New York leaders and advocates are turning up the pressure on Governor Kathy Hochul to withdraw her nomination for Justice Hector LaSalle to serve as the state’s Chief Judge.
On Jan. 9, senators, union leaders, reproductive rights organizations, and advocates for due process and civil rights gathered at the state capitol building in Albany to call on the governor to change her mind on nominating LaSalle, citing the judge’s judicial records — which critics say includes decisions that are anti-labor, anti-due process, and anti-abortion.
Hochul first nominated LaSalle for the top judge spot in December 2022, several months after Janet DiFiore stepped down from the position. The announcement was met with opposition from progressives, citing that he is too conservative for their standards, but on Jan. 6 Hochul stated that she was standing by her nomination.
