Another day in "post-racial" America ...
New Jersey's conservative and anti-marriage equality Gov. Chris Christie is determined the New Jersey Supreme Court should reflect his Norman Rockwell-esque vision of the Garden State. Christie is replacing John Wallace—a Democrat and the only black on the bench—with white Republican Anne Patterson.
Wallace, 68, the only African-American justice on the court, ends his
seven-year term on May 20. If approved for tenure, he would have been
able to keep the seat for an additional 22 months, when he will reach
the mandatory retirement age of 70. He is the first Supreme Court
justice not to be re-appointed to the bench since New Jersey revamped
the justice system in the 1940s. Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) has refused to authorize
hearings for Gov. Chris Christie’s nominee to succeed Wallace, Anne
Murray Patterson. “This is a wake-up call for folks across classes, races and geography
that this governor intends to reform New Jersey, and we have to be
actively engaged in that reformation,” said Jerome Harris, president of the New Jersey Black Issues Convention.
The Star-Ledger wrote a scathing editorial on Christie's decision, describing it as '"new dash of poison to his relationship with the Legislature. And for good measure, he moved the state one big step backward on the path towards racial equality."
Wallace supported the landmark New Jersey Supreme Court decision that instructed the Legislature to establish civil unions. You'll recall the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a marriage bill in December 2009. By a 20-14 vote, the Senate rejected 20-14 the bill in January.
On the other hand: Christie doesn't having a problem promoting judges with proven anti-gay track records who make homophobic remarks in the courtroom.
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