Hochul Angers Unions, Progressives With Top NY Judge Pick (1)

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul angered unions as well as advocates for abortion rights and criminal justice with her nomination Thursday of Hector D. LaSalle to be chief judge of the Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court.

Hochul (D) faced pressure from some lawmakers and advocacy groups to diversify the court by finding a non-prosecutor. The majority of the Court of Appeals judges were former prosecutors, including Associate Judge Shirley Troutman, who Hochul appointed in January 2022.

LaSalle, who currently serves as presiding justice of the New York Supreme Court’s Second Department, has a lengthy tenure in the state ...