Monday, November 14, 2011

Justice announces retirement

Justice George Carlson of the MSSC announced he won't run for re-election in 2012, creating an open seat in the northern district.

I question Chief Justice Waller's assertion that "no one" worked longer hours (I have one particular no-longer-serving justice in mind), but such trivia aside, Carlson's done a great job. His experience as a long-serving circuit-court judge was invaluable. I think this makes Lamar the justice with the most trial-judge experience now.

Am I the only one who finds it interesting that he won't step down early and let a gubernatorial appointee run from the bench?

... Judge Roberts of the COA was a circuit-court judge for 19 years, btw.

4 comments:

  1. Hawkins, for one, did that out of principle: He thought that our system had elected judges, like it or not, he had been elected to serve a full term, and did so, letting the voters pick next.

    Would not surprise me to learn that Justice Carlson had similar views. I will ask him next time I see him.

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  2. Admirable, and just like Armis Hawkins.

    (I had forgotten his letter to Justice Easley that NMC posted back in a prior incarnation. It improves with age.)

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  3. I apparently remembered the circumstances of Justice Hawkins retirement completely wrong. He retired and Judge Mills was appointed. Having been politely corrected by email, I am scratching my head trying to recall who it was that did what I described.

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  4. Okay, then -- admirable, and not quite like Armis Hawkins.

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