ST. CROIX — Governor Kenneth Mapp on Tuesday announced the nomination of Attorney Jomo Meade as a judge in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands in this district. Mr. Meade’s nomination will for the first time in years bring the Superior Court in compliance with local law.
Virgin Islands Code § 71 mandates an equal distribution of judges between the St. Croix and St. Thomas-St. John divisions. Presently there are five judges who reside in the St. Thomas-St. John division and only four in St. Croix. The disparity between the two divisions have lasted for years as several governors have failed to submit a nomination for the fifth judgeship in St. Croix. This has caused a large number criminal cases to remain pending here while suspects sit in jail for multiple years, which has resulted in additional expenses to the Bureau of Corrections, as the cost of housing inmates in the territory currently stands at $150 daily.
The governor also announced the renomination of Associate Judge of the Superior Court Harold Willocks, whose term is about to end. Both nominations have been forwarded to the Senate.
Attorney Meade’s resume is here, and Judge Willock’s is here.
Tags: harold willocks, jomo meade, superior court
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