Committee unanimously recommends retention for eight judges

After moving out of executive session, members of the Judicial Retention committee in open meeting recommended retention for eight judicial officers and approved each recommendation by unanimous voice vote.

The committee moved and seconded individual motions to recommend retention for the Honorable Dixon Corbett; the Honorable Kevin Griffin; the Honorable Howard Kalfas; Magistrate Alicia Humberth; the Honorable Elizabeth Mann; the Honorable Megan Shaffritz; the Honorable Timothy Tomasi; and the Honorable Han Zomei. For each motion the chair asked, “All those in favor?” and recorded “Aye. Any opposed? The ayes have it,” indicating unanimous approval.

The decisions were brief and procedural: members made and seconded motions, called for voice votes, and recorded unanimous approval for each named candidate. One member asked whether the clerk should be writing the approvals down; the record shows the committee proceeded after that question without a roll-call tally recorded in the transcript.

Members also discussed logistics for a joint assembly set for March 20 at 10:30 a.m., noting a calendar invitation had been received that day. Committee members agreed to present summaries of 2 to 3 minutes apiece at the joint assembly, and discussed an alphabetical assignment order for who speaks first. A member offered to circulate sample write-ups to the group; another member said presenters may include personal observations drawn from the binder and testimony.

The meeting concluded with a brief acknowledgement that the committee’s duties for the evening were fulfilled and a motion to adjourn. Speaker 1 closed by thanking members for their service to the biennium.