Cuomo nominates Westchester’s DiFiore to state Court of Appeals

Janet DiFiore, the Westchester County District Attorney, has been tapped by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to be the next chief judge in the state”™s highest court, according to an announcement from the governor”™s office Dec. 1.

“I am humbled by the incredible honor of being nominated to serve as Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals,” DiFiore said in a statement. “My professional life has been devoted to the fair administration of justice, and I would gladly continue my service to the people of New York on our state”™s highest court.”

DiFiore, who has been the county”™s district attorney for nearly 10 years, will, if confirmed by the state Senate, become the second woman to be a chief judge in New York”™s history. She will replace Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, who has held the position since February 2009.

“Janet DiFiore is tremendously qualified to serve as Chief Judge of the State Court of Appeals,” Cuomo said in a statement. “She has led crucial reform efforts to make our judicial system both more effective and more efficient, and I am confident that she would continue this leadership.”

While completing three terms as Westchester”™s district attorney, DiFiore spearheaded many efforts, including the creation of the Westchester Intelligence Center, which launched in 2008 and facilitates information sharing between more than 40 local police departments and state and federal law enforcement groups working in the county.

DiFiore has previously worked as a Westchester County court judge and served as a Supreme Court Justice for the state criminal courts in the 9^th Judicial District.