GREENVILLE -- When Christina Kime is sworn in Dec. 31 as Wayne County's newly elected associate circuit judge, she will bring four months of judicial experience with her.
Kime gained that experience since her August appointment by Gov. Michael Parson to serve out the remainder of Associate Circuit Judge Randy Schuller's unexpired term. Schuller resigned to take a private sector job.
"It hasn't been as big of transition of as I thought it would be," said Kime, an attorney who had practiced law in Wayne County for more than 25 years. "I guess I've practiced all those years, focusing on probate, which I do a lot of probate (as judge)."
Kime said the criminal side has necessitated the most learning for her as "I didn't have a big criminal practice before. That is a big part of this job."
Being on the "other side" of the bench hasn't been as foreign as she thought it would be.
"I always thought that I would end my career this way ... but I did really enjoy private practice," said Kime, a solo practitioner since 2005.
While in private practice, Kime said, she picked her cases and had two assistants, who were "really good. I enjoyed that too (and) in some ways, I miss that a little bit, but it's been really great" serving as judge.
Succeeding Schuller as judge was not a first for Kime.
Upon returning to Wayne County in 1991, Kime joined the Piedmont law firm where Schuller had practiced prior to being elected judge.
"I'm from here, but I never really knew if I would come back here," she said. "I didn't know if there would be an opportunity.
"Then, he got this job (as judge). ... It was good to get back home with all the family."
Over the years, Kime said, she had talked to Schuller a few times about running should he decide to leave the bench.
"I wouldn't have cared if it had been four more years," she said. "It would have been fine either way, but it was just the perfect situation with him getting this opportunity he got."
Kime believes things happen "when they're supposed to. ... I don't think things can work out that smoothly if it's not the way things are supposed to be."
Since her appointment, Kime said, everyone, including the other judges in the 42nd Judicial Circuit, have been very helpful.
Kime said the circuit will see several personnel changes in January.
Joining Kime as a newly elected judge will be a new circuit judge and new associate circuit judges in Dent and Crawford counties.
With the new judges, "who've never done (the job before) ... I won't feel so lost," Kime said. "And, Judge Schuller is still available, so I can always ask him something if I need to."
Since she was sworn in in late August, "it's kind of really about what I expected it to be," Kime said.
Being judge and having the circuit clerk's office versus being in private practice with secretaries is different, but, the clerks know their business so well that "it makes it a lot easier for me," said Kime. "Of course, (Circuit Clerk) Darren (Garrison) has been here forever too, and that's makes its easier too."
Although Kime has set court dates each month in Wayne County, she also has to leave room in her schedule for her duties as municipal judge for Piedmont, Williamsville and Greenville.
There also are assignments to hear cases in other counties.
Kime is assigned to cases in Shannon County "right now because they have a new circuit judge ... I have 30 circuit court cases there," she said.
Despite her schedule, Kime described herself as being more sedentary now than she was in private practice because "I come to the same place pretty much every day."
Technology, she said, is making it much easier for her to do the job.
"Even if I'm not here, it's very easy to look at everything," Kime said. "I can pull things up on an iPad or look at them on my phone.
"I have the laptop I can take with me. It makes it a lot easier. I can't even imagine how people did it before we had PDF files."
Kime said she was familiar with the electronic filing of cases prior to Wayne County making the conversion to E-file.
"I went kicking and screaming" while filing federal Social Security disability cases, Kime said. "I would print off 2 inches worth of documents just so I could see them.
"After a little while, I realized this is a great thing."
Now, Kime said, she loves it.
"I can sit in my house ... (and use) my laptop to pull up the dockets for the next day," she said. "I'm kind of a preparer. ...
"I don't want to make a mistake, so I still like to look at (the case files) to be familiar with the cases."
That familiarization of the cases, "makes the docket move a lot smoother if you're not looking at it for the first time," said Kime, who indicated "every good judge" does that.
As an attorney, "you could tell in talking to them; they know what your case is about" from already having reviewed it, she said. "They're not hearing about it for the first time."
Another technological advancement that makes it easier for Kime to do her job is the use of video-conferencing via Polycom for some proceedings, such as motion hearings.
"I'll go upstairs (into the courtroom)," she said. "(The attorneys) can see me and hear me.
"They can be in the county they're in or the county where the case is in."
Unlike some of the larger circuits that have an "on-call" judge, "we are always on duty," she said. "... They can get a hold of me whenever they need to."
When Kime attended judicial college, "I was looking at warrants at night in the hotel room," she said. "That's, I guess, one difference between private practice. You really don't shut it down" as judge.
Kime believes her prior appellate work will be one of the biggest benefits to her as judge.
That work, she said, provided her with a research background.
Kime said it is important to do research before writing a decision because the way a decision is written may make a difference on whether it is upheld on appeal.
"That's been a benefit to me, which I never really expected that it would be," she said.
Newly-elected judges, Kime said, will be attending judicial college in January.
"It's a very large college; I feel like it will really benefit me because I know what I want to know," Kime explained. "When I first came in, I didn't know what I wanted to know because until you're doing the work, you don't know what you don't know. ...
"I'm really looking forward to it. Some of the other judges told me that the college is really helpful."
One topic Kime intends to inquire about while she's there is truancy court.
"That is something I really want to look into," she said. "... The school here in Greenville talked to me about that even before I was in office. I told them I would definitely look at it."
There are several different models used throughout the state, Kime said. Some, she said, just have the judge involved, while others have trackers and juvenile personnel involved.
Although truancy court is an just idea at this time, Kime knows she will be serving as Wayne County's drug court judge.
Prior to Schuller's retirement, he had served as the drug court judge for all five counties in the circuit. Now, she said, the associate circuit judges will handle his/her own county.
"I think the drug court program is a really good program," she said.
Drug Court Administrator Jon Kiser does the "day to day, but he can't actually sign the judicial orders to do the things that sometimes need to be done."
Kime admits she still has a lot to learn, but she has been taking advantage of the educational tutorials offered through the Office of State Courts Administrator.
"They have a help desk that is wonderful if we ever have" any issues, she said.