Rice Lauds Nomination of Pierre-Louis to State Supreme Court

TRENTON – As Chair of the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus, Senator Ronald L. Rice today issued the following statement on the nomination of Fabiana Pierre-Louis to the state Supreme Court:

I’m heartened by Governor Murphy’s selection of Fabiana Pierre-Louis for nomination to the state Supreme Court.

After many years of calling for Black, Latino and female judges on every level of New Jersey’s court system, the members of both the New Jersey Legislative Black and Latino Caucuses are encouraged by the selection of a justice with such a broad base of experience and accomplishment.

In addition to private practice, Ms. Pierre-Louis’ background includes nine years of criminal trials, investigations and prosecutions in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and as the Attorney-in-Charge of the Camden and Trenton Branch Offices.  Ms. Pierre-Louis, also lent her acumen and expertise to the General Crimes Unit and the Organized Crime and Gang Unit of the Newark Office.  Her caseload has spanned public corruption, federal narcotics, child exploitation, large-scale mail and wire fraud, healthcare and government fraud, national security and violent crime.

Members of NJLBC will continue to work with the governor, senate president and our colleagues in the legislature to stress the urgency of expedient placement of more minorities and women on every level of New Jersey’s judicial system and in each of the twenty-one County Prosecutors’ offices throughout the state.

I also want to commend my caucus members, civil rights partners, the Association of Black Women Lawyers and the Garden State Bar Association, for their collaboration and unwavering diligence to ensure the final realization of our priority to appoint the first Black woman to the state Supreme Court.