Thursday, December 16, 2010

RI Judges Sworn in by Governor

RI Family Court Lawyer Alves found the following article regarding the current appointment of several judges in RI by Governor Carcieri interesting and posts it in its entirety below.



Rhode Island judges being sworn in at fast clip
Dec 14, 2010
Katie Mulvaney

PROVIDENCE, R.I.-- By the year's end, Rhode Island's newest judges will be ready to take the bench after a series of open- and closed-door swearing-in ceremonies.

At several incoming judges' requests, Governor Carcieri has held private swearing-in ceremonies in his office, according to his spokeswoman Amy Kempe. Others have opted for public ceremonies in the State Room at the State House.

Colleen M. Hastings was the first. The governor swore in Hastings the very day the state Senate approved her nomination as a District Court judge. Hastings requested the hasty ceremony so her son could witness the event before being deployed, Kempe said.

Carcieri chose Hastings, a Family Court magistrate since 2008, to replace Judge Michael A. Higgins, who retired this year. Once an assistant city solicitor in Newport, Hastings served as assistant legal counsel to then-Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed from 2006 to 2008.

The governor swore in District Court Magistrate Christine S. Jabour as a District Court judge in a private ceremony in his office Dec. 8, Kempe said. Jabour replaces Stephen E. Erickson, who retired in June after 20 years on the bench.

Jabour, of Barrington, has worked as a District Court magistrate since 2003. She is a sister of Sen. Paul V. Jabour, D-Providence, and is married to former Judicial Nominating Commission Chairman Girard R. Visconti.

Walter R. Stone was sworn in privately the same day to replace O. Rogeriee Thompson on the Superior Court bench. A former prosecutor who once ran for state attorney general, Stone, of Providence, has practiced law for 35 years and was a partner at Adler, Pollock & Sheehan.

Two days later, the governor swore in Haiganush R. Bedrosian as chief of the state's Family Court. Bedrosian, who is the first woman to lead the court, has been served on Family Court since 1980.

A public ceremony with 700 guests will take place for Bedrosian at 3 p.m., Friday, at Warwick City Hall, Kempe said.

Stephen M. Isherwood's swearing in as District Court judge took place at 3 p.m. Tuesday in a public ceremony in the State Room. Isherwood fills the seat left open when Jeanne E. LaFazia became chief judge of the District Court. Isherwood has been a Probate Court judge in Warwick since 2005. He has worked at a Cranston law firm since 1994.

Narragansett lawyer Brian Van Couyghen will be sworn in Dec. 21 in a private ceremony to fill the Superior Court seat once held by Supreme Court Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia. Van Couyghen has served as legislative counsel to the state House of Representatives and the state Senate since 2001. He has been a trial lawyer since 1984.

Van Couyghen is Carcieri's wife Suzanne's brother's wife's first cousin, Kempe said.

And finally, Sarah Taft-Carter will be sworn in as a Superior Court judge at a public event in the State Room at 3:30 p.m. that same day, Kempe said. Taft-Carter will take the seat held by Alice B. Gibney before Gibney became presiding justice of the Superior Court. She is daughter of a former Cranston mayor, James L. Taft Jr., and is a partner with Taft & McSally LLP in Cranston.
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If you have questions about this posting or are interested in Divorce, Immigration, or Estate Law in RI or MA contact Massachusetts and Rhode Island Divorce Lawyer Rui P. Alves at 401-942-3100 or CONTACT him via email.

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