Increase Hispanic Judicial Appointments

El Diario-New York
Monday, March 23, 2009

When a New York judicial commission failed to nominate any Latinos or women for the position of chief judge, Governor David Paterson slammed the panel for not reflecting the diversity of the state. He now has a chance to move beyond words to action.

Paterson is soon expected to appoint a presiding justice for the Appellate Division, First Department of the state’s Supreme Court. A vacancy was created when Paterson selected Jonathan Lippman from the no-female, no-Hispanic slate to become head of the Court of Appeals.

The commission that put Lippman’s name on the table came under heavy fire for excluding Latina judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick, who has served on the Court of Appeals since 1994. Paterson was also criticized for proceeding with an appointment instead of leaving Ciparick to act as interim chief judge. Lippman has more of a record as an administrator than as a jurist and has long had the political backing of New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Paterson is now in the process of interviewing four candidates to replace Lippman as presiding justice of the First Department. The candidates include two Hispanics and one woman.

The Appellate Division, First Department covers the Bronx and Manhattan. But out of its 18 judges, only two are from the Bronx. The county with the city’s largest Latino population is grossly underrepresented.

Both State Senator Ruben Diaz and Assemblyman Peter Rivera have demanded that Hispanics no longer be denied an opportunity to serve at all levels of the judiciary. And State Senator John Sampson, who heads the Senate’s judiciary committee, said the governor is also aware of the need for increased Bronx representation.

Paterson can begin to right a wrong. A Latino appointment from the Bronx would be a step in that direction.