We’re still in the early days of what could be a long legal battle between the state and the 13 companies it is suing for allegedly having some role in the failure of the westbound side of Washington Bridge back in December.
The companies are still in the process of lawyering up, and no responses to the Aug. 16 complaint have been filed. We did see the state temporarily halt demolition of the bridge this week to preserve evidence.
As the case begins to take shape, Superior Court Judge Brian P. Stern could become a household name — especially if it goes to trial as opposed to being settled ahead of time.
So who is Stern?
A well-respected jurist who chairs the board at Roger Williams Law School, Stern was appointed by then-governor Don Carcieri in 2009. He was Carcieri’s chief of staff at the time of the appointment, but the state Ethics Commission determined he was exempt from the revolving-door law because he had worked for more than five consecutive years in state government prior to taking the top job with the Republican governor.
Stern was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 2009, receiving praise from then-State Police colonel Brendan Doherty and the AFL-CIO’s George Nee, according to reporting from The Providence Journal at the time.
A graduate of Clark University and Brooklyn Law School, Stern was a partner at Stern & Gonzalez in New York City before moving to Rhode Island to work at the Department of Business Regulation. He worked at DBR and the Department of Administration before becoming Carcieri’s chief of staff.
Since he oversees the state’s business calendar, Stern has been involved in several fascinating cases in recent years, including a high-stakes battle between members of the Chace family that was settled just before going to trial earlier this year. He also ordered Prospect, the owner of two cash-strapped community hospitals, to pay $17 million in unpaid bills in June.
The bigger picture: There’s tension brewing in Rhode Island over which is more important: the quest for accountability (and damages) or, as Providence Mayor Brett Smiley likes to say, “fixing the damn bridge.”
Governor Dan McKee’s administration understandably wants to achieve both, but the temporary halt to demolition this week has stoked fears that the lawsuit could interfere with new construction.
Stern’s background might be especially important in a case like this, as he has a deeper understanding than most of the politics at play. Plus, he can’t possibly be enjoying the drive over the bridge from his home in East Greenwich to Roger Williams in Bristol.
You can follow all of Globe Rhode Island’s Washington Bridge coverage by clicking here.
This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.