Gavel v. Club

From the Bench to the Back Nine, Judge Langford Morris is Always in Charge

The Honorable Judge Denise Langford-Morris knows the importance of tradition firsthand. By becoming the first African-American judge in Michigan’s affluent Oakland County, Langford-Morris blazed a trail for countless others to follow. Oakland County Circuit Court’s docket keeps her busy adjudicating some of the most influential cases in the country. Yet, her life is dedicated to more than just determining innocence or guilt. The Detroit native values her role as an active participant in her community. The Honorable Judge took time out of her hectic schedule to discuss her passion for outreach, the rigors of her career and her introduction to the sport we love.

Who introduced you to the game of golf?
The main influence and the first influence was my dad. I’m sitting here looking at this picture on my desk in our family backyard where I grew up. My father, Victor Langford II, was an avid golfer. He was one of 12 children. There were six boys and six girls. Several of the boys played golf and a couple of the girls. When I was nine years old, my father encouraged myself and all of my siblings to take golf lessons. We took golf lessons every summer for three summers in a row. Neither one of my siblings kept it up. They didn’t like it. I actually didn’t like it when I was real young. Once I got to the bench, I really started to like it and started golfing more because colleagues were golfers. By then, my father passed away. As he became ill later in life, I would try to take him out to help him golf.

Are there any lessons you’ve learned playing golf that are applicable to everyday life?
Oh absolutely. I think that golf is the kind of sport that really encourages people to play with integrity. It’s a game where it’s you against the course. You have to hit the ball straight. It’s kind of like life. You want to maintain the fortitude of staying on course, if you will. As a young person, you have to stay out of trouble, try to focus on your education, try to complete tasks, you also have to pay attention to details once you get to the green, really focus on reading the green. It is what I analogize to young people: being focused, concentrating, and following through. That’s what golf does and that’s what we need to do as a people.

Your father passed the game on to you, is there anyone you would pass the game on to?
My granddaughter. She just turned 10 years old. I take her out with me and try to help her and she loves it. She’s coming along. In addition, I have worked with the Roaring Lambs (International Junior Golf Academy) which is a golf organization in Dallas, Texas under the leadership of Gladys Lee. We work to help young people. Preferably, to try and find young people that can get into the game and be serious. I work as a supporter of Gladys Lee. We call ourselves the adult extension of the Roaring Lambs and we’re the Global Fairway Seekers. We’re pretty serious.

What was your best score and on what course?
Best score, I would have to say, was shooting an 87 at Kapalua from the white tees. I had not really had an opportunity to practice a lot that day. It was windy and I just simply got on the cart and played my best round. I’ve probably shot better scores since then, but that was really the best because Kapalua is an exceptional course.

How long have you been presiding as a judge?
This is my 16th year presiding and I am the first African-American Judge in Oakland County. I love my work. It’s a difficult job—it’s not easy. I sit in judgment on all kinds of cases, a lot of high profile cases. I had the Jack Kevorkian injunction case docket before he committed the murder. I had Eminem in court. I had never even heard of Eminem, but when he appeared in front of me one of my friends called and said, “You have Slim Shady.” I asked who was Slim Shady and she said Eminem. I asked what’s an Eminem. She told me he’s the number one rapper in the country. Well I said, I don’t listen to rap. At that time, I never did listen to rap and I never had. So I made it a point to listen to his music and I actually enjoy some of his music. I hear civil cases, criminal, rapes, murders, robberies, embezzlements—you name it. So it is a difficult job and we’re one of the busiest courts in the entire state of Michigan. It’s a wealthy county so we have a lot of litigants that can afford to litigate—so a lot of talking and a lot of lawyers.

Do you use golf as a stress reliever?
Absolutely. I’ve never seen a golf course I disliked. I don’t care if it is a city course that may not be the best maintained. I’ve played Oakland Hills before and most of the country clubs up (in northern Michigan). Many people don’t know that Michigan has the greatest number of public golf courses of any state.

What’s your favorite club to use?
Well, I love my gap wedge. It’s my 100 yard club and that is my go to club. I can hit it the best. I’m actually a long ball hitter. I find myself at the 100 yards a lot. That’s really where I try to go and reach the green. Now it doesn’t always work. I’m not a great golfer, but I could be better if I didn’t have this job.

Maybe you could go professional.
I think I better keep my day job.