Disembowelment Of Justice On Schedule

Lippman set to become chief judge
The Journal News by Joseph Spector, Albany Bureau - February 10, 2009

Jonathan Lippman is expected to be confirmed tomorrow by the state Senate to serve as chief judge of the state's top court. Lippman, 63, of Rye Brook, Westchester County, was nominated Jan. 13 by Gov. David Paterson as chief judge of the Court of Appeals to replace retired Chief Judge Judith Kaye. Lippman's confirmation has been slowed as the Democratic-led Senate held hearings on the judicial selection process, largely because the list of finalists picked by a committee last year lacked diversity. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman John Sampson, D-Brooklyn, said he's ready to move Lippman's confirmation to the Senate floor tomorrow after Lippman had extensive meetings with Senate leaders over issues regarding judicial pay raises, diversity in the court system and boosting morale among judges. "We are comfortable now to move his confirmation forward," Sampson said. Lippman will face a confirmation hearing in the morning and then a vote is expected by the full Senate later in the day. Lippman served as Kaye's chief administrative judge from 1996 to 2007. Since then, he's been the presiding justice for the First Department of the Appellate Division.

The Village Voice today wrote extensively about Lippman's close friendship with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, and how their relationship helped Lippman's career, including getting the judicial nomination from Paterson. Paterson said today that he has no qualms with picking Lippman, even though Paterson has also been critical of the selection process. He said waiting on a judicial pick until a new slate of candidates was brought forward would not have been productive. "I felt that that was going to be extending the process, and it would have in some respects been shirking the responsibility that the governor has to pick someone," he said. "I got the candidate I think I probably would have chosen anyway after I interviewed all the candidates." JSPECTOR@Gannett.com