In December, Governor Kathy Hochul nominated Hector D. LaSalle, Presiding Justice of New York Supreme Court’s Second Department, as the next Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals.
The Brentwood native of Puerto Rican descent has been a controversial pick for many progressives and Democrats in the New York Senate. Hochul attempted to enlighten Democrats to side with LaSalle by alluding to what Martin Luther King Jr. may have wanted.
“Dr. King called upon us to be just and be fair and not judge people,” Hochul preached to around 50 people at Trinity Church in Brooklyn for Sunday services, before heralding LaSalle as “a good man and a great judge.”
“It should not have taken this long for a person of color to lead the highest court in our state, and he will,” Hochul said, in reference to LaSalle who would become the first Latino to hold this position if confirmed.
Despite being grilled for over four hours on Wednesday during his Judiciary Committee hearing, LaSalle answered each question flawlessly.
In the weeks preceding his hearing, progressives who wanted the state court to support their political agenda misrepresented his record. When their attempts to provoke LaSalle or pressure Hochul to withdraw the nomination failed, they filled the Judiciary Committee with three additional votes in their favor, including two senators who had already voiced their opposition to him. By a vote of 10-9, the nomination was rejected on Wednesday; if it hadn’t been for this last-minute deck-stacking, LaSalle would have been approved.
Why would progressives not want this historical moment for a Latino? What about diversity, equity and inclusion?
Radicals claimed that LaSalle was a hidden conservative…
However, his record shows him to be a moderate, impartial and fair judge. As he has said in the past, LaSalle relies on “the facts, the record and the law” while making decisions. To defend himself, he criticized the Senate progressives and stated they should write and pass legislation reflecting their core progressive values.
“The Constitution of the state of New York is clear: the New York State Senate has to advise and consent the governor on her appointment,” Hochul said.
Progressives will do anything to keep steadfast in their desire to push their radical political agendas— even at the expense of destroying the reputation of an honorable man, a Latino man, for that matter.
