What’s News, Breaking: Wednesday, February 15, 2023
STATE SENATE REJECTS LASALLE NOMINATION IN FULL FLOOR VOTE
ALBANY —The full New York State Senate on Wednesday, Feb. 15, voted 39-20 against the nomination of Justice Hector LaSalle to be chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, according to multiple news reports. The surprise vote, with Justice LaSalle present, followed a month of rancorous debate, particularly as the Democratic nominee was considered too conservative by many in the Senate, based on his past decisions sitting in the Appellate Court.
The vote sets precedent as marking the first time that the State Senate has rejected a governor’s pick for chief judge — and is considered a rebuke of her policies. The search begins anew for a chief judge who can effectively administer the state’s complex court system.