AUGUSTA (AP) – Andrew Mead of Bangor on Wednesday won the unanimous endorsement of a legislative committee for appointment to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court to fill a vacancy left by the retirement of Justice Howard Dana.

The Judiciary Committee voted 13-0 to recommend Senate confirmation of Mead, who is now a Superior Court justice. The committee’s strong vote of support and lack of public opposition virtually assures he will join the seven-member supreme court.

Prior to the vote, Mead received strong endorsements for his credentials from the Maine bar and trial lawyers’ associations, as well as individual lawyers.

Michael Mahoney, legal counsel to Gov. John Baldacci, said Mead’s public service extends beyond the courtroom.

He regularly serves as a legal presenter for continuing legal education programs and by writing scholarly works for publication in the Maine Law Review and Maine Bar Journal, Mahoney told the committee.

As a judge, Mead chaired a task force created by the supreme court to study electronic access to court records.

Mead was first appointed as a district judge in 1990 by then-Gov. John McKernan, and after two years was appointed to the Superior Court, where he served as chief judge from 1999 to 2001. Mead has also presided over the Maine Adult Drug Treatment Court.

He is a 1973 graduate of the University of Maine and 1976 graduate of New York Law School. Mead became the first judge to preside over the Penobscot Tribal Court where he served as chief judge from 1979 to 1990.

During that time, Mead oversaw the creation and implementation of all court procedures and forms, and later the creation of a six-judge appellate panel, Mahoney said.

“His proven record of excellence in the tribal, district and superior courts, coupled with his demonstrated commitment to better the lives of his fellow Maine citizens, make him uniquely qualified to serve on Maine’s highest court,” said Mahoney.

AP-ES-03-14-07 1446EDT

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