In a historic and unprecedented opportunity to uphold the tradition of excellence of the Commonwealth’s highest court, Governor Charlie Baker nominated Superior Court Justices Kimberly Budd, Frank Gaziano and David Lowy to serve as Associate Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court. The nominees and their families joined Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito for a formal announcement on Tuesday, June 14, at the State House.

“These distinguished and well respected judges will bring nearly a century of combined experience to the Supreme Judicial Court, having dealt with the most complicated civil and criminal cases before the courts of the Commonwealth,” said Governor Baker. “In presiding over the most complicated civil and criminal matters in our state’s Superior Courts, they have demonstrated every day that they are judges of the highest caliber and character.”

MA will be served well by the trial experience, temperament & sense of justice brought by these nominees. #SJC pic.twitter.com/hiCfXb3bF8

— Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) June 14, 2016

“It is truly humbling to be nominated to a court whose mission is to preserve everybody’s individual liberties in the state, to promote fairness among our citizens, to make sure litigants have in partial trials and to accommodate the rule of law,” said Judge Gaziano during his remarks. [Watch the remarks of each nominee.]

Among those praising the nominations is Massachusetts Bar Association Chief Legal Cousel and CEO Martin W. Healy, who said that each are “trial-test judges who have proven their mettle in court–both from the bench and in their previous legal practices” and that the SJC  will “benefit immediately from the elevation of this trio.” Healy also urged the Governor’s Council to move quickly to confirm the nominations “so that the SJC can continue its important work uninterrupted.

Great nominees! Well done, @MassGovernor https://t.co/zYgHjqMHYC

— Mo Cowan (@mocowan) June 14, 2016

As is noted by the Boston Herald editorial staff, “They are all superbly qualified — no surprise given the lengthy and rigorous vetting process set up by the governor’s office to cull through the dozens of applicants. And they each bring a skill set and a set of life experiences that will contribute both to the decision-making work of the high court but also to its superintendency function over the rest of the judicial branch.”

In February, Governor Baker named a statewide 12-member Supreme Judicial Nominating Commission (SJC-NC) to recruit, screen and recommend applicants to fill an unprecedented number of upcoming vacancies on the Commonwealth’s highest court. All judicial nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is the highest appellate court in the Commonwealth and is comprised of seven Justices that include one Chief Justice and six associate Justices. The nominees, if confirmed, will replace Justice Francis Spina, Justice Robert Cordy and Justice Fernande Duffly who announced their retirements earlier this year. “On behalf of the Commonwealth, Governor Baker and I thank Justices Spina, Cordy and Duffly for their service,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.

Tags: charlie baker, Judge David Lowy, Judge Frank Gaziano, Judge Kimberly Budd, karyn polito, supreme judicial court, supreme judicial court nominating commission