There is a familiar name in the list of nominees that U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan has submitted to President Barack Obama to be the U.S. attorney for North Carolina's Middle District - Wake County Special Superior Court Judge Ripley Rand.

Rand is the son of state Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, a Fayetteville Democrat.

Hagan has also recommended Lee Farmer, the member-manager for the law offices of R. Lee Farmer, and Susan Taylor, resident Superior Court Judge in District 20A and 20B.

Hagan also submitted three names for the U.S. attorney in the Western District: Peter Anderson, a partner at Anderson Terpening, PLLC; Danny Davis, Chief District Court Judge for the 30th Judicial District; and Anne Tompkins, a partner at Alston and Bird.

Sen. Tony Rand is already annoyed about another marriage waiver.

The Senate Majority Leader said he gets hot under the collar when judges ask for special exemptions to the statutes that restrict them from performing weddings. 

"Either judges can conduct weddings, or judges can't conduct weddings," he told Dome. "The judges say they don't want to conduct weddings until junior wants to get married, and then they want us to make an exception."

A bill this year would allow retired state judges to perform weddings. Under state law, only ordained ministers, certain Native American religious leaders and magistrates can serve as officiants.

Rand noted that his son, Ripley, is a Superior Court judge.

"I have told him that if he ever suggests anything like that to me, I'm going to change my name," he said. 

The appointment by former Gov. Mike Easley on his last day in office of two Raleigh lawyers to the Superior Court bench resulted in some unusual last-minute wrangling to get the incoming judges sworn in late Friday night.

Shannon Joseph and Bill R. Pittman took their oaths at 11 p.m. Friday night in a Wake County courtroom, in front of a crowd of more than 50 that gathered last-minute to watch the proceedings, Sarah Ovaska reports.

Joseph and Pittman’s appointments to special superior court bench will be good for the next five years. They’ll both have offices in the Wake County courthouse, but will preside over cases all over the state, depending on where they are needed.

Joseph, an administrative law judge for the N.C. Office of Administrative Hearings, had been tied up in High Point that afternoon in a hearing and couldn’t make it back to Raleigh until after the end of the business day.

Wake Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens, who administered the oaths, was on his way to the ball held that evening for Beverly Perdue, who took office the next morning, when he was asked to administer judicial oaths to Pittman and Joseph before Perdue became governor the next day.

The 11 p.m. slot Friday night seemed to be the time everyone could make, Stephens said. It was open to the public, he said, but acknowledged that it'd be hard for the public to know about the ceremony.

More after the jump.

   Comments (14)

Gov. Mike Easley made two last-minute appointments Friday.

Before leaving office, the former governor appointed Shannon Joseph and Bill Pittman, both of Raleigh, as Special Superior Court judges.

Joseph has been an administrative law judge with the state Office of Administrative Hearings since 2007. Previously, she was a partner at the Smith Moore law firm in Raleigh.

She is married to Superior Court Judge Ripley Rand, the son of Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, a longtime Easley ally.

Pittman has been in private practice since 2001, focusing on government relations, utility law and commercial litigation. Previously, he served as associate general counsel to Gov. Jim Hunt and as a member of the state Utilities Commission.

"These new judges bring dignity and wisdom to the bench," Easley said in a statement. "Their vast experience and knowledge of the law will be an asset to our court system."

Dewey Hudson said he's honored to be considered for U.S. attorney.

The Onslow County district attorney said he has not spoken directly to Sen. Kay Hagan about a gig as a a federal prosecutor in the Raleigh-based Eastern District, but he knows his name is being discussed by other Democrats.

"It's an honor to be in the running," he told Dome. "It's a job that obviously carries a lot of responsibility."

Hudson has served as assistant district attorney for 21 years and district attorney for 10 years in District 4, which serves Onslow, Duplin, Jones and Sampson counties and includes the Camp Lejeune Marine base.

A native of Turkey, N.C., he earned his bachelor's degree at N.C. State and a law degree from Cumberland School of Law in Alabama. He said he was initially surprised to see his name mentioned for the post.

"It would be premature at this point for me to make any official statements," he said. "But I am interested in the position."

Superior Court Judge Ripley Rand is also reportedly being considered.

Update: Rand said he did not know much.

"All I have heard is that there are a number of names under consideration," he said. "I don't know whether mine is one of them or not." 

The unofficial campaigns for U.S. attorney are almost over.

Although U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan and Attorney General nominee Eric Holder have not taken any official steps towards appointing the state's three federal prosecutors, the long list of candidates appears to have been culled a bit. 

Western District: Former Congressional candidate and assistant Wake County prosecutor Daniel Johnson of Hickory is reportedly the leading candidate in the district that is centered on Charlotte. The post is currently held by Gretchen C.F. Shappert. 

Middle District: Former lieutenant governor candidate Hampton Dellinger is reportedly the leading candidate for a gig as a federal prosecutor in the district that includes Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Durham. The post is currently held by Anna Mills Wagoner.

Eastern District: Superior Court Judge Ripley Rand (son of the state Senate majority leader) is reportedly competing with Onslow County District Attorney Dewey Hudson for the district that is centered on Raleigh. The post is currently held by George E.B. Holding.

As noted previously, the Eastern District position is important in state investigations in corruption, Hagan says she'll consider resumes and references, and past U.S. attorneys have had a strong political patron.

Who might Kay Hagan recommend for U.S. attorney?

With the three federal prosecutor jobs opening up sometime next year, the Democratic senator-elect will have a chance to name their replacements.

In talks with local lawyers, Dome has heard a few names come up:

Dan Blue. The former speaker of the state House and current legislator has strong ties to the Obama campaign in North Carolina and would be a familiar name.

Joe Cheshire. A noted defense attorney best known for his work on the Duke lacrosse case, he would be a wild-card pick who would bring a high profile to the job.

Benjamin R. David. The district attorney for New Hanover and Pender counties previously worked for white shoe law firm Kilpatrick Stockton.

Hampton Dellinger. The former deputy attorney general and special counsel to Gov. Mike Easley came in second in his bid for the lieutenant governor nomination this year.

Dewey Hudson. The district attorney in Onslow County was briefly in the national news earlier this year over the case of suspected killer Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean.

Daniel Johnson. The former assistant district attorney in Wake County is an honored veteran who took on an unsuccessful campaign against Rep. Patrick McHenry.

Abe Jones. The longtime Wake County Superior Court judge and former Wake County commissioner once worked in the U.S. attorney's office.

Ripley Rand. A former prosecutor, the son of Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand has served as an appointed Superior Court judge since 2002, though he lost a 2006 election in Wake County.

Scott Thomas. The district attorney for Carteret, Craven and Pamlico counties served in the state Senate from 2000 to 2005 alongside Hagan.

Colon Willoughby. The Wake County district attorney is well-connected in Raleigh and has worked closely with federal prosecutors, most recently on the Jim Black and Thomas Wright cases.

A spokeswoman for Hagan said recently that she is focusing on building her Senate staff right now in order to avoid disruption to constituent services.

Pat McCrory criticized a Superior Court judge Wednesday for ruling last week that four sex offenders shouldn't be subject to lifetime satellite monitoring.

McCrory, Charlotte's mayor and a Republican candidate for governor, called on the state to appeal the judge's ruling, David Ingram reports.

"Every day the attorney general delays appealing this case, more children are in danger," he said.

A spokeswoman for Attorney General Roy Cooper did not have an immediate comment.

Judge Ripley Rand ruled in Wake County that the sex offenders shouldn't be monitored because they were sentenced before the monitoring law took effect Dec. 1. He did not address constitutional questions of double punishment.

McCrory's comments came at a news conference at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, one of seven stops planned for a trip across the state Wednesday.

More after the jump.

   Comments (0)