Politics & Government
Brentwood Judge Hector LaSalle Rejected By State Senate: Hochul
LaSalle was rejected by senators on Wednesday.
![Judge Hector LaSalle was nominated by Governor Kathy Hochul for the position of chief judge in December.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/ap/25459216/20230215/041101/styles/patch_image/public/ap23040651115227___15160957799.jpg)
BRENTWOOD, NY — The New York State Senate rejected Gov. Kathy Hochul’s nominee to lead the state’s highest court.
Judge Hector LaSalle, of Brentwood, was rejected to be chief judge of the New York state Court of Appeals hon Wednesday by a 39 to 20 vote in Albany, The New York Times reported.
Find out what's happening in Brentwood-Central Islipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The New York State Senate has rejected the nomination of the Hon. Hector J. LaSalle to Chief Justice of the New York State Court of Appeals by a full floor vote of 20-39
— Morgan McKay (@morganfmckay) February 15, 2023
The decision comes one month after a senate panel rejected LaSalle.
The Senate had moved the judge’s nomination to the chamber floor in a surprise decision on Wednesday, The New York Times reported.
Find out what's happening in Brentwood-Central Islipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
LaSalle faced a growing opposition since Hochul nominated him in December after several senators expressed his background to be too conservative on issues like abortion, and criminal defense.
Senate Democrats had argued that the Jan. 18 vote by the Judiciary Committee amounted to a full rejection of Justice LaSalle, T he New York Times reported. But Hochul insisted that the Senate was constitutionally required to hold a floor vote as well, so that all 63 senators could weigh in on the nomination.
The LaSalle nomination is rejected by a large margin, 39-20. With live LaSalle reaction pic.twitter.com/uxGk20zziy
— Rebecca C. Lewis (@_rebeccaclewis) February 15, 2023
"As I have said from the very beginning, the Constitution requires a full Senate vote on a Governor's nomination for Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals," said Hochul in a statement. "While long overdue, the Senate has finally acquiesced to a vote on the floor on the nomination of Justice Hector LaSalle."
If appointed, he would have become the first Latino chief judge.
"This vote is an important victory for the Constitution," Hochul said. "But it was not a vote on the merits of Justice LaSalle, who is an overwhelmingly qualified and talented jurist."
Now that a decision on LaSalle has officially been made, she will continue to find a suitable candidate for the position.
They would replace former Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, who abruptly resigned earlier this year in the middle of her term, Gothamist reported.
"Now that the full Senate has taken a vote, I will work toward making a new nomination," said Hochul. "I remain committed to selecting a qualified candidate to lead the court and deliver justice. That is what New Yorkers deserve."
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