Suffolk News-Herald

Henry C. Murden, retiring Clerk of the Circuit Court of the City of Suffolk, announced Friday that he is formally endorsing the candidacy of W. Randolph &uot;Randy&uot; Carter Jr. to succeed him as Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Murden said he has spoken with several of the candidates who sought him out, and that after discussions with them, he believes Carter to be the candidate he should support.

The Clerk of the Court also said Carter is in the best position to accomplish a smooth transition when the leadership of the office changes hands, and that he possesses the qualifications to effectively manage and run the office upon his retirement.

Murden said he’s known the Carter family back when old Suffolk was two square miles with 10,000 to 12,000 people and most of them knew each other. Carter’s father, the late W. Randolph Carter Sr., served the people of Suffolk for 44 years, and Murden said they enjoyed a good professional relationship. He also noted that he’s observed Randy Carter’s progress as a lawyer for the past 22 years.

&uot;During that time, Mr. Carter has had a close association with all aspects of the Clerk’s office while in private practice as well as during his tenure with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office,&uot; said Murden. &uot;His experience with the management of a Constitutional office while in the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office gives him the ability to have a smooth transition and to understand how effectively manage a Constitutional office. When you combine these two attributes, it makes him the candidate that I recommend to the voters of the City of Suffolk to be their next Clerk of the Circuit Court.&uot;

As for Carter, he said Friday that he is most appreciative and humbled by Murden’s endorsement.

&uot;Henry Murden has served the citizens of the city of Suffolk with dignity, dedication and exceptional competence,&uot; said Carter. &uot;His shoes will be difficult to full, but I look forward to the challenge of building on the fine work he has done there and also to working with the excellent staff he has assembled.&uot;

Carter is a 1971 graduate of Suffolk High School, and served from 1972 to 1974 in the United States Army before earning a B.A. degree in 1978 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In 1981, he graduated Campbell University School of Law. He began his practice with his father, and in addition to Suffolk Circuit Courts, Carter is admitted to practice law in the Supreme Court of Virginia and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in both civil and criminal law.

In 1986, Carter became a criminal prosecutor and accepted a position with the Commonwealth’s Attorney C. Phillips Ferguson. He began as an assistant Commonwealth’s attorney, and currently serves as the Deputy Commonwealth’s attorney to Ferguson.

Murden retires Dec. 31, 2003, after having served the judiciary for the past 51 years. He was the first person appointed Clerk of the Suffolk Civil and Police Court, later known as the Suffolk Municipal Court and Suffolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in February 1952. Murden, now 83 years young, has served as Clerk of the Circuit Court for 30 years.