New York Court of Appeals justice vacancy (June 2021)
| New York Court of Appeals |
|---|
 |
| Stein vacancy |
| Date: June 4, 2021 |
| Status: Seat filled |
| Nomination |
| Nominee: Madeline Singas |
| Date: May 25, 2021 |
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) appointed Madeline Singas to the New York Court of Appeals on May 25, 2021. Singas succeeded Justice Leslie Stein, who retired on June 4, 2021. Singas was Gov. Cuomo's eighth nominee to the seven-member supreme court.[1][2] Stein's replacement was Governor Andrew Cuomo's eighth nominee to the seven-member supreme court.
At the time of the vacancy, New York Court of Appeals justices were appointed by the governor from a list of candidates provided by a judicial nominating commission, pending confirmation from the New York Senate. Justices served 14-year terms.
Ballotpedia has compiled the following resources on the process to fill the New York Court of Appeals vacancy:
- An overview of the appointee.
- A list of candidates who applied to the vacancy.
- An overview of the selection process.
- An overview of the court following the vacancy.
- An overview of the justice who left office.
- A list of other state supreme court appointments in 2021.
The appointee
Madeline Singas earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Barnard College at Columbia University. She earned a J.D. from Fordham Law School.[2]
Madeline Singas has served as a district attorney in Nassau County, New York. She was elected to the position in 2015. Singas served as a chief assistant district attorney and as a head of the Special Victims Bureau in Nassau County. She served as an assistant district attorney in Queens County, New York from 1991 to 2006.[2]
Appointee candidates and nominations
Ballotpedia will post information on candidates and prospective appointees as information becomes available. If you know of information that should be included here, please email us.
Applicants
The New York Commission on Judicial Nomination selected seven candidates to fill the state supreme court seat.[3]
- Administrative Judge, Criminal Matters, First Judicial District, Judge of the Court of Claims, and acting Supreme Court Justice Ellen Nachtigall Biben
- Attorney in private practice Kathy Hirata Chin
- Attorney in private practice Caitlin J. Halligan
- New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division Judge Valerie Brathwaite Nelson
- New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division Judge Erin Peradotto
- Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas
- New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division Judge Shirley Troutman
The selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in New York
At the time of the vacancy, the seven justices of the New York Court of Appeals served 14-year terms. They were appointed by the governor from a list of candidates provided by a judicial nominating commission, pending confirmation from the New York Senate.[4]
Upon the expiration of their terms, judges were required to reapply for appointment and were considered alongside other applicants.[4]
Makeup of the court
- See also: State of New York Court of Appeals
Following Stein's retirement, the New York Supreme Court included the following members:
| ■ Janet DiFiore | Appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in 2015 | |
| ■ Jenny Rivera | Appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in 2013 | |
| ■ Eugene Fahey | Appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in 2015 | |
| ■ Michael Garcia | Appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in 2016 | |
| ■ Rowan Wilson | Appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in 2017 |
About the court
Founded in 1847, the New York Court of Appeals is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships. The current chief of the court is Rowan Wilson.
About Justice Stein
- See also: Leslie Stein
Justice Stein joined the State of New York Court of Appeals in 2015. She was appointed to the court by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).
Before serving on the state supreme court, Stein was a judge with the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division (Third Department) from 2008 to 2015. From 2001 to 2008, she served as a judge with the New York Supreme Court 3rd Judicial District, where she was an administrative judge of the Rensselaer County Integrated Domestic Violence Part from 2006 to 2008, and as the chair of the 3rd Judicial District Gender Fairness Committee from 2001 to 2005. Stein served as a city court judge of the Albany City Court from 1997 to 2001. She also served as an acting family court judge in 2001. From 1983 to 1997, Stein worked as a private practice lawyer. In 1981, Stein worked as a confidential law clerk on the Schenectady County Family Court.[5]
Stein earned an undergraduate degree from Macalester College in 1978. She earned a J.D. from the Albany Law School in 1981.[5]
Other state supreme court appointments in 2021
- See also: State supreme court vacancies, 2021
The following table lists vacancies on state supreme courts that opened in 2021. Click the link under the Court column for a particular vacancy for more information on that vacancy.
Click here for vacancies that opened in 2020.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Times Union, "Judge Leslie Stein to retire from Court of Appeals," November 3, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, "Governor Cuomo Announces Nominations for Court of Appeals and Court of Claims and First Round of Appointments to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court," May 25, 2021
- ↑ State of New YorkCommission on Judicial Nomination, "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Commission on Judicial Nomination Releases Its List of Seven Nominees for the Court of Appeals’ Coming Vacancy Created by Judge Leslie E. Stein’s Retirement," April 8, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: New York," archived March 8, 2013
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 New York State Courts, "Justice Leslie E. Stein," accessed October 20, 2014
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Federal courts:
Second Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of New York, Western District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of New York, Western District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York
State courts:
New York Court of Appeals • New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division • New York Supreme Court • New York County Courts • New York City Courts • New York Town and Village Courts • New York Family Courts • New York Surrogates' Courts • New York City Civil Court • New York City Criminal Courts • New York Court of Claims • New York Problem Solving Courts
State resources:
Courts in New York • New York judicial elections • Judicial selection in New York
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