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Gov. Hochul makes new pick for NY top judge: Rowan Wilson
By
Jon Campbell
Published Apr 10, 2023
Modified Apr 11, 2023
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Vanessa Carvalho/Shutterstock
By
Jon Campbell
Published Apr 10, 2023
Modified Apr 11, 2023
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday nominated a new candidate for chief judge of the state Court of Appeals, selecting a sitting associate justice who is expected to face a far easier path to confirmation than her initial pick for the position.
Hochul, a Democrat, selected Associate Judge Rowan Wilson from a list of seven finalists for the key role, which includes oversight of the state’s entire judicial branch and its budget of more than $2 billion. If confirmed, Wilson would be the first Black person to serve as chief judge. He would continue to serve as one of seven judges on the state's highest court, which regularly issues precedent-setting rulings and could play a role in deciding legal issues involving the ongoing case against President Donald Trump.
“Judge Wilson's sterling record of upholding justice and fairness makes him well-suited to lead the court at this critical time,” Hochul said in a statement.
Hochul’s nomination could put an end to months of Democratic infighting over her previous selection for chief judge — Hector LaSalle, a presiding justice of the Appellate Division, whom the state Senate first rejected in February amid concerns over his judicial record. The rejection marked the first time the Senate had blocked a governor's nomination for the Court of Appeals since the current judicial selection system was put into place in the 1970s.
On Monday, the Senate’s Democratic majority signaled early support for Wilson, who has a more liberal record than LaSalle and a history of writing dissenting judicial opinions. Wilson has served on the Court of Appeals since 2017.
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, said Wilson had a "distinguished record" and has "served the state effectively." Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Brad Hoylman-Sigal, D-Manhattan, had previously hinted Wilson would likely garner Senate support.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues to conduct fair and thorough hearings to examine the extensive records of Associate Judge Wilson and Ms. Halligan,” Hoylman-Sigal said in his statement.
Wilson, a Harvard Law School graduate and former private attorney, said serving as chief judge would be the "honor of my career." Once confirmed, he would be able to serve eight years before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Wilson wasn't Hochul's only nomination to the Court of Appeals on Monday.
The governor also nominated former state Solicitor General Caitlin Halligan, now a private attorney, to fill Wilson's associate judge position, should he be confirmed.
Halligan's nomination would ensure the Court of Appeals would be at its full complement of seven judges. It was made possible by a recently passed bill allowing Hochul to select two judges for the Court of Appeals from the same list of seven finalists, which were selected by a board known as the Commission on Judicial Nomination.
But it could draw a court challenge from Senate Republicans, who claim the state Constitution requires a new list of seven finalists to replace Wilson. Hochul has argued the new law saves time, and will prevent the court from deadlocking 3-3 by getting the seventh judge confirmed quicker.
In her statement, Hochul said Halligan will bring a "critical perspective" to the court. Halligan served as solicitor general, the state's lead appellate attorney, from 2001 to 2007. She's now in private practice.
Halligan, if confirmed, would be appointed to a 14-year term.
"Now more than ever, our courts must be a place of integrity, fairness and justice for all, and I am committed to upholding those values if confirmed to the Court," Halligan said in a statement.
The story has been updated with comment from Caitlin Halligan and more details about Associated Judge Rowan Wilson.
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Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.
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