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Senate confirms slate of judicial nominees after judiciary committee report
Summary
The New York State Senate accepted the judiciary committee report and confirmed a long slate of interim and other judicial nominees, with several senators speaking in support of individual candidates before the roll calls.
The New York State Senate on June 9 accepted a report from the Committee on Judiciary and confirmed a large slate of interim and other judicial nominees, including nominees for the State Supreme Court, Family Court and Court of Claims.
The Judiciary Committee report, introduced on the floor by Senator Brad Hoylman Siegel, listed multiple nominees across courts and assemblies. After committee members described the candidates' records, the Senate moved to place the nominations before the full body and to vote on the confirmations.
Senator Brad Hoylman Siegel, chair of the Judiciary Committee, moved to bring the committee nominations to the floor and to recognize any senator who wished to speak on candidates. "I want to thank my colleagues on the judiciary committee, both sides of the aisle, participated in a robust and rigorous session yesterday with the candidates before us," he said on the floor.
Several senators offered remarks about individual nominees. Senator Zellnor Myrie and others praised nominees with public‑defender, legal‑aid or academic backgrounds as bringing important perspectives to the bench. Senator Julia Salazar and Senator Sean Ryan both highlighted nominees who had legal‑aid and public‑service backgrounds; Ryan said such experience "gives you an invaluable lens when you're on the bench." Senator Kevin Bailey delivered a personal endorsement of Noel Mendez, describing Mendez's varied legal experience and saying, "My loss will be New York State's gain; the bench's gain." Senator Andrea Stewart‑Cousins and other members also spoke in favor of nominees from their regions.
After remarks, the chamber proceeded to recorded roll calls on the report and the individual nominations. The nominees were confirmed and Senate leaders asked those confirmed to rise and be recognized on the floor.
Why it matters: judicial confirmations place judges on New York's courts where they will decide a wide range of civil, criminal and administrative matters. The confirmations drew attention to nominees' prior public‑service experience — including legal‑aid, prosecution, academic and administrative work — that senators said will shape their approach from the bench.
What happened next: Senate clerks recorded the roll calls and announced the confirmations; senators from both parties spoke in support of multiple nominees before the votes.
"You come with a great experience here," Senator Sean Ryan said of one nominee. "You're going to bring each and every one of those experiences...to the bench," he told the chamber.
