In this month’s state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and swearings in of justices from September 2 to September 30, 2024. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts.
Justice retirements:
During September 2024, one justice announced his retirement from a state supreme court, and one justice retired.
Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Robinson retired on September 6, 2024. Robinson was originally appointed by former Gov. Dan Malloy (D) in 2013 to an associate justiceship. Following the retirement of former Chief Justice Chase Rogers, Robinson was nominated to be her successor by Malloy in 2018. Upon being sworn into the chief justiceship in 2018, Robinson became the first Black chief justice on the state’s supreme court. Robinson’s replacement, Associate Justice Raheem L. Mullins, was confirmed by a joint judicial committee to serve in an interim capacity starting September 30, 2024, until the Connecticut General Assembly returns to its regular session in January 2025.
On September 24, 2024, Arizona Justice Robert Brutinel announced he would retire at the end of October. Brutinel was originally appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court by former Gov. Jan Brewer (R) in 2010 and was later retained in 2014 and 2020. Brutinel served as chief justice from 2019 until 2024. Brutinel’s retirement gives Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) her first opportunity to appoint a justice to the state’s supreme court.
Candidates nominated, appointed, and confirmed:
On September 13, 2024, the Nebraska Supreme Court released a list of four candidates who applied to succeed outgoing Chief Justice Michael Heavican. The list includes three Nebraska county district court judges and one sitting Nebraska associate justice of the state supreme court. A public hearing will be held in early October 2024, after which the Nebraska Judicial Nomination Commission will narrow the list to a few finalists. That list of finalists will be sent to Gov. Jim Pillen (R), who will make the final appointment.
The New Jersey State Senate confirmed John Hoffman to the New Jersey Supreme Court on September 30, 2024. Hoffman succeeds Lee A. Solomon, who retired on August 17, 2024, after reaching New Jersey’s mandatory retirement age of 70. Hoffman is Gov. Phil Murphy’s (D) fifth nominee to the seven-member court.
Justices sworn in:
No new justices were sworn in during September 2024.
See also:
Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice Robinson vacancy (September 2024)
Arizona Supreme Court justice vacancy (October 2024)