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Senate Judiciary advances six judicial nominees after public comment
Summary
The Senate Judiciary Committee held confirmation votes on six gubernatorial judicial nominees on Jan. 24, 2025. A public witness raised concerns about nominee Joseph S. McClain’s handling of cases affecting marginalized tenants; McClain responded and the committee voted to advance the nominees to the Senate calendar.
MONTPELIER, Jan. 24, 2025 — The Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday moved six of the governor’s judicial nominees out of committee after a short public-comment exchange and a roll-call confirmation vote.
A resident, Winnie Wilkinson of St. Albans, told the committee she is “concerned about the potential appointment of judge John McClain” and said she worried McClain’s past decisions on housing-related matters could undermine confidence among marginalized tenants who cannot afford counsel. Wilkinson told the committee she had “sat in on a case that he was the judge concerning a marginalized person who could not afford an attorney.”
Judge Joseph S. McClain, identified in committee documents as a current judge in the Environmental Division, responded to Wilkinson’s remarks. McClain said he did not recall meeting Wilkinson and told the panel he has encountered…
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