(Washington Insider Magazine) As the hearing in the state Legislature nears, scheduled for Wednesday, January 18, where a key decision will be made on the nomination of Judge Hector LaSalle for the state’s top judicial office, this weekend Governor Kathy Hochul stepped out in public to defend his nominee.
Advantage of a Meeting
The state official took advantage of a meeting of leaders at the Latino Pastoral Action Center to once again highlight the credentials of the Hispanic jurist, who could make history if confirmed.
“I stand on the side of an outstanding person, who went through the process to be my nominee to the highest court in the state. Hector LaSalle, our next Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. He is the right person,” Hochul said at the podium and accompanied by leaders such as federal congressmen Adriano Espaillat, Nydia Velázquez and the recently elected minority leader in the Lower House, Hakeem Jeffries.
“At Dr. Martin Luther King Weekend we celebrate a man who stood up for doing the right thing and faced adversity, meeting challenges in pursuit of doing the right thing. That is what today is about. That’s what Wednesday will be about, that’s what the vote will be about, and I believe that when people open their minds and their hearts, doing the right thing, (Hector LaSalle) will become our next chief judge,” the governor insisted.
Hochul said that throughout the state people expect him to have the process, the fairness that has been given to all other candidates in similar situations. “Everyone had their chance, not prejudged, not labelled, not misrepresented, but treated fairly. That is what we are asking for, justice and equity for a man who deserves it.”
Hochul has tried in this way to appeal to the bloc that is fiercely opposed to the confirmation of La Salle as head of the highest state court due to the fact that he is questioned by various court rulings related to the labor field, reproductive health and immigration.
The progressive wing of state legislators has pigeonholed Justice LaSalle as too conservative.
One of the legislators who has expressed reservations is Senator Gustavo Rivera.
“Despite the historic character of this nomination, the state Senate has an obligation to evaluate this candidate based on his qualifications for this position in the midst of a tumultuous time in the role of our courts,” Rivera said in an opinion piece. published by this newspaper.
“As I have said, a candidate’s ethnicity cannot be the only qualification by which we measure ability or commitment to ensure justice for all New Yorkers. We must look at his record and how that would affect all of our communities,” she asserted.
The Audience
The House Judiciary Committee will hold the first hearing to consider and debate this nomination on January 18.
If this Democratic-majority Senate committee does not accept Kathy Hochul’s nomination, she would become the first New York governor to have her nominee for state chief judge rejected by a majority of lawmakers from her own party.
This article is authored by El Diario.
