High court taps lawyer to study Potomac case

WASHINGTON -- In a move that could add two years to the time it takes to decide a dispute between Maryland and Virginia over the Potomac River, the Supreme Court chose a Maine lawyer yesterday to gather facts and suggest how to rule.

The court appointed Ralph I. Lancaster Jr. of Portland as a "special master" to gather evidence about Virginia's desire to build a pipe to take drinking water from the Potomac.

Lancaster's selection was an alternative to the court's moving to decide the case on its own. Special masters are often used by the court in boundary disputes between states.