Gov. Janet Mills has nominated Penobscot County’s probate judge, a western Maine district attorney and a federal prosecutor to be judges.
Amy Faircloth, 61, of Bangor and Andrew Robinson, 51 of Farmington were appointed to the District Court bench. Mills chose Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Lipez, 41, of Cape Elizabeth for the Superior Court bench.
Judicial appointments are for seven years.
Faircloth, a Democrat, was elected probate judge in 2018 after practicing family law in Bangor for many years. She ran unopposed.
Judicial nominees must appear before the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee and be confirmed by the Senate before being sworn into office.
Faircloth said Monday that if confirmed, she’s “looking forward to continuing to serve the people of Maine as a full-time state judge.”
Probate judges are the only elected judges in Maine. Faircloth’s term expires Dec. 31.
Faircloth did file paperwork to seek reelection in 2022 but she expects to withdraw and resign as probate judge if confirmed. Under Maine law, she cannot serve in both jobs.
After her resignation, the governor would need to appoint someone to fill Faircloth’s unexpired term. The Penobscot County Democratic Committee would send the governor’s office the name of the person it nominates to the position. By a similar process, the committee may choose a candidate to run in Faircloth’s place in November.
In addition, Faircloth said, she would not be sworn in until May if confirmed. Her swearing-in would come after the semester ends at Husson University, where she teaches courses.
Robinson, who is the district attorney in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties, said earlier this month that he was not running for reelection but was not specific about his future plans.
The Democrat first was elected in 2014 after working in the district attorney’s office for about 15 years. He was reelected to the position four years later.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored to be nominated by Gov. Mills,” Robinson said Monday.
Lipez has been a federal prosecutor since 2011. Her father is Kermit Lipez, an active retired judge on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
She declined to comment on the nomination but her boss, U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee, said that she and her colleagues are “thrilled” for Lipez.
“Julia’s intellect, compassion, and dedication to justice will serve her, and the people of Maine, well as she takes on another critical role in public service,” McElwee said.
The governor announced the nominations last week when she appointed District Court Judge Rick Lawrence to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Lawrence, 66, of Lewiston is Maine’s only Black judge.
Mills also renominated the following justices to the Superior Court bench for additional terms of seven years each: Michaela Murphy, 67, of Rome; Wayne Douglas, 70, of Ocean Park; and Bruce Mallonee, 66, of Bangor.