NEW: Raimondo Announces Six Judicial Nominees
Monday, December 10, 2018
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo on Monday announced six judicial nominees she will send to the Senate after session begins in January.
"They'll have the opportunity to set the tone in the courtroom -- of seriousness, humility respect and equality under the law," said Raimondo. "I'm proud to be appointing one of the most diverse sets of judges one governor has appointed at one time."
They are:
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST* Keith Cardoza, Jr.
* Susan Pepin Fay
* Melissa DuBose
* Christopher Knox Smith
* Melisa Darigan
* Richard Merola
Roger Williams Graduates Nominees
Graduates of Roger Williams Law School in Rhode Island are among the nominees.
DuBose was nominated for a District Court seat. Since 2008, she has worked as senior legal counsel at Schneider Electric in Foxboro, Massachusetts, providing in-house legal support for the company’s global units. From 2005 to 2009, she worked as a special assistant attorney general in the criminal division of the state attorney general’s office. She graduated from RWU Law in 2004 and is a member of the RWU Law Board of Directors.
Smith was nominated for another District Court seat. Since 2010, he has represented indigent clients facing misdemeanor and felony charges at the state public defender’s office. He graduated from the RWU Law in 2007 and earned an advanced degree focusing on environmental and natural resources law from the University of Oregon School of Law in 2008.
Cardoza Jr. was nominated for a Workers’ Compensation Court seat. Since 2016, he has represented employers, employees, insurance carriers and third-party administrators for all aspects of workers’ compensation claims in Rhode Island and Massachusetts as a founding partner with the firm Izzo, Gardner & Cardoza. He graduated from RWU Law in 2010.
“This is a great day for our RWU Law graduates, each of whom is most deserving of the trust of Governor Raimondo and the Rhode Island Senate,” RWU Law Dean Michael J. Yelnosky said. “This is also a great day for Rhode Island. The Judicial Nominating Commission and now Governor Raimondo have taken a bold and long overdue step toward making the Rhode Island judiciary more reflective of the population it serves.”
Related Articles
- NAACP’s Vincent Talks the Importance of Judicial Diversity on LIVE
- Sens. Metts, Quezada & Cano Call on Raimondo to Appoint Minorities to Judicial Openings
