By RAJU CHEBIUM
Gannett Washington BureauWASHINGTON - The Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to confirm Timothy Cain -- Sen. Lindsey Graham's former law partner -- to be a U.S. District Court judge in South Carolina.The vote was 99-0 for Cain, who's been a family court judge in the state's Tenth Judicial Circuit, based in Oconee County, since 2000. A graduate of the University of South Carolina law school, he also served as acting associate justice on the South Carolina Supreme Court in several cases, according to a White House biography.Cain was the Oconee County's attorney from 1992-2000 and served as that county's prosecutor for two years before. He worked with Graham in private practice before entering public service.Graham spoke briefly on the Senate floor before the confirmation vote to thank President Barack Obama for nominating Cain and Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, for propelling the nomination to the floor for a vote. Leahy is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Grassley is the ranking Republican. "You will not fine one person who's practiced before Tim Cain ... who'll have anything but high praise for the way he handles himself," said Graham, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "He is a total package of intellect, character, integrity, common sense and judicial disposition and demeanor."It wasn't immediately clear where Cain would serve, though it appeared likely he may be based out of Anderson. That's where Senior Judge G. Ross Anderson, Jr., who is serving part-time, is based.
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Contributing: Richard Walton, David Dykes of The Greenville News./>
