Left-wing activists in New York are pressuring Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to pick a judge for the state’s highest court who has never been a prosecutor and will help expand abortion access.
According to the soft-on-crime activists, too many of the judges on the New York Court of Appeals have worked as prosecutors while too few have been civil rights lawyers or public defenders.
More than 110 leftist groups sent a letter to Hochul detailing what they see as “institutional dysfunction” with Chief Judge Janice DiFiore presiding over decisions that are apparently harmful to immigrants, workers, and tenants, according to the Daily Star.
Some of the organizations include those that have supported the “defund the police” movement.
“We urge you to nominate a thoughtful, principled lawyer who will safeguard New Yorkers’ rights, bring independence and a demonstrated appreciation for the law’s power to protect the most vulnerable, and defend our democracy in the challenging years ahead,” the letter to Hochul stated.
Others in the state believe that working as a prosecutor is a valuable testing ground for future jurists.
“Those positions provide some of the best training a lawyer can get,” Peter Kehoe, attorney and executive director of the New York State Sheriffs Association, said.
“They’re not interested in hearing anything about the person’s qualifications, education, experience, abilities,” he said, arguing that the left-wing groups are only interested in nominees who fall in line with their political worldview.
Otsego County District Attorney John Muehl echoed that sentiment, saying, “These groups don’t want judges who will follow the law … they want judges who legislate from the bench and create laws that even the Legislature may be unwilling to pass.”
Nominating procedures in New York require the governor to pick from a list of judges curated by a judicial nominating commission. That nominee must then be confirmed by the state Senate.
Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies.