Harford State Senate Lawyers Laud Gov. Hogan’s Judicial Nominating Executive Order

From the Senate Minority Office:

This past Tuesday, Governor Larry Hogan issued Executive Order 01.01.2015.09 in order to continue the essential work of the Trial Courts Judicial Nominating Commissions and the Appellate Courts Judicial Nominating Commission in proposing, vetting, and recommending to the Governor names of qualified candidates for appointment to Maryland’s trial and appellate courts, respectively.

In response to this Executive Order, two members of the Maryland Senate Republican Caucus who are also attorneys issued the following statements in support of the act:

Senator Bob Cassilly (R – Harford County) said, “The process outlined by the Governor is most welcomed. It allows for far more diverse citizen participation in the process of recommending new judges for our courts. The nominating commissions can now include people whose only stake in the process is the fair and effective administration of justice. The commissions need not be dominated by those with the greatest potential for obtaining a financial benefit from the nominees.”

“In fact,” pointed out Senator Wayne Norman (R – Harford and Cecil Counties), “the Governor has actually heightened the standards of this process by increasing the number of members who must be present at a voting session of the Appellate Courts Judicial Nominating Commission. The Court of Appeals and the Court of Special Appeals are where our most important judicial matters are decided. We should be making sure as many people as possible have a say in their appointment.”