Bar to seek nominees for vacant judge's seat
By Steve Herring
Published in News on July 15, 2015 1:46 PM
No nomination has yet to be made to fill the unexpired term of District Court Judge Tim Finan, who died on June 30.
It will be mid-August before the 8th District judicial bar submits its nominations to complete the term to Gov. Pat McCrory, bar president Tonya Nicole Davis Barber said.
Part of the reason for the delay has been in deference to Finan's passing, she said.
Also, there are plenty of emergency judges to help out until a replacement can be named, she added.
"As soon as someone is appointed, they will have to start campaigning since Judge Finan's term is up (in 2016)," Ms. Barber said.
Ms. Barber said a deadline for nominations has not yet been set, but added she expected one to be set within the next two weeks.
The judicial district bar has the responsibility under state law to nominate five candidates.
The nominees must be residents of the district, which includes Wayne, Greene and Lenoir counties, who are duly authorized to practice law in the district.
The bar members will vote on the nominees to forward to the governor.
If fewer than five candidates are nominated, the bar is required to certify that there were insufficient nominations in the district to comply with state law.
McCrory can make an appointment from that list or appoint someone else.
However, the majority of the time the governor selects from the nominees, Ms. Barber said.
Finan himself was appointed to the District Court bench by Gov. Mike Easley in February 2007 following the resignation of Judge Rose Vaughn Williams, who took a job with the state Insurance Commissioner's Office.
He was Goldsboro city attorney at that time.
District court judges preside over civil cases such as divorce, custody and child support and those involving less than $25,000.
They also hear criminal cases involving misdemeanors and infractions and juvenile cases involving children under the age of 16.
There are no juries in district court criminal trials.