Gay judge becomes court pioneer
Paul Feinman praised by friends, fellow justices for fortitude
Timothy Balk
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Appellate Justice Paul G. Feinman is questioned by the New York State Senate Judiciary Committee during to determine his qualifications to become an associate judge on the Court of Appeal of New York State Tuesday June 20, 2017 at the State Capitol in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)SKIP DICKSTEIN
Albany
For the first time in history, an openly gay judge was confirmed to the state s highest court in June.
The state Senate approved Paul Feinman s nomination, sealing a landmark moment that arrived 11 years after the state Court of Appeals issued a controversial ruling finding that New York s constitution did not guarantee the right of same-sex marriage. In nominating Feinman, Gov. Andrew Cuomo followed through on the request of the five openly gay members of the state Legislature who penned a letter, organized by State Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-M