news-record.com

My column today is here.

Some additional notes:

One thing Gov. Bev Perdue didn't know about Jan Samet before their meeting was that Samet's father, Robert, worked for Gov. Clyde Hoey (1937-41) as a bodyguard and chauffeur and lived in the Executive Mansion.

I asked Samet, who's practiced law for more than 30 years, which judges he's most admired.

"My favorite judge was Ed Washington," he said, citing his "knowledge, wisdom, great humility and great humanity."

He mentioned a current judge, fellow High Pointer John O. "Joe" Craig III, who sits on the Superior Court bench. Craig embodies all the outstanding qualities a judge should have, Samet said, including courage. One example: Craig vacated a jury's verdict of guilty in a high-profile murder case because he didn't believe it was supported by the evidence. He was roundly criticized -- but upheld on appeal.

Finally, he mentioned Julius Rousseau, known as a no-nonsense judge. "If you wasted 10 seconds of that man's time, he would tear you apart," Samet said. But on one occasion, Samet was arguing a very complex case before Rousseau and trying to hurry through it. "Slow down, Mr. Samet," the judge said, noting he had read all the filings, identified 12 separate issues, two of which were new, and predicted that the case ultimately would reach the Supreme Court. "Let's make sure that we have a very good record."

The qualities that Samet admires in a judge -- knowledge, wisdom, humility, humanity, courage and the willingness to take time to get things right -- will serve him well on the bench.