Seals makes transition from attorney to judge

Judge William H. Seals, Jr. was sworn in as Circuit Court Judge for the state of South Carolina on April 16, 2009. Judge Seals is only the fifth attorney from Marion County, in the history of the judiciary of South Carolina, to receive this honor.
Previously, Judge Seals was an attorney practicing law in Marion for approximately 20 years, and he served as Marion’s Municipal Court Judge for 13 years.
There are 46 Circuit Court Judges in the state that is divided into 16 Judicial Circuits. Judge Seals is an “at-large” Circuit Court Judge, which means he had to campaign against candidates from the entire state, not just in one judicial circuit. There are only thirteen Circuit Court Judges in the state with this designation. Judge Seals travels statewide holding court wherever Court Administration schedules him.
To become a Circuit Court Judge requires being voted in by the South Carolina State Legislature (Senate and House of Representatives). The process begins with a candidate submitting their name, completing a comprehensive application, taking a written exam, many interviews, then culminating in a “screening “ by a panel composed of members of the legislature as well as members of the general public from across the state.
After the screening, the field of candidates is narrowed down to three people. It is at this point that the candidates begin the campaigning process across the state, but mainly in Columbia at the State House.  Judge Seals was voted in on February 11, 2009, at the State House in Columbia during a joint session of the House and Senate.
“I was exhausted but extremely happy, not only for myself to attain this honor, but more importantly for Marion County and the Pee Dee region,” he said.  The Honorable Judge James E. Lockemy of Dillon County, who was recently elected to the Court of Appeals, previously held the judicial seat he said. 
“It is really great that this at- large seat was able to stay filled by someone from the Pee Dee region; it could have easily gone to a candidate from any other part of the state. It is very difficult competing against regions such as Greenville/Spartanburg, Charleston, and Columbia,” he said. 
Judge Seals attributes his success in winning the election to the efforts of Sen. Kent Williams.
“The people of Marion would be so proud to know that our small county has an incredibly loud voice in our state Senate with Sen. Williams. He is a man that has earned by virtue of his integrity and incredible work ethic, great respect from his fellow senators; and thereby, he wields great power in the Senate”, Seals said.  Judge Seals also expressed his sincere gratitude to House of Representative members Rep. Jackie Hayes of Dillon County and Rep. Jim Battle of Nichols.
“I was in awe of just how devoted and how hard these men worked to make this election a success. The whole process is exhausting mentally, physically, and emotionally, but these three men never wavered in their commitment or in their efforts to see me win,” he said. 
Judge Seals said he would be greatly remiss if he did not also mention the unfailing support and help of his wife, Phoebe. “From reviewing the mountainous amount of paper work that had to be submitted, drilling me with questions to prepare for the exam, attending the screening, to campaigning in Columbia with me, she was by my side. Well, I guess not always by my side, if she saw a member of the legislature whose vote we did not have, she was off running, tracking that person down.  She’s a real force too; I could not have done it without her.”
Having served in his new post for approximately five months, Judge Seals stated that he does enjoy traveling the state and has already held court in Georgetown, Berkeley, Aiken, Orangeburg, Greenwood, Lancaster, Lexington, and Richland counties. In the near future Judge Seals is scheduled to hold court in the Pee Dee region, which he said he is really looking forward to being closer to home.
When asked if there were any negatives to his new position, Judge Seals said that the one big negative to his new position is that he is no longer allowed to practice law as an attorney; and by law, he can no longer offer legal advice. Judge Seals says he finds this difficult because being able to help people is what he enjoyed most as an attorney.
When asked how and what prepared him for this new position, Judge Seals stated that there are schools and training seminars, and that he has had the privilege of serving with four very experienced and knowledgeable judges for a month. He also asserted that the 13 years he spent serving as Marion’s Municipal Court judge has proven to be invaluable. “Serving as Municipal Judge was a tremendous and wonderful learning experience,” he said.  Judge Seals said it was this positive experience that led him to the realization that he wanted to become a full-time judge by moving up to Circuit Court. 
“I truly enjoyed my time with the city, and I’m indebted to so many people there for their help and sup-port. Chief Willie Smith and Captain Jim Grey are power houses of knowledge and experience, and their support was invaluable,” he said.
Judge Seals in his off time enjoys hunting; especially bow hunting and duck hunting. He is also an avid NASCAR fan. He is married to the former Phoebe Anderson Richardson.  They have one son, William H. Seals, III.