Pence, a Hillsboro attorney who practiced in Highland County for more than 30 years, passed away Wednesday, March 9.
Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss said he and Pence started their law careers around the same time, and that while Pence was a formidable opponent in the courtroom, he counted him as a close friend.
“Dave is one of the first attorneys I became friends with. I started practicing in 1976 and we became good friends over the years,” Coss said. “It’s just a shock and I’ve been sick since I heard it. We had coffee every morning for 30 years. He was one of the group over at Wanda’s Restaurant. He was a good friend to a lot of people, and he could get along with just about anybody, no matter what their background. He is going to be a big loss.”
Among Pence’s many achievements, when the state of Ohio first began requiring attorneys be specially certified to defend in capital cases, Pence was the first, and for a time the only, attorney in Highland County to be certified, Coss said.
Court reporter and Highland County Democratic Party Chairperson Dinah Phillips graduated from Hillsboro High School two years behind Pence, and said that he was a great friend, who will be missed.
“He always had a smile and he was always genuinely interested,” Phillips said. “It’s a great loss to his family, and a great loss to Highland County.”
Coss said Pence was a tough opponent in the courtroom, but that he was always able to move on and not let that affect his relationships with people.
“Dave tried a lot of cases, and I had more against him than probably any other attorney over the years. He was a great trial attorney,” Coss said. “He was one of the best people I’ve ever seen be able to analyze how people will respond to a case or a witness. He always had a lot of insight into that, and that made him a very tough opponent in a jury trial. Over the years, he and I had many courtroom battles. He was a great adversary in court, but he was like I am in that we always left it inside the courtroom. For some people, it’s hard to separate that from the person, but Dave was always able to do that. He was always tough as an attorney, but never mean spirited or malicious. I think everyone who knew him respected him for that.”
Phillips said that Pence had an enviable courtroom presence, but he was genuinely liked by other attorneys and the community.
“He started working as an attorney about the same time I started working as a court stenographer,” said Phillips, who said her sons and Pence’s son were also close friends. “He was an assistant prosecutor under John Crouse for several years, and of course was an attorney on his own.
“He was probably one of the best criminal attorneys in the area. He just had a knack of relating to jurors and would have a rapport with jurors that most attorneys would love to have.”
Coss said that Pence “was a man of many interests. I never knew anybody who tried so many things in life. I played a lot of golf with him, but he did a lot more things than I did.
“He was into canoeing and sailing and motorcycles, racing pigeons. He started a fox run and hunting reserve. We fished together a few times.”
“He really was just a special person,” Phillips said.
“You couldn’t find anybody who didn’t like David Pence. I would venture to say that if you asked 100 people, you wouldn’t find anybody who would have a negative comment in regard to David.”
Arrangements are under the direction of the Turner Funeral Home in Hillsboro.
Please check back to our website or to www.turnerfuneralhomes.cc for more information.[[In-content Ad]]