Nod to Diversity now Doesn’t Make up for Past
Fair Courts E-lert
Bibliographic Info:
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
Date: January 28, 2012
After New Jersey Governor Chris Christie nominated the first openly gay justice to serve on the state Supreme Court, a Philadelphia Inquirer editorial pointed out that while the Governor “deserve[s] praise for the nod to diversity,” his past actions, particularly his refusal to reappoint the court’s previous only black justice, John E. Wallace, should not be forgotten. Governor Christie’s recent nominations of Bruce Harris, an openly gay African American, and Phillip Kwon, a Korean American, have, in part, been overshadowed by publicity surrounding the odd coupling of Governor Christie’s controversial proposed same sex marriage referendum and his nomination of an openly gay judge. The Governor has stated that, if confirmed, Judge Harris would recuse himself from ruling on same-sex marriage issues.
See also: Paul Mulshine, Christie And Harriet: the Guv's Got a Miers Problem and Needs an Alito, The Star Ledger , January 31, 2012.