by Deoliver47
Some welcome news from the State of Massachusetts; a direct result of Deval Patrick's re-election.
Roderick L. Ireland Nominated Chief Justice Of The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial CourtJustice Ireland, a highly regarded Associate Justice of the SJC and former Appeals Court and Juvenile Court judge, is slated to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall. If confirmed, Justice Ireland will be the first African American and person of color to serve as Chief Justice of the SJC.
Patrick was quoted in his press conference on Friday:
"Justice Ireland is one of Massachusetts’ wisest and most experienced jurists and there is no one better suited to lead the Court and the judicial branch at this unique moment in our history," said Governor Patrick. "I am convinced Justice Ireland will move the Supreme Judicial Court forward in the same proud tradition as his predecessor Chief Justice Marshall."
Ireland has an interesting life history prior to becoming a lawyer. The son of a house painter and an elementary school teacher, he escaped being pushed into Springfield Technical High School, which was par for the course at that time, for young black men. According to a
profile written by Adrian Walker for the Boston Globe in 1997, his parents were not going to allow him to be trained as an auto mechanic, which was the advice given to them by his high school guidance counselor.
High Praise For Patrick’s SJC Chief PickIreland grew up in Springfield in the 1940s and 50s. A high school guidance counselor suggested he pursue a career as an auto mechanic. But instead he went to college, and developed an interest in law at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, which just happened to be the alma mater of Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. After law school at Columbia University, Ireland returned to Massachusetts. He worked here as a public defender, and then was nominated to the Boston Juvenile Court, where he served for 13 years.
Young people remain a priority for Ireland. He said he wants to see the courts be a positive influence on them, and hopes the judiciary can help reduce the high school drop out rate.
"I hope the court system can try to do some work with outreach to try to reach some kids, to try to get them to think about their choices and to get them to focus in on education," Ireland said.
Masslive.com reports that Ireland has been a strong defender of LGBT rights:
Ireland was with the majority when the state Supreme Judicial Court in a 4-3 landmark decision legalized gay marriage in 2003. Of all the court members, Ireland may be the strongest on gay rights. In 2006, he broke with other members on the SJC when it upheld former Gov. W. Mitt Romney’s use of a 1913 law to ban same-sex couples from other states from marrying in Massachusetts. Under the 1913 law, Romney had said, nonresidents could not marry here if their union would be banned in their home state and they have no intention of moving to Massachusetts.
As the lone dissenter in the ruling, Ireland said that it was "fundamentally unfair" for the state to resurrect and selectively enforce "a moribund statute" that was dormant for almost a century. Critics said the 1913 law was originally enacted to block interracial marriages.
Patrick and state legislators in 2008 repealed the old law.
In a speech he delivered to NYU law school he discussed his rulings on same sex marriage and the social context of that decision, which included receiving death threats.
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