Missing for more than a decade, a brass plaque inscribed with the Bill of Rights was unveiled for the second time Thursday by U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan.
Just before the conclusion of the Jacksonville chapter of the Federal Bar Association’s Constitution Day program, Corrigan removed the drape and explained the plaque originally was displayed in the nearby former federal courthouse, now the State Attorney’s Office.
He said the gift was presented to the court in 1991 by the Committee for the Bill of Rights Bicentennial. It was removed in 2003 when the court relocated to its new building adjacent to Hemming Park.
The plaque was forgotten until about two weeks ago when the court archivist started asking if anyone knew what happened to the commemorative slab of brass.
Upon investigation, it turned out the plaque was stored in a closet on the ninth floor, still attached after 12 years to a section of the wall from the old courthouse.
Corrigan said the artifact will be restored and then displayed at a to-be-determined place on the first floor. That way, he said, everyone who enters the building will be reminded of the Bill of Rights and its importance to liberty and justice.
“It’s the manual, after all,” said Corrigan.
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