New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will not be reappointing the only black justice on the state Supreme Court.
The new Republican governor made his announcement Monday, weeks before the end of Justice John E. Wallace's seven-year first term.
Instead, he's nominating Morris County lawyer Anne Murray Patterson to the seat.
In a series of quotes posted on the State of New Jersey’s website, Christie says in many different ways that just because a judge has been appointed once, it doesn’t mean he or she must be reappointed. He repeatedly states that he does not believe in judges “legislating from the bench.”
"[I] did not subscribe to the theory that people once appointed must be reappointed,” Gov. Christie states on his site. “I know that's the way it's been in the state, but I don't think we set up the constitution with a method where the executive has to reappoint after seven years before tenure attaches just for fun. I think we did it because they want you to make an evaluation and a judgment."
Christie had to choose between reappointing Wallace until he turns 70 on March 13, 2012, or removing him from the court this month.
It's Christie's first action regarding the makeup of the state's Supreme Court, which he criticized during last year's gubernatorial campaign as too activist and liberal.
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Wallace, is the first member of the court not to be reappointed after an initial 7-year term.
"The same test will be applied to everybody: If you legislate from the bench, you will not be reappointed. If in fact you're interpreting the constitution and interpreting the statutes, then you have an opportunity to be reappointed," Christie said to the Ocean County Observer in May 2009.
