commissioner president wayne l. richardson issues statement of support for confirmation of ketanji brown jackson to supreme court

Essex County Commissioner President – Wayne L. Richardson

On behalf of the Essex County Board of Commissioners, I offer my full support for the appointment and confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The historical significance of this cannot be overstated, as she will be the first African-American woman to serve on the highest court in the nation.

Upon her confirmation, all citizens who have felt overlooked or underrepresented – particularly minorities and women – will have a living example that affirms their representation at the highest level of our judicial system. Although Judge Jackson’s appointment by President Biden was met with overwhelming support, it is unfortunate that during recent approval hearings before the Senate she has been subjected to questions that are in some cases irrelevant, and in other instances intentionally duplicitous in an effort to diminish her 26 years of experience as an officer of the court, and nearly 10 years of experience as a judge for the United States District Court. Judge Jackson is clearly qualified. Furthermore, the approval process should consist of inquiries pertaining to her experience as a judge, as opposed to questions assessing her ideology in comparison to the individual Senators conducting the hearings.

We are on the precipice of a great day in our history. Once again, I offer my support to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on her future and look forward to the day when she is officially sworn in as the first African-American woman to serve on the Supreme Court.