BY JIM BARON

PROVIDENCE – In a surprise, largely unexplained, decision that rocked the corridors of all three branches of Rhode Island government, Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank Williams announced his retirement with a press release issued at the end of business on Thursday.

A renowned Abraham Lincoln buff and a jealous guardian of the prerogatives of the judiciary, Williams, 68, has held the center seat on the Supreme Court bench since January, 2001. His resignation, he said in a three-paragraph letter to Gov. Donald Carcieri, is effective on Dec. 30.
Carcieri issued a written statement saying Williams, “has left an indelible mark on the Rhode Island Judicial system and the larger civic community and will be greatly missed on the bench.”
The governor added that, “Chief Justice Frank Williams served the people of the State of Rhode Island with passion and commitment.  I wish him very well in his future pursuits.  The legal community was enriched by his fair and practical approach to jurisprudence.  His dedication for the judicial process was matched only by his thirst for scholarship, particularly his admiration for and knowledge of the great President Lincoln. During his tenure, Rhode Island saw the modernization of the court system and the strengthening of the identity of the judicial branch.”
Carcieri made no mention of selecting a successor to Williams. He will be provided with a list of three to five candidates  by the Judicial Nominating Commission, which will take applications for the post and interview those seeking the post.
In the meantime, Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg, the Supreme Court's senior associate justice, will serve as interim Chief Justice after December 30.
Williams told Carcieri he “fully expect(s) to assist the Supreme Court and Rhode Island Judiciary as a retired justice in whatever way I can.”
The Chief Justice cited ongoing family health issues in his press release as a contributing factor to the timing of his decision but it also noted that “the Rhode Island Judiciary accomplished all the major goals set out in his inaugural address in 2001, achieving his vision of making the state's courts more accessible, affordable, and user-friendly to the citizens of Rhode Island.”
He also said it was his "deep and abiding honor to serve the people of our beloved state. To them I owe everything, as they never failed to sustain me and our citizens fully understood what I was attempting to do-enhance access to justice and make our courts more user-friendly."
Justice Goldberg offered her congratulations to Chief Justice Williams for his service to the state and said his “"true legacy lies in his efforts toward judicial outreach to the citizens of Rhode Island and his determination to preserve judicial independence."
The press release announcing Williams’ retirement ticked off many of the achievements of his tenure as chief justice, including:
--- The passage of Separation of Powers legislation resulting in judicial independence which recognized the Judiciary as a separate, co-equal branch of government.
--- Seven consecutive years of operating within the budget as appropriated by the General Assembly, never requesting a supplemental budget appropriation.
--- Major facilities improvements to the various courthouse facilities, including the construction of the new Kent County Courthouse and the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal.
--- The creation of the Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Supreme Court which has achieved a disposition rate through mediation exceeding 60 percent.
--- Instituting the traveling court, referred to as "Riding the Circuit," in which the Supreme Court hears oral arguments at different venues throughout the state, with the public invited, twice a year.
On average, the Chief Justice authored 41 decisions per term, and almost all Supreme Court decisions were published by the Fourth of July each year, staying current with the caseloads filed, the release stated.