Delaware Superior Court’s senior judge is retiring after nearly 30 years on the bench.
Judge William Carpenter, Jr. steps down Dec. 31, 2022.
During his tenure, Carpenter presided over various significant criminal and civil cases including the recent prosecution of State Auditor Kathy McGuiness, who was found guilty of official misconduct.
Carpenter also handled the case involving the 2017 riot at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center(JTVCC) in Smyrna that resulted in the death of Sgt. Steven Floyd and the 2011 child sex abuse case of pediatrician Earl Bradley.
Carpenter was first nominated to Superior Court in 1993 by then-Gov. Tom Carper; he was reappointed in 2005 by the late Gov. Ruth Ann Minner and again in 2017 by Gov. John Carney.
Prior to joining the Superior Court, Carpenter was the U.S. Attorney for Delaware from 1985 to 1993, serving under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
