Fourth circuit judge announces retirement
July 10, 2009
South Carolina: Federal judge Karen J. Williams announced her retirement from the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit to President Obama due to her diagnosis of the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Judge Williams was 57 years old at the time of the diagnosis. William Traxler will become the new chief judge of the Fourth Circuit.
In an interview with the Washington Post Judge Williams' daughter Marian Scalise, said that her mother made a wrenching decision to leave a job she loves but did so promptly after her diagnosis to make sure she retired before any of her opinions could be questioned. "The court has always been in her life. She has always loved the court, and serving the citizens, and making sure her opinions were correct as far as the law is concerned. It's so difficult for her to step away from that".[1]
Footnotes
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of South Carolina • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of South Carolina
State courts:
South Carolina Supreme Court • South Carolina Court of Appeals • South Carolina Circuit Courts • South Carolina Masters-in-Equity • South Carolina Family Courts • South Carolina Magistrate Courts • South Carolina Municipal Courts • South Carolina Probate Courts
State resources:
Courts in South Carolina • South Carolina judicial elections • Judicial selection in South Carolina
