In a moment that left the entire room in tears, the granddaughter of late Judge Arthur Franks delivered a moving tribute at his funeral this week — one that’s now capturing hearts far beyond the courtroom.
Speaking to a packed church in downtown Charleston, 17-year-old Lena Franks took the podium with trembling hands and a folded piece of paper. What came next was a eulogy that perfectly blended humor, wisdom, and raw emotion — a final word for a man known as much for his fairness on the bench as his warmth at home.
“He wasn’t just a judge,” she began. “He was the guy who made waffles at 6am before school. The man who read my first book report like it was a Supreme Court case. And the one who taught me justice wasn’t always in a book — sometimes, it’s in your gut.”
Lena recalled stories of her grandfather’s quirks — like how he never used bookmarks because “a good ruling stays in your head,” and how he once paused a court session because a stray dog wandered in and “looked like he needed to be heard too.”
She ended her speech with a final, tear-choked sentence:
“I hope I can live a life that would make him proud — not because it’s perfect, but because it’s kind.”
🕊️ “He Carried the Law Like It Was a Lantern — Not a Weapon”
Judge Arthur Franks served 34 years on the bench, widely respected for his balance of strict legal knowledge and deep empathy. His rulings were often referenced in law schools — but more importantly, remembered by the people they impacted.
The funeral brought together a rare mix: attorneys, former defendants, childhood friends, and even a few courtroom regulars who just wanted to say thank you.
One local public defender said, “Judge Franks didn’t just read laws — he read people. And Lena? She read him perfectly today.”
The video of her speech, originally posted by a family friend, has now gone viral across TikTok and Instagram, with thousands of comments like:
“She got more composure than most adults. Her granddad raised a real one.”
“This is how legacies live on.”
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