Forest M. Dantin

Forest M. Dantin, age 56, a prominent attorney and Municipal Court Judge for the City of Columbia for over 20 years, died suddenly on Saturday, January 9, 2010 at Forrest General Hospital.
A Columbia native, Dantin received his law degree from the University of Mississippi and began his practice as an Assistant District Attorney in Hinds County. He returned to his hometown in 1981 and became a partner in his law firm with his father, Maurice Dantin. Dantin served as Marion County Prosecuting Attorney from 1982 to 1985 and was appointed Municipal Court Judge in 1989. His vision led to the creation of the first misdemeanor-level Drug Court in South Mississippi which began operating in May, 2008.
Judge Dantin received numerous honors and awards during his legal career. He was the first Recipient of Award from the Domestic Abuse and Family Shelter in Hattiesburg for his service to victims of domestic violence in the Pine Belt area and received recognition from the National Crime Victims Rights organization for his dedication in providing fair treatment to victims of crime. He received the Pine Burr Award, High Ridge District, from the Boy Scouts of America. Dantin was past president of the Marion County Bar Association and previously served as a Commissioner of the Mississippi State Bar Association.
He was past president of the Marion County Historical Society and the Marion County Chamber of Commerce. He also formerly served as Director of the Marion County Development Partnership and as Coordinator of the Marion County Council on Juvenile Justice and the Marion County Multi-Disciplinary Team on Child Abuse and Neglect.
Dantin is survived by his wife, Mary Vic Middleton Dantin; daughter Mary Patton Lintner of Columbia; a son, Vic Dantin, of New Orleans, LA; his parents, Maurice and Patty Dantin; a grandson, Jackson Lintner, and a sister, Mary Nell Livingston, all of Columbia; a sister, Juliet Dantin, of Sebastopol, CA; a brother, John Dantin, of San Francisco, CA. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews and by a large number of friends throughout the legal and law enforcement communities.
Services for Dantin will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, January 12th, at the First United Methodist Church of Columbia with visitation at the church from 10:00 AM until the service hour. Visitation will also be held on Monday, January 11th, from 5:00 until 8:00 PM at Hathorn Funeral Home in Columbia.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorials be made to the Domestic Abuse and Family Shelter in Hattiesburg or to the First United Methodist Church of Columbia.