Reserving Judgment On Top Court Job

After President Bill Clinton appointed her to the bench in 1997, she served as Satterfield's deputy while he was the presiding family court judge from 2001 to 2005.

When she was named presiding judge of the family court three years ago, she initiated a juvenile sex offender program, and she reduced the number of pretrial detentions for youths by 30 percent from 2007 to 2008. Under her leadership, the court implemented child custody counseling services for children at the center of parental custody disputes.

In 2003, she helped start the Family Treatment Court, which allows children to stay with mothers who are being treated for drug addiction. Last year, she oversaw the opening of a juvenile offenders' facility in Anacostia, which offers services for youths awaiting trial or under court supervision.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) named her last year to a committee reviewing the status of then-administrative law judge Roy Pearson after his $54 million lawsuit against a dry cleaning business that lost Pearson's pants. Josey-Herring and the four other committee members voted not to reinstate Pearson.

Last week, nearly 100 spectators, mostly District judges and lawyers, crowded into a poorly ventilated auditorium at the University of the District of Columbia for a session with the candidates.

The audience refrained from applause or other signs of support during the 90-minute session. People with questions wrote them anonymously. Once reviewed, the questions were read by the forum's moderator. Several questions revolved around morale issues, how to broaden the jury pool and how to reduce the caseload judges face. But there were several questions about Josey-Herring's experience.

"I do not lack experience," she told the crowd. "I have more experience now than a lot of people who were seeking this position in the past."