Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker nominated attorneys Rosemary Connolly and Joseph Leighton Jr. Tuesday to serve as justices on the Massachusetts Superior Court, according to a Tuesday press release.
Baker said in the release that with about 30 years of litigation experience, both Connolly and Leighton were nominated for their adeptness and tenacity in law practice.
“These nominees’ knowledge of the law, integrity, temperament and willingness to work hard will allow for a smooth transition onto the Superior Court bench,” Baker said in the release. “I am confident that Rosemary Connolly and Joseph Leighton’s extensive courtroom, negotiation and case management skills will serve the court well.”
Connolly, a 1986 graduate of Suffolk University Law School and resident of West Roxbury, was involved in private law practices before spending 11 years in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, where she served in the Trial Division beginning in 1999, according to the release. In 2010, she joined the United States Attorney’s Office as the chief of Civil Division, overseeing 21 assistant attorneys.
Leighton, a 1985 graduate of Boston College Law School and resident of Cohasset, also has experience in private litigation. According to the release, he spent most of his career in the Superior Court, where he defended private parties such as product manufacturers and property owners.
If approved by the Governor’s Council, Connolly and Leighton will fill two of 82 seats in the Superior Court, replacing seats vacated by Hon. Frances McIntyre and Hon. Diane Kottmyer, the release stated.
Council hearings, which will start March 30 at the earliest, will assess the nominees in various aspects, from experience to temperament, according to Robert Jubinville, an attorney and member of the Governor’s Council.
“I try to spend a pretty good [amount] of time on these nominations to make sure that they are people suited for the job of a judge in the Superior Court,” Jubinville said.
Jubinville said the council takes into account all possible factors when considering a nominee.
“I give in to every aspect I can think of that would convince me that they are candidates that would be good for the citizens of the commonwealth,” Jubinville said. “It is a very important position and, in my opinion, probably one of the most powerful decisions in our commonwealth. Judges have extraordinary power. It’s a very serious position and I don’t cast my vote lightly.”
Jubinville added that nominees will likely be voted on in the couple of weeks following the hearings.
“They will take their turn coming to the hearing before the council, and we will vet them with questions that we feel are important, and I will make my mind up at the hearing, whether or not I feel they should go to the Superior Court of Massachusetts,” Jubinville said. “That court has been around since 1860, and it’s considered the jewel of our court system, so I’m very protective of it.”
Jessica Silbey, a law professor at Northeastern University, said the judicial system in Massachusetts is “woefully underfunded” and needs more resources to reinforce justice.
“One of the things that needs to happen, hopefully, is figuring out more funding and resources to the judicial system so that the backlog of cases can be undone,” Silbey said. “They don’t have enough staff, and many of the buildings are falling apart in places.”
Several Boston residents voiced their concerns with the court system as a whole.
Irina Rogova, 25, of Brighton, said the criminal justice system needs to rid itself of biases.
“I’m certainly someone who supports improvements in the criminal justice system,” she said. “I think that it is biased in terms of race and class and often penalizes people based on their race and class.”
Julie Rold, 50, of Brighton, said the court needs to address the lengthy judicial process, which hinders people from justice.
“I think they need to [make] sure that immigrants [are] dealt with fairly until full immigration reform can come into play,” she said. “I hope they have some leeway in administering justice fairly.”
