AUGUSTA, Maine — The Judiciary Committee on Tuesday unanimously endorsed the nomination of Superior Court Justice Thomas Humphrey to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
Humphrey of Sanford was nominated last month by Gov. Paul LePage to replace Warren Silver, who retired in December.
A date for a confirmation vote by the Maine Senate has not been set.
Humphrey told the committee that his more than 20 years on the bench will serve him well if he’s confirmed.
“The court’s work not only includes appellate jurisprudence, which all of us often see and read about,” Humphrey said. “It also includes substantial administrative tasks associated with managing the judicial branch of our government. Tasks that include fiscal, personnel and rule-making decisions to name a few, as well as setting policies for the administration of justice in our state.”
Humphrey was appointed to the District Court bench in 1993 by Gov. John McKernan. He was elevated to the Superior Court bench in 1998 by Gov. Angus King. Since 2004, he has served as chief justice of the Superior Court. In 2006, Humphrey helped implement the Business and Consumer Docket.
Improvements to the court system would require more money, he told committee members.
“As Chief Justice [Leigh] Saufley has said, the courts are made up of buildings and people,” he said. “We don’t offer programs. While we do need more judges, we really need a judge package — the support staff a judge needs.”
That “package” should include a court clerk, judicial marshal and a time commitment from a law clerk, Humphrey said.
The judge said he has seen many changes in the courts since he went on the bench.
“There have been changes in the laws, an increase in the volume of cases and the the complexity of cases,” Humphrey said. “Anecdotally, we know that the number of unrepresented litigants is on the rise.”
He also said that people’s view of how the courts work has been affected by reality television shows.
“The process is mocked on TV and the shows lead people to believe that’s the way it is when it is not,” Humphrey said.
If the Senate acts quickly, Humphrey could hear oral arguments for the first time June 16-18 when the state Supreme Court convenes in Bangor.