Chief Judge Rowan Wilson, elevated to the state’s top judicial post last week after Gov. Hochul’s initial pick was rejected by Senate Democrats earlier this year, will now oversee and set the tone for the state’s sprawling court system.
Today, April 20, is New York State Constitution Day, marking the April 20, 1777 adoption of the first state Constitution after throwing off the yoke of the English crown and declaring independence (although New York did not join the other 12 colonies in voting for the Declaration on July 4, 1776 and abstained because in a telling preview of the next couple of centuries the New York Legislature could not decide).
Statement From Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay On New York's Judicial Nomination Process – Oswego County Today oswegocountytoday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from oswegocountytoday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The State Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for the second time this week on a choice by Gov. Kathy Hochul to serve on the state’s highest court. But a threat of legal action could stall Caitlin Halligan’s confirmation process.
The elevation of Wilson, who has served as an associate justice on the state’s top bench for six years, comes months after Gov. Hochul’s first choice, Hector LaSalle, was dismissed by Senate Democrats who viewed him as too conservative for the post.