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Anne Patterson’s Supreme Court Nomination Passes Senate Judiciary Committee

By Art Gallagher

By a vote of 11-1, the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee approved Anne Patterson’s nomination to the State Supreme Court yesterday, a year after Governor Christie nominated her.  Union County Senator Ray Lesniak voted against Patterson even though he did not attend the her hearing.  Lesniak said prior to the hearing that he would approve Patterson for a lower court where her decisions could be reviewed by other judges.  He said her lack of judicial experience and that fact that most of her legal career was spent in corporate defense work gave her too narrow an exposure to the law.

If approved by the full Senate, Patterson will replace Justice Roberto Rivera-Soto on the Court.  The seat vacated by Justice John Wallace, whom Patterson was first nominated to replace, will remain vacant until March.

Senator Joe Kyrillos , a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, offered the following reaction to Patterson’s confirmation hearing:

“Ms. Patterson said something today that I have never heard from a nominee to our state’s highest court- that she would bring humility to the job. She is to be commended for that promise, as the decisions she will make as an Associate Justice have very real consequences for the people of New Jersey.”

“Anne Patterson showed today not only that she is qualified to be a jurist, but that New Jersey needs her on the Supreme Court. Her testimony and answers to the Committee’s questions were thoughtful, ethical, and demonstrated a piercing intellect.”

“The Majority’s failure to consider her nomination last year was wrong and unprecedented, and ultimately delayed confirmation of an exceedingly qualified nominee. I am, however, pleased that these confirmation proceedings have finally arrived, and encourage all of my colleagues to join me in voting yes on her nomination.”

Senator Jennifer Beck said, “It has been more than a year since Anne Patterson was nominated by Governor Christie  and it is time that she was heard. In her interview in front of the Judiciary Committee today, I found her to be articulate, intelligent and professional. I believe she will make an excellent addition to the New Jersey Supreme Court. Her background in the New Jersey Attorney General’s office under Governor Christie Whitman, as well as the accolades she has earned from her peers in the legal profession, makes her well suited for the bench.”

“I hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting this exceptionally well qualified individual, and in so doing make history by confirming a female majority to this state’s highest court.”

 

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Posted: June 1st, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: NJ Supreme Court | Tags: , | 3 Comments »

3 Comments on “Anne Patterson’s Supreme Court Nomination Passes Senate Judiciary Committee”

  1. brian said at 9:52 am on June 1st, 2011:

    Sen Jen “Baby-Killer” Beck.

  2. All I know is, said at 2:45 am on June 2nd, 2011:

    this person, and any future nominees to that court, had better be more conservative, and stop legislating from the bench, or we will never get any sanity back in this state- it has been a shame and embarassment, the way this crop of people have treated all of us with their liberal, over-regulating, and nonsensical decisions we keep hearing about!.. with like one in 8 or 9 people in NJ having Law licenses, please tell me there aren’t some brighter, more learned and forward-thinking ones that any Gov. can come up with!!.. as with the son-to-be-ruined US Supreme Court, the average taxpayer has zero idea how badly these legal “gods” affect our lives, for so many years!!

  3. TMZ said at 8:14 am on June 27th, 2011:

    Jennifer Beck has to go! Read this site; she is absolutely horrible.

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dump-State-Senator-Jennifer-Beck/181295051917672