Perdue to nominate next high court justice

Possibly as soon as Wednesday, Gov. Sonny Perdue will have a short list of nominees who want to be Georgia’s next Supreme Court justice.

Last year, Chief Justice Leah Ward infuriated state Democrats — and some key supporters — when she announced she was retiring at the end of June, letting Perdue pick the next justice. Sears’ term would have run through 2010, but she is leaving to practice law, work for a think tank and teach at the University of Georgia law school.

On Monday and Tuesday, the state Judicial Nominating Commission interviewed 38 people who are applying for the job. As soon as Wednesday, the panel will send Perdue a short list of its nominees — although the governor is not bound by it when making the appointment.

The coveted seat on the state’s high court attracted an impressive field of state judges, prosecutors, lawmakers, state officials and trial lawyers.

Perdue, who plans to attend Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremonies of Chief Justice Carol Hunstein and Presiding Justice George Carley, has no set timetable for making his decision, spokesman Bert Brantley said. After he gets the short list, Perdue will interview each nominee individually. “He is taking this very seriously,” Brantley said.

This will be Perdue’s second appointment to the high court. In July 2005, Perdue tapped his own executive counsel, Harold Melton, to fill a court vacancy.