Yikes! It’s been a few months. First, it was severe neck trauma that kept me totally out of commission for a while, and since then it’s been zealously catching up on delayed deadlines and postponed commitments. Now, for better or
New York Court Watcher
Vincent Martin Bonventre, the Justice Robert H. Jackson Distinguished Professor at Albany Law School, inaugurated New York Court Watcher in May 2008. Court observer Bonventre offers research and commentary on the United States Supreme Court, the New York Court of Appeals, and other federal and state courts on a wide range of public law issues.
Since its inception, New York Court Watcher has published several hundred commentaries. Virtually all of them are based on original research. Voting patterns of Justices and judges, as well as decisional patterns of the courts on which they sit, are a staple of the commentaries. Courts, Justices and judges, and the politics surrounding them--as well as practiced by them--are examined from a realistic and practical perspective. That is, legal realism as opposed to formalism. From the perspective of a political scientist as well as a lawyer.
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(Part 6) More NY Chief Judge Wilson’s Majority Opinions in Divided Cases
In Part 5, we looked at a couple of majority opinions then-Judge Rowan Wilson had authored in divided criminal cases. Now we’ll take a look at a couple of his majorities in divided civil cases.Credit: Hans Pennink, APWe previously saw,…
(Part 5) NY Chief Judge Wilson’s Majority Opinions in Divided Cases
It is vital that we restore the Courtto its position of national preeminence.–Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson, Opening RemarksSenate Confirmation Hearing, April 17, 2023 At Columbia Law SchoolIn previous posts in this series, we reviewed Rowan Wilson’s eventual selection to sit…
(Part 4) One More: Then-Associate Judge Wilson Versus the Majority’s "Special Duty" Rule
NY Senate PhotoShortly before his elevation to Chief Judge, Rowan Wilson made clear in his dissenting opinion last year, in Howell v City of New York (November 22, 2022), that the majority’s application of the “special duty” rule is a true abomination.…
(Part 3) NY Chief Judge Nominee/Appointee Rowan Wilson
Protecting the rights of New Yorkers is my top priority.–Rowan D. Wilson,upon his nomination to be Chief Judge(Yes, it’s been a few weeks. End-of-semester review sessions, exams, grading, and other pre-occupations. Indeed, some of the latter were following and interviewing…
(Part 2) NY Chief Judge Nominee Rowan Wilson
In Part 1, we tracked Judge Rowan Wilson’s eventual nomination by former Governor Andrew Cuomo to the Court of Appeals in 2017–on Wilson’s 6th consecutive inclusion on the Commission on Judicial Nomination’s list of recommended nominees. We also reprised my…
NY Chief Judge Nominee Rowan Wilson (Part 1)
It’s been a long and winding road for Rowan Wilson to first be selected to sit on New York’s highest court and, ultimately, to be selected for the center seat as Chief Judge of the court and the state.It was…
Hochul’s Pick for Chief Judge (Part 3): LaSalle’s [Other] Record
In Part 1, we examined the nominating commission’s strong list for Chief Judge, but decried the exclusion of Judges Jenny Rivera, Rowan Wilson, and Shirley Troutman. (I would also mention Elizabeth A. Garry, Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Third Department,…
Hochul’s Pick for Chief Judge (Part 2): LaSalle’s Record
In Part 1, we looked at the list of seven candidates for Chief Judge recommended to Governor Kathy Hochul by the Commission on Judicial Nomination. We discussed the strong inclusions, the shameful exclusions, and the need for a strong Chief…
Hochul’s Pick for Chief Judge: The Commission’s List and LaSalle’s Record (Part 1)
Let me start by repeating that it is a disgrace that three sitting members of the Court of Appeals were excluded from the list of candidates for Chief Judge. Those three–Jenny Rivera, Rowan Wilson, and Shirley Troutman–were the Judges whose…