Former Territorial Court Judge Alphonso Andrews Jr. has been rehired by the U.S. Department of Justice as an assistant U.S. attorney in the St. Croix office, U.S. Attorney James Hurd announced Thursday.
Andrews had earlier worked for the U.S. attorney's office before accepting a territorial judgeship. "We are very pleased to have him back, and I am proud to have been the one to offer him the job," Hurd said.
"The decision to hire him back was a no-brainer," Hurd said, adding that during his earlier tenure, Andrews was a very skilled, thorough and fair prosecutor. He was also very active in the office's community outreach activities, Hurd said.
Andrews served as judge in the St. Croix Territorial Court for one six-year term, but when his term ran out last year, he was not re-appointed by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull in what many called a politically influenced move. Andrews had ruled against the controversial Beal Aerospace land acquisition of St. Croix's Camp Arawak last year, a plan Turnbull had strongly supported.
Andrews, who will assume his new position on Jan. 29, was not available for comment.