Consider this a public service announcement: Don’t approve Lemire. The LaGuer case is going to the Supreme Judicial Court this fall with James C. Rehnquist leading the charge. Lemire’s roll in the disappearing fingerprint report is bound to get the attention it finally deserves. The brief Rehnquist filed with the SJC last week tells an alarming story.
As a lawyer for the commonwealth Lemire’s involvement in this travesty of justice is embarrassment enough. To think that a judge did this early on in his career is cringe material.
The timing of the nomination seems tawdry. Lemire’s name was floated last summer and according to well placed sources was going nowhere. Barring a judgeship he’s likely to be unemployed when the new DA moves in next January.
So it is suspect that the day after the election Lemire’s name is forwarded and seemingly nobody notified the press. Then a week later the public hearing is set with a vote to follow hard on its heals.
Remember: We’re talking life time appointment to a position that affects people’s lives at a fundamental level. This should not be a resting place for an ethically challenged loyalist to a long-serving DA. Please consider registering your concern with members of the Governor’s Council (use link for contact information). At the very least, the appointment should be delayed until after the SJC has finished reviewing the case.
Romney names Paxton resident for judgeship
Assistant DA faces panel review
By Gary V. Murray TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
gmurray@telegram.com
WORCESTER Assistant District Attorney James R. Lemire of Paxton has been nominated by Gov. Mitt Romney for a Superior Court judgeship.
A spokesman for the governor confirmed the nomination yesterday and said Mr. Lemire is scheduled to be interviewed tomorrow by the Governors Council. It was not clear whether the Governors Council planned to vote on Mr. Lemires appointment tomorrow or at its scheduled meeting next week.
Mr. Lemire is a 1975 graduate of Assumption College and a 1978 graduate of New England School of Law. He served as an assistant district attorney in the office of District Attorney John J. Conte from 1979 to 1989, when he entered private practice in Holden. Mr. Lemire returned to the district attorneys office in 2001 and has worked as an assistant district attorney since that time. As a prosecutor, he has served as chief of Mr. Contes drug, sexual assault and financial crime units.
Married with two sons, Mr. Lemire has taught courses in business law, criminal law and litigation at Assumption College for the last 25 years.
Its an honor to be nominated, Mr. Lemire said yesterday, declining to comment further until after his confirmation hearing.
If confirmed, Mr. Lemire would become the first Worcester-area lawyer to be named to the Superior Court bench since John S. McCann of Westboro, then a Westboro District Court judge, was appointed in 2000.
It’s simply a statement of fact that Healey is the tie breaker. You will have no argument from me that Democrats on the Council should scuttle this nomination before it even gets to a tie situation. I would suggest, though, that Romney withdraw the nomination. This really should not be a partisan matter. James Lemire’s sponsor (he testified for him at a hearing today) is Democrat and lame duck Worcester DA John Conte. The governor, of whichever party, owes it to his (or her) office and to the people of the commonwealth to elevate truly qualified people to the judiciary. These are lifetime appointments (to age 70) that should ideally be way above politics. My apologies if I seemed to be singling Healey out on this. If it does come to a tie she’ll have a decision to make, as do the eight members of the board. I’ll go further to say that I’d appreciate your support in standing up for what’s right in this case. What say ye faire sir?
Thanks Charlie for elevating this to the FP. Politicians do a lot of things in the shadow of election fervor. The governor’s race obviously deserves a lot of oxygen, but it is good to know BMG has room to raise other important issues.
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Thanks too to Mo Jo for the post on Lemire.
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My Internet was out for most of today. I’m back and so far I can think of three things you should know about Lemire. I’ll post two here and save the third (the MUCH worse one) for a new diary.
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The first is just politics. Nothing bad, but interesting none the less. It seems that back in 1991 Lemire served as campaign manager for a Republican challenger to then Congressman Joe Early.
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This would indicate that Lemire is a Republican. By no means a disqualifier. It also means that he opposed the incoming District Attorney‘s father. That tells us that Lemire’s tenure in the new administration may not be all that secure. If he were really qualified to be a judge that would be one thing. But to use a judicial appointment as an escape valve is just wrong.
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The second issue, coming under the heading of “worse” is that in 2000 Lemire’s private law practice crashed and burned when his partner was caught stealing money from clients.
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The point here is that Lemire had a longstanding relationship with a bona fide crook, and at the very least he was asleep at the switch. As significantly, when Lemire’s practice blew up he went back to the DA’s office where Conte kept him safe and warm.
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Is this really Superior Court Judge material? It is more than sad, it is infuriating, when naked politics rears its head in the elevation of loyalists to our hallowed independent judiciary.
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And I haven’t even gotten to the MUCH WORSE, point. I’ll be posting that separately and if Charlie, Bob or David are willing to bring it into the center ring so much the better.
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I think you will agree that it is a major disqualifier.
District Attorney John Conte with 30 years of Control in Worcester County has a long history “questionable prosecutorial maneuvers”, Lemire is known in Worcester circles as “Conte’s boy” by procuring this judgeship appointment, this would allow Conte some input on cases brought forward with Lemire being “appreciative” of Conte’s support. This could and no doubt would allow Conte influence of Lemires decisions. For those of you who would be doubters, have you not heard for years “Worcester is like no other County in Mass, just ask Bostons Wendy Murphy what she thinks.
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Now to hear Lemire denial yesterday in the hearing before the Judges council, of his further involvement in the LaGuer case “hits the nail on the head” in line with the Conte boy assertion.
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Judges should be appointed based on legal performance, honesty and integrity, not political association.