North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper appointed six judges across the state last week. One of them was Washington attorney Keith Mason.

Mason was appointed as a District Court Judge in the Second Judicial District, serving Beaufort, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell and Washington counties. He replaces Chief District Court Judge Michael Paul, who retired in February.

“Superior and District Court judges are so important to our justice system and hear cases critical to their communities every day,” Cooper said in released statement. “These appointees bring strong experience to the bench and I believe they will serve the people of our state well.”

For Mason, the appointment realizes a goal he’s had for the better part of two decades.

“I’ve always had an interested in the court system and always thought that being a judge was a honorable profession and a way to contribute to the justice system. It was just something I’ve had in the back of mind: that it was something I wanted to do,” Mason said.

Mason holds undergraduate and law degrees from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. From the time he graduated law school in 1982 until 1990, he worked as an assistant district attorney, and in 1991, went into private practice. Currently, he is a partner with Mason & Jones, P.A. in Washington, where his work has focused primarily on real estate, estate planning and some business law, such as forming corporations. He has served as the town attorney for Chocowinity since 2009 and Washington Park since 2016, as well as more recently for the town of Pantego.

Being named a District Court judge is a process that starts with a given judicial district’s bar association. When Paul retired, the Second Judicial District bar met and came up with list of prospects for Paul’s replacement. Five are allowed, but only four people stepped forward for the position. The list is submitted to the governor, who may or may not choose to select a judge from the submitted list.

“Once we knew that those four names were going to be submitted to the governor, then (the goal) was, basically, to line up support,” Mason said. “I was fortunate enough to get some good people to support me — I was very happy with the people who supported me and wrote letters on my behalf and made calls.”

Whether Mason will be sworn in remains to be seen, as the General Assembly has proposed legislation that would eliminate one of the four District Court judge positions in the Second Judicial District.

“I kind of have to watch what happens in Raleigh for the next few weeks,” Mason said.

Based on a study commissioned by the Administrative Office of the Courts, in terms of caseload, the Second Judicial District can afford to lose a judge. However, opponents of the idea say that it’s not caseload that needs to be taken into account — it’s the geography of the district. It’s one of North Carolina’s largest districts, and as judges are regularly rotated through each court, travel time can take a lot out of a workday if, for example, a round trip from Washington to Swan Quarter and back is required.

“If we lose a judge, with the travel factored in, I think it’s going to put a strain on the system,” Mason said.

Regardless of how the General Assembly chooses to resolve the issue, Mason said he welcomed the chance to serve in the position, as the judiciary serves as the guardian of America’s core principles.

“The last few years have pointed out to me the importance of the judiciary both in our state and in our nation — that the judiciary has stood as the guardian of our rights,” Mason said. “It’s a co-equal branch of government at both the state and federal level, and I think a lot of people don’t understand that anymore.”