‘Unorthodox approaches’: Chief judge lays out vision to reform courts during State of the Judiciary address

‘Unorthodox approaches’: Chief judge lays out vision to reform courts during State of the Judiciary address

Chief Judge Rowan Wilson doesn’t just want to reimagine how New York’s courts operate, he wants to reimagine why they operate. For the first time since taking office as the top judge in the state last spring, Wilson delivered his State of the Judiciary speech from the Court of Appeals’ courtroom in Albany on Tuesday.

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Far more needed to fully fund civil legal services, court officials say

Far more needed to fully fund civil legal services, court officials say

Top court officials throughout the state gathered in Albany last week to hear from attorneys, judges and everyday New Yorkers about the state of civil legal services in New York. Chief Judge Rowan Wilson led the panel, featuring Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas, Presiding Justices Hector LaSalle, Dianne Renwick and Gerald Whalen, Appellate Division Justice Christine Clark and New York State Bar Association President Richard Lewis, tasked with assessing the needs of the civil legal services industry in the state. 

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Cannataro gives judiciary address as chief judge search continues

Cannataro gives judiciary address as chief judge search continues

Acting Chief Judge Anthony Cannataro delivered his State of the Judiciary address this week. It’s unlikely he was expecting to give the speech only a few months ago – it would have been given by Hector LaSalle, had he not been recently rejected by the State Senate. On Tuesday, LaSalle received a long standing ovation and words of praise from Cannataro.

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Full Senate must vote on judicial nominees, judge rules

Full Senate must vote on judicial nominees, judge rules

The State Senate Judiciary Committee's initial rejection of chief judge nominee Hector LaSalle was unconstitutional and all future Court of Appeals nominees must receive a full Senate floor vote, a Suffolk County judge ruled on Tuesday.

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Senate rejects gov’s chief judge pick

Senate rejects gov’s chief judge pick

The State Senate rejected Governor Kathy Hochul’s nominee for chief judge of the Court of Appeals in a surprise vote on Wednesday, putting an end to a constitutional standoff between the Democratic governor and Democratic majority in the legislature and marking the first time in New York State history a chief judge nominee has been rejected.

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Senate leader defends LaSalle rejection following lawsuit

Senate leader defends LaSalle rejection following lawsuit

“We're entitled to make our rules,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said after a lawsuit was filed alleging that she improperly ended the chief judge nomination of Hector LaSalle. “I'm disappointed, but the reality is that I think it was pretty clear in the committee meeting the votes were not there for Judge LaSalle.”

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Lawsuit calls for full Senate vote on LaSalle

Lawsuit calls for full Senate vote on LaSalle

A lawsuit was filed on Thursday demanding that a judge order the State Senate to take a full vote on Governor Kathy Hochul’s nominee for chief judge of the Court of Appeals, three weeks after the nominee was rejected by the Senate’s Judiciary Committee in a 10-9 vote.

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Lawmakers look to close lobbying loophole after money floods LaSalle fight

Lawmakers look to close lobbying loophole after money floods LaSalle fight

Several weeks after the Eagle first reported on an opaque lobbying group’s campaign in support of the governor’s controversial chief judge nominee, two lawmakers announced that they are introducing legislation that would require lobbying efforts around judicial nominations to be reported to the state.

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Former top judge says Senate violated constitution by rejecting LaSalle

Former top judge says Senate violated constitution by rejecting LaSalle

A former chief judge of the Court of Appeals – and a noted supporter of Hector LaSalle, the recently rejected nominee for chief judge – says the governor has a solid case to bring should she decide to sue the State Senate for failing to bring LaSalle’s nomination to the floor of the legislature.

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Senate rejects governor's chief judge pick

Senate rejects governor's chief judge pick

Governor Kathy Hochul’s controversial nominee for New York State’s highest judicial position, Hector LaSalle, was rejected by the State Senate’s Judiciary Committee on Wednesday following an unusually drawn out hearing, potentially setting the stage for a legal battle between the state’s top executive and the legislature.

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Opinion: Justice LaSalle blessed skin color discrimination in jury selection. That’s disqualifying.

Opinion: Justice LaSalle blessed skin color discrimination in jury selection. That’s disqualifying.

“New Yorkers deserve a chief judge who will recognize the full scope of rights afforded to us under the Constitution. Justice LaSalle’s record in Bridgeforth and beyond makes clear he is not the person for the job. “

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