The D.C. Superior Court has a new top judge.
Judge Robert E. Morin was selected late Thursday as the court’s chief judge in one of the most hotly contested judicial races the courthouse has seen in more than a decade.
Morin, 63, was selected over current Chief Judge Lee F. Satterfield, who was seeking an unprecedented third term. Three other judges from the courthouse — Judith Bartnoff, Erik Christian and Hiram E. Puig-Lugo — also vied for the position.
Morin was appointed judge in 1996 by President Clinton and previously served as presiding judge of the court’s criminal division, where he helped oversee management of calendars for judges who handle criminal cases. He also has worked representing death-penalty clients at the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta and with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender.
Morin is presiding over the high-profile retrial of Ingmar Guandique, the man charged with the 2001 death of Washington intern Chandra Levy. The trial is scheduled to begin in October.
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Morin was selected by the seven-member Judicial Nomination Commission. The Commission is composed of chairman and U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, four D.C. attorneys, a local minister and a representative of the AFL-CIO. The commission met with the candidates for a round of separate interviews on Thursday. The commission also obtained numerous letters from lawyers, judges and court users regarding the candidates.
Earlier this month, four of the candidates met for a question-and-answer session at the University of the District of Columbia’s Law School, sponsored by the District’s Council for Court Excellence. Satterfield did not attend the forum, sending word he had a prior commitment that evening in California.
Satterfield, 57, has served as the court’s chief since 2008. In 2012, Satterfield ran for a second term. In April, Satterfield surprised many within the District’s legal community by seeking a third, four-year term.
Satterfield had several health issues during his most recent term, including suffering a stroke in the courthouse and then undergoing a heart transplant. He told commission members that his health challenges were behind him and that he was able to serve as chief judge again.
While several judges and court employees have voiced support for Satterfield, a few judges have called his management style divisive and harshly critical. Satterfield attributed his demeanor to his previous poor health.
Morin, however, has been seen by some as more collegial. At least one attorney organization, the Superior Court Trial Lawyers Association, wrote letters to the commission expressing support of Morin.
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The chief judge is often the public face and voice of the courthouse, assigning judges to cases and court calendars and setting leadership initiatives for the courthouse’s operations.
Morin will begin the job Oct. 1.