Rhode Island Supreme Court justice vacancy (March 2026)
| Rhode Island Supreme Court |
|---|
 |
| Goldberg vacancy |
| Date: March 27, 2026 |
| Status: Retirement scheduled |
| Nomination |
| Nominee: To be determined |
| Date: To be determined |
Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg is retiring on March 27, 2026.[1] Goldberg's replacement will be Governor McKee's (D) first nominee to the five-member supreme court.
In Rhode Island, state supreme court justices are selected through assisted appointment with a governor-controlled judicial nominating commission. Justices are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission with a majority of members selected by the governor. There are 10 states that use this selection method. To read more about the assisted appointment of judges, click here.
Because Rhode Island judges serve for life or until they retire, the concept of a midterm vacancy has little relevance to the state's selection process. When a judge retires or passes away in office, the governor picks a nominee from a list from the judicial nominating commission. The nominee must be confirmed by a majority vote in both chambers of the state legislature.[2]
Ballotpedia has compiled the following resources on the process to fill the Rhode Island Supreme Court 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 2026.
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.
The selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, state supreme court justices are selected through assisted appointment with a governor-controlled judicial nominating commission. Justices are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission with a majority of members selected by the governor. There are 10 states that use this selection method. To read more about the assisted appointment of judges, click here.
Makeup of the court
- See also: Rhode Island Supreme Court
Justices
Following Goldberg's retirement, the Rhode Island Supreme Court included the following members:
| ■ Melissa Long | Appointed by Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) in 2020 | |
| ■ Erin Lynch Prata | Appointed by Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) in 2020 | |
| ■ William Robinson | Appointed by Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) in 2004 | |
| ■ Paul Suttell | Appointed by Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) in 2009 |
About the court
Founded in 1747, the Rhode Island Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has five judgeships. The current chief of the court is Paul Suttell.
As of August 2021, three judges on the court were appointed by a Republican governor and two were appointed by a Democratic governor.
The Rhode Island Supreme Court meets on the seventh floor of the Licht Judicial Complex in Providence, Rhode Island. The court hears oral arguments the first week of every month besides the summer months.[3]
In Rhode Island, state supreme court justices are selected through assisted appointment with a governor-controlled judicial nominating commission. Justices are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission with a majority of members selected by the governor. There are 10 states that use this selection method. To read more about the assisted appointment of judges, click here.
About Justice Goldberg
- See also: Maureen McKenna Goldberg
Goldberg was born on February 11, 1951, in Pawtucket, R.I.[4] She received a bachelor's degree from Providence College in 1973 and a law degree from Suffolk University in 1978.[5] Goldberg also received honorary doctorates from both schools in 2009 and 1999, respectively.[6]
Goldberg began her legal career as a prosecutor in the Rhode Island Attorney General's office in 1978.[6][7] She worked in the office until 1984, eventually becoming the administrator of the office's criminal division.[7][6][5] After leaving the position, Goldberg entered private practice, where she worked until 1990.[6] During that time, she also served as the town solicitor in South Kingstown (1985-1987) and Westerly (1987-1990).[5]
Gov. Ed DiPrete (R) appointed Goldberg to the Rhode Island Superior Court in 1990.[8] She held that position until 1997 when Gov. Lincoln Almond (R) appointed her to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.[4] She served as the supreme court's acting chief justice from 2008 to 2009.[6]
Other state supreme court appointments in 2026
- See also: State supreme court vacancies, 2026
The following table lists vacancies on state supreme courts that opened in 2026. Click the link under the Court column for a particular vacancy for more information on that vacancy.
Click here for vacancies that opened in 2025.
| 2026 State Supreme Court Vacancies |
|---|
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Supreme Court of Rhode Island, "February 11, 2026 - Maureen McKenna Goldberg retirement letter," February 11, 2026
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedgeneral - ↑ Rhode Island Courts, "Supreme Court Frequently Asked Questions," accessed August 26, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedrilaw - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedbio - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedjustia - ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedhistory - ↑ Office of Justice Programs, "1990 Annual Report of the Judiciary," accessed July 23, 2021
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Federal courts:
First Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Rhode Island • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Rhode Island
State courts:
Rhode Island Supreme Court • Rhode Island Superior Court • Rhode Island District Court • Rhode Island Family Court • Rhode Island Workers' Compensation Court • Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal
State resources:
Courts in Rhode Island • Rhode Island judicial elections • Judicial selection in Rhode Island
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