A political maelstrom is swirling around the Senate confirmation of Governor Hochul’s nomination of the Hon. Hector D. LaSalle for the position of Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals and Chief Judge of the State Judicial Branch (presently serving as Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department). That is the last official step in the constitutionally ordained process.

It would serve well to start with the commands of the State Constitution—the enacted “Will of the People” of New York state. This nomination process is explicit to the Court of Appeals. The Governor nominates; and the Senate confirms—or not. That’s it! Lay language; not complicated legal jargon. The Senate, as a whole, is singularly invested with the legitimate institutional authority to bear public scrutiny and responsibility to complete the authorized process.