Woonsocket Radio News Room

House of Representatives Confirm Supreme Court Nominations

 

STATE HOUSE – The House of Representatives today approved the nominations of Superior Court Judge Melissa Long and former Sen. Erin Lynch Prata to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.  

The vote to confirm Judge Long was 63-0 and the vote to confirm former Senator Lynch Prata was 58-5.

“I congratulate the two nominees and I am proud that the House of Representatives chose to support these two impressive and qualified candidates to our state’s Supreme Court.  With this step, Rhode Island is closer to a better-represented and diverse judicial system that serves our residents honorably and fairly.  History was made tonight and Judge Long and former Senator Lynch Prata should be proud of this incredible accomplishment.  It is my hope that they are both now confirmed by the Senate and I look forward to addressing each of them as Associate Justice Long and Associate Justice Lynch Prata,” said Speaker-elect K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick). 

Governor Raimondo recently selected Superior Court Judge Melissa Long to replace retiring Associate Justice Francis X. Flaherty and former Senator Lynch Prata to replace retiring Associate Justice Gilbert V. Indeglia on the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

Normally, the Rhode Island Senate confirms judiciary appointments, but nominations to the Supreme Court require the advice and consent of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The Senate plans to take up the nominations on Friday.

Testimony resumes this morning in former President Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial in Lower Manhattan. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker is expected to take the stand again. Before the trial resumes, Justice Juan Merchan has called a hearing to decide if Trump has violated his gag order that prohibits him from criticizing witnesses, jurors and others involved in the case.       President Biden is set to deliver a speech on reproductive freedom today in Tampa. The stop comes ahead of the six-week abortion ban that goes into effect in Florida, and other swing states like Georgia and South Carolina, on May 1st.        Tensions remain high as protesters on a growing number of college campuses continue to call attention to the crisis in the Middle East. Demonstrators at Columbia University say they want the school to divest from companies they say profit from Israel's violations of international law.       The Supreme Court will hear arguments in two big cases today. The first involves a man from El Salvador who was denied a visa to be with his wife, an American citizen, in the U.S. He learned he was rejected because an official saw his tattoos and suspected he might have a criminal background. The other case involves whether the National Labor Relations Board can order employers to rehire workers they say were fired without just cause.       Construction of a high-speed, electric rail line between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is underway. The route is projected to cut the travel time between the cities from about three-to-four hours to a little more than two. The 218-mile rail line is expected to open to the public by 2028.       The NBA playoffs continued on Monday with a trio of games. The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up a 96-86 win over the Orlando Magic at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. At Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks took down the Philadelphia 76ers 104-101. And in Denver, the reigning champion Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 101-99.        

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