Fellow judges deny Kosko a new term

U.S. Magistrate Judge George Kosko, a founder of the Charleston School of Law, remained mum Tuesday on reports that he had been passed over for reappointment after being accused of making disparaging comments about women and Asians.

The state's federal judges met behind closed doors in Columbia on Friday and decided against reappointing Kosko to another eight-year term on the bench, The State newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources. While reappointment is never a given, it is unusual for a sitting magistrate to be brushed aside, area attorneys said.

No formal announcement has been made about Kosko. Chief Judge David Norton of Charleston reportedly presided over Friday's meeting, but he has not disclosed its results. He did not return a call placed to his office Tuesday.

Kosko also did not return calls to his Charleston office.

Federal Clerk of Court Larry Propes attended Friday's meeting but said he was not at liberty to discuss what occurred. "Hopefully, there will be some public announcement made in the very near future," he said.

Kosko, a 1971 graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law, was appointed to the federal bench in 2000 after 25 years in private practice.

He earned a reputation for a gruff, no-nonsense manner on the bench. In June, for instance, Kosko raised eyebrows when he issued this warning to jailed economist Al Parish at a bail hearing: "Mr. Parish, if you plan to abscond, then you can plan for your mother to live in a cardboard box under the railroad tracks for the rest of her life."

In South Carolina, magistrate judges serve eight-year terms. They are appointed by U.S. district judges, who hold life terms. Among other things, magistrate judges conduct bail hearings and pretrial criminal proceedings.

The State reported that a magistrate's screening committee recommended against Kosko's reappointment after investigating allegations that he had made inappropriate comments.

Cherie W. Blackburn, a Charleston attorney who chaired the committee, declined to discuss specifics Tuesday but called the process "a fair one."

The Rev. Rob Dewey, a committee member and senior chaplain with Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy, also declined to discuss details of Kosko's case. But he said the panel undertook its work with "the utmost seriousness."

"We met two times and struggled with the information we were provided with," he said. "And as the decision was made, we lost sleep, because it was a difficult decision."

Kosko was one of five founders of the Charleston School of Law, which opened in fall 2004. He was a shareholder in the private school, a member of the advisory board and an adjunct faculty member.

Alex Sanders, another of the school's founders, called it "very unfortunate" that Kosko wasn't reappointed but predicted it would have no effect on the law school.

Diane Knich and Schuyler Kropf contributed to this story. Reach Glenn Smith at 937-5556 or gsmith@postandcourier.com.