Governor Jack Markell has called the Senate into a special session that will begin on December 5, next Wednesday. This special session will deal exclusively with the consideration of several of his judicial appointments.
Markell has nominated CCP Judge Eric Davis and Chief Deputy AG Charles Butler to be judges on the Superior Court. He has nominated Sussex Couty Chief Prosecutor Paula Ryan, Public Defender Dawn Williams and Deputy Attorney General James Maxwell to the judges and commissioners on the Family Court. He has also renominated Judge Lynne Parker to continue as Superior Court Commissioner, Vice Chancellor John Noble to continue on the Chancery Court.
I wish the President could do this, force the Senate to take up his nominations to the Judiciary. Interestingly, this will not be a lame duck session of the last Senate. Rather, this will be the first session of each chamber in the new General Assembly that was just elected. Thus, Senators Bryan Townsend and Nicole Poore will get to vote. How exciting.