NY Top Judge Stepping Down

// newyorkllcChief Judge Janet DiFiore presided over the New York Unified Court System for the last six years, but announced today that she’ll step down from that post at the end of August. This sets up Governor Kathy Hochul to select a replacement for confirmation by the same state senate that DiFiore managed to completely screw over on her way out the door.

Having tossed the newly drawn congressional and state senate maps in favor of ones drawn by a special master, DiFiore wrote the majority for a split Court of Appeals that managed to create chaos for New York politics and required an expensive delay in key primaries.

googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Enable lazy loading. googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({ renderMarginPercent: 150, mobileScaling: 2 }); // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-top-300x250" ); googletag.enableServices(); });

There’s a decent argument that the NY state legislature had drawn maps more favorable to Democrats than the Platonic ideal — though that’s not conclusive as some simulations suggested the legislative maps were more favorable to the GOP than they needed to be — but whatever the case, the outcome DiFiore heaped on the state amounted to a partisan gerrymander in the other direction. New York created some serious FrankenDistricts with these maps, ensuring that the GOP gets overrepresented in a state that votes overwhelmingly Democratic.

Just How Frivolous Is That ‘Frivolous’ Malpractice Suit? Sponsored Just How Frivolous Is That 'Frivolous' Malpractice Suit? Join us for this free webinar with CLE credit presented with our friends at Embroker. Our expert panel will explore what steps lawyers should consider… From Embroker and Above The Law

The opinion is a boneheaded mess, playing up the extent of a partisan gerrymander where the maps actually just returned a prior GOP-favoring partisan gerrymander closer to normal. In an effort to appeal to some sort of manufactured “we go high” mentality, DiFiore’s opinion ripped up a number of logical districts forcing popular legislators to retire or mount wholly unnecessary primary challenges against longtime incumbents in newly drawn districts created by a special referee that the Court of Appeals didn’t really have any authority to entrust with this job.

Seriously, Judge Wilson’s dissent is such a thorough and damning debunking that it even makes dry map-drawing engrossing.

googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Enable lazy loading. googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({ renderMarginPercent: 150, mobileScaling: 2 }); // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-middle-300x250" ); googletag.enableServices(); }); googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Enable lazy loading. googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({ renderMarginPercent: 150, mobileScaling: 2 }); // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-storycontent-440x100" ); googletag.enableServices(); }); googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Enable lazy loading. googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({ renderMarginPercent: 150, mobileScaling: 2 }); // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-in-story-youtube-1x1" ); googletag.enableServices(); });

In any event, this must make the departure bittersweet for DiFiore, who ran the state system with distinction for years before turning in the deciding vote in an opinion that broke the state’s electoral process. Actually, to be fair, “further broke” the state’s electoral process since New York has always been notoriously bad at elections. Nonetheless, DiFiore will end up being defined by the last major decision she made:

Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said while DiFiore is responsible for “administrative reforms” within the court system it is time for a change.

“It’s time for a new direction in our judicial branch,” he said. “As the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I’m resolute that the Chief Judge’s replacement must be a jurist who will lead our Court of Appeals in a much-needed course correction that uplifts the vulnerable and ensures equity and justice for all.”

Sponsored Just How Frivolous Is That ‘Frivolous’ Malpractice Suit? Sponsored Just How Frivolous Is That 'Frivolous' Malpractice Suit? Join us for this free webinar with CLE credit presented with our friends at Embroker. Our expert panel will explore what steps lawyers should consider… From Embroker and Above The Law 5 Key Strategic Steps For Data Privacy Compliance Sponsored 5 Key Strategic Steps For Data Privacy Compliance Legal’s guide to keeping risk management manageable. From wlim 6 Ways Firms Can Win With Legal Tech In An Uncertain Market Sponsored 6 Ways Firms Can Win With Legal Tech In An Uncertain Market Now is the time to evaluate your firm’s technology strategy and reconfigure it for the future. From Above the Law 5 Key Strategic Steps For Data Privacy Compliance Sponsored 5 Key Strategic Steps For Data Privacy Compliance Legal’s guide to keeping risk management manageable. From wlim

Now state senators like Hoylman will get a chance to confirm the replacement for the judge who played havoc with their districts. Presumably they’ll be eager to hear from someone more in line with Judge Wilson’s take.

HeadshotJoe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Enable lazy loading. googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({ renderMarginPercent: 150, mobileScaling: 2 }); // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-bottom-300x250" ); googletag.enableServices(); }); Sponsored Why This CRM Is Different From The Others Sponsored Why This CRM Is Different From The Others The legal CRM software designed entirely by lawyers is now available to the public. See what it can offer your practice. From Matterly and Above The Law Is Your Firm An Internet Ghost? Digital Logic’s Proven Method Can Make You Real To Potential Clients Sponsored Is Your Firm An Internet Ghost? Digital Logic’s Proven Method Can Make You Real To Potential Clients Recently, the folks at Digital Logic met with Above the Law to walk us through the company’s Search Engine Optimization strategies, techniques, and the core… From Stephanie Wilkins Topics

Courts, Janet DiFiore


Introducing Jobbguru: Your Gateway to Career Success

The ultimate job platform is designed to connect job seekers with their dream career opportunities. Whether you're a recent graduate, a seasoned professional, or someone seeking a career change, Jobbguru provides you with the tools and resources to navigate the job market with ease. 

Take the next step in your career with Jobbguru:

Don't let the perfect job opportunity pass you by. Join Jobbguru today and unlock a world of career possibilities. Start your journey towards professional success and discover your dream job with Jobbguru.

Originally posted on: https://abovethelaw.com/2022/07/ny-top-judge-stepping-down/