By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

            Law enforcement officers, court administrators, judges, county commissioners, and others gathered on the banks of the Suwannee River Friday to eat fried mullet, hush puppies, and swamp cabbage as part of the annual W.O. Beauchamp, Jr. Law Day celebration.

            The event took place on property in Fowlers Buff once owned by the Beauchamp family and used for Law Day celebrations for perhaps a quarter of a century, but the property was sold to Luther Drummond, founder of Drummond Community Bank, and he is allowing Law Day to continue at the improved site.

            Among the dignitaries present were Levy County Judge James T. Browning, Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum, Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz, Lafayette County Sheriff Brian N. Lamb, Williston Police Chief Mike Rolls, Cedar Key Acting Police Chief Edwin Jenkins, Former Levy County Sheriff Ted Glass, Levy County School Superintendent Chris Cowart, Retired Superintendent Bob Hastings, Levy County Commissioners Matt Brooks and John Meeks, State Attorney Brian Kramer, Public Defender Stacy Scott, Levy County Coordinator Wilbur Dean, a former county commissioner, retired County Commissioner Billy Ray Sharp, retired Chief Circuit Judge James Nilon, State Rep. Joe Harding as well as other judges.

            Law Day was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 outbreaks but the tradition never died.

            “This is like starting and redoing an old tradition, honoring and celebrating law enforcement, putting our work to the side so we can have fellowship by the Suwannee,” said Browning.

            He introduced Chiefland attorney Luther Beauchamp, brother of the late W.O. Beauchamp, Jr., a former Levy County judge and founder of Law Day, to give a brief history of how the celebration started more years ago than most people alive today can remember.

            According to Beauchamp, many years ago officials in the Levy County Courthouse started celebrating what they called Ishie Day. Norwood Ishie was the custodian and one of the purchasing agents at the courthouse and was well-liked by a lot of people.

            Courthouse officials arranged for a day on the Suwannee River to have a fish fry. All the folks in the courthouse came and enjoyed it. For some reason, they called it Ishie Day, according to Beauchamp, and Ishie Day was celebrated for several years after his death.

            When W.O. Beauchamp, Jr. became county judge in 1973, he wanted to continue the tradition of having a Suwannee River Fish fry. The fish fry evolved into Law Day on the banks of the Suwannee River. It was part of Red Ribbon Week in which Judge Beauchamp visited public schools across the county to teach children about the importance of the justice system, the courts, and law enforcement agencies, using special guests to teach classes. Law Day honored law enforcement officers, judges, clerks and others.

            “He loved fried fish and he loved people and this was his kind of gathering,” said Levy County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Brett Beauchamp, oldest son of the late County Judge W.O. Beauchamp, Jr. Law Day celebrations were held at what was often called Beauchamp Camp on the Suwannee River, owned by W.O. Beauchamp, Sr. and his wife and the Beauchamp family. It now belongs to Luther Drummond. The camp once again was the site of this year’s Law Day celebration.

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Enterprise Reporting by Terry Witt May 6, 2022; Posted May 6, 2022