Posted on Thu, Feb. 08, 2007

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Three women judges add diversity to bench

11th Circuit gets first female Family Court chief; General Assembly elects two others

By RICK BRUNDRETT

rbrundrett@thestate.com

Deborah Neese made history Wednesday with her election as the first female Family Court judge of the 11th Circuit, which covers Lexington, Saluda, Edgefield and McCormick counties.

“I feel the weight and the responsibility and importance of being part of a more diverse bench,” said Neese, 55, of Ridge Spring. “We just need to encourage more and more female candidates to apply and to go through the screening process.”

The General Assembly in a joint session elected two other women to open court seats. Paula Thomas, 49, of Pawleys Island, was elected to the Court of Appeals, bringing the number of women on the nine-member court to two.

Lawmakers also elected Jan Holmes, 36, of Georgetown, to a Family Court seat in the 15th Circuit, which covers Georgetown and Horry counties. She was the only black candidate to win an open seat.

“It’s just an honor and privilege to serve the citizens of South Carolina,” Holmes said afterward. “I think the General Assembly made an effort during these elections to promote diversity.”

Lawmakers on Wednesday filled 32 judicial seats, all uncontested.

Black lawmakers and female attorneys have decried the lack of diversity in the state’s courts. Of 140 judges on the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Administrative Law Court, Circuit, Master-In-Equity and Family courts, 24, or 17 percent, are women, and nine, or 6 percent, are black.

South Carolina’s female and black populations are about 51 and 30 percent, respectively. Of the state’s lawyers, about 27 percent are women, and 5 percent are black.

“It’s a good day for women, but there certainly still is room for more women,” said Rosalyn Frierson, president of the S.C. Women Lawyers Association, on Wednesday.

“We have put three qualified women on the bench,” said state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg. “I applaud my colleagues and now encourage us to look at the next set of elections to continue on the path of diversity.”

Two nominated black candidates — Lillie Hart, a Columbia attorney who ran for a 5th Circuit Family Court seat held by Leslie Riddle; and Robert Jenkins of Greenville, a Family Court judge who ran for the Court of Appeals seat won by Thomas — dropped out before the election. Candidates customarily withdraw if they don’t believe they have enough votes.

Some black lawmakers said Hart and Jenkins should have been up for a vote in the Legislature.

“I think we’re taking a step in the right direction with the election of this African-American female (Holmes) to the bench,” said state Rep. Leon Howard, D-Richland, chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, after Wednesday’s election. “But we still have a long way to go.”

Over the past several years, Howard unsuccessfully has pushed legislation that would eliminate the three-person cap on candidates nominated by the state Judicial Merit Selection Commission. On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would allow the commission to raise the cap to five with a two-thirds vote of present members.

Reach Brundrett at (803) 771-8484.