Zoghby appointed to District Court seat – Lagniappe

Gov. Kay Ivey has appointed local attorney George Zoghby to the position of Mobile County District judge.

Zoghby was the choice over municipal Judge Carvine Adams and veteran and drug court Judge Edward Carter Blount Jr.

The appointment fills the unexpired term of Judge Jill Phillips, who was recently appointed to a Circuit Court seat to fill a vacancy created when former Circuit Judge Sarah Stewart was elected to the Alabama Supreme Court.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity,” Zoghby said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon. “I’m really appreciative that Governor Ivey appointed me.”

The Mobile County Judicial Nominating Committee selected Zoghby, Adams and Blount as the finalists for the position from a larger list of local applicants in February. The state law regarding judicial vacancies in Mobile County gave Ivey 90 days to appoint a replacement from that list.

Zoghby ran for a judgeship on the District Court last year, but lost in a Republican primary runoff to Judge Spiro Cheriogotis. Despite the loss, Zoghby says he’s going to do what he set out to when he first decided to run — serve the people of Mobile County.

“All I want to do is be able to serve the people of Mobile, Mobile County and the State of Alabama,” he said. “As a lawyer, you’re handling one case at a time, but a judge can touch lives …. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to make Mobile a better place.”

As a judge, Zoghby said he understands his role will be to “follow the law” and “interpret the law,” but he said he will also be someone who listens to both sides. As a defense attorney, he said he understands that is important as well.

“I will be a judge who is fair and will hear all the facts before making a decision,” he added.