In 1978, during his first months in office, former Mayor Ed Koch issued an executive order creating an independent Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary. This committee of senior members of the bar set the precedent for recommending mayoral judicial appointments to NYC’s Criminal, Family, and Civil Courts. This reform eliminated the past practice of mayors appointing judges based on political or personal favoritism.

The bedrock of this 47-year-old good government process was followed — without deviation — by Mayors David Dinkins, Mike Bloomberg, and Bill de Blasio, requiring not only the mayors’ committee approval of all judicial appointments but also mandating approval by the 155-year-old, non-partisan City Bar Association.

This two-pronged judicial appointment process is the gold standard — supported by good government groups, such as the Citizens Union and The Fund for Modern Courts — adding a vital protection against political interference, ensuring that judicial candidates are independently and separately validated, with judges possessing the essential judicial traits of integrity, legal knowledge, experience, impartiality, and good........

© NY Daily News