Judge, prosecutor nominated for Superior Court

Gov. Maura T. Healey sent the Governor’s Council two new candidates for the Superior Court on July 16, nominating a District Court judge and a longtime prosecutor for seats on the bench.

Judge Emily A. Karstetter and Thomas H. Townsend would be the 17th and 18th judges Healey has appointed to the Superior Court, if confirmed by the council.

Karstetter has been a District Court judge since 2012, and served as the first justice of the Malden District Court for the last six years.

Prior to becoming a judge, Karstetter maintained a solo practice for 14 years focused on criminal defense and employment discrimination. She also spent eight years at a small firm, where her practice focused on insurance defense litigation, criminal defense and business disputes.

She earned her J.D. from New England School of Law.

Townsend has been the chief of the Appellate Division of the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office since 2011.

Over his 28-year career, he has argued 46 times in the Supreme Judicial Court, handled over 250 cases in the Appeals Court, and tried 22 cases to verdict in the Superior Court, according to the Governor’s Office.

A graduate of Indiana University School of Law, he also has been an adjunct professor of law at the University of Connecticut.

Councilors scheduled a July 23 pre-confirmation interview for Karstetter. A hearing has yet to be scheduled for Townsend.