Raimondo Continues to Refuse to Commit to Naming Black Judge to Fill Supreme Court Vacancy

Raimondo Continues to Refuse to Commit to Naming Black Judge to Fill Supreme Court Vacancy

Governor Gina Raimondo today reaffirmed that she will not commit to naming a Black judge to the vacancy to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

Rhode Island has never had a minority on the highest court.

Presently, the Supreme Court is comprised of four white men and a white woman — and Justice Gilbert Indeglia announced his retirement in January. The vacancy is pending.

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Call for Diversity

On May 1, State Senator Harold Metts called for a minority to be named to the court. In his letter to Raimondo, Metts wrote, “More than making history, Rhode Island needs to do the right thing. Now is the time to correct this injustice and I urge you to appoint a person of color to this vacant Supreme Court judgeship.”

On May 4, a GoLocal Editorial called for the appointment of a minority to the court.

“Too often, there is a substantial disconnect between white Rhode Island and the minority community. The recent failed effort to communicate and publicly educate the minority community on the coronavirus is clear…Desegregating the Supreme Court is an important step - and it is long overdue,” GoLocal’s Editorial read.

Raimondo's office told GoLocal is an email on Monday morning, "The Governor's position has not changed, and she will give every candidate due consideration. She is proud of her record in nominating diverse judges to serve on Rhode Island's courts and will select the most qualified candidate for the Supreme Court vacancy."

Raimondo came under fire for endorsing former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in his candidacy for President. Bloomberg had proliferated the City of New York’s “Stop and Frisk” program that statistically targeted minority men from a few thousand annually to more than 650,000 annually.

In February, Joseph Molina Flynn, Chair of the Rhode Island Latino Police Action Committee (RILPAC) took to Twitter to criticize Raimondo’s endorsement.

“I kind of wish Gina had consulted a few people from communities of color before deciding to endorse Bloomberg. That’s such an awful endorsement along color lines that people are having a hard time differentiating him from 45. Come on,” Tweeted Molina Flynn.

Bloomberg was chastised by fellow Democratic Presidential candidates for his policies.