New Jersey AR 139: Commemorates appointment of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as Associate Justice of United States Supreme Court.

Bill Text

(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 5/26/2022)
ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 139

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED MAY 9, 2022

Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblywoman ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
Assemblyman RAJ MUKHERJI
District 33 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Karabinchak, Benson, Assemblywoman Jasey,
Assemblymen Verrelli, Wimberly, Sampson and Assemblywoman Quijano

SYNOPSIS
Commemorates appointment of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as Associate
Justice of United States Supreme Court.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.

AR139 SUMTER, REYNOLDS-JACKSON
2

AN ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION commemorating the appointment of 1
United States Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. 2
3
WHEREAS, On April 7, 2022, the United States Senate voted, on a 4
bipartisan basis, to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the 5
first black woman United States Supreme Court justice; and 6
WHEREAS, The confirmation of Judge Jackson’s appointment is a 7
historic occasion for the United States and for the institution of the 8
Supreme Court which, for the first time in its 233 year history, and 9
appointment of 116 justices, will have its first black woman 10
Associate Justice; and 11
WHEREAS, Judge Jackson’s nomination for the position of Associate 12
Justice of the Supreme Court by President Joseph R. Biden was 13
prompted by the announcement of Justice Stephen Breyer, for 14
whom Judge Jackson clerked, that he would retire at the close of the 15
current Supreme Court term; and 16
WHEREAS, Judge Jackson’s distinguished judicial career began with 17
her work as a jurist, which commenced with her nomination by 18
President Barack Obama, and confirmation and appointment by a 19
bipartisan Senate in 2013 to the United States District Court for the 20
District of Columbia; and 21
WHEREAS, Judge Jackson observed, in a notable 2019 opinion 22
granting a Department of Justice administrative stay request, that 23
“Presidents are not kings;” and 24
WHEREAS, Judge Jackson went on to be confirmed with bipartisan 25
support to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit 26
in 2021; and 27
WHEREAS, Prior to, and continuing for a portion of her judicial career, 28
Judge Jackson also served as a Vice Chair and Commissioner on 29
the United States Sentencing Commission beginning in 2010 and 30
continuing until 2014 where, as a Commissioner, Judge Jackson 31
voted, among other noteworthy actions, to apply retroactively the 32
provision of the 2010 Fair Sentencing Act, which addressed the 33
sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine crimes; and 34
WHEREAS, Judge Jackson’s numerous other accomplishments include 35
her academic success at Harvard University, from which she was 36
graduated magna cum laude, and at Harvard Law School, from 37
which she was graduated cum laude, and her service as a public 38
defender, making her the first federal public defender to serve on 39
the Supreme Court; and 40
WHEREAS, Following her confirmation on April 7, 2022, Judge 41
Jackson will be sworn in following the retirement of Justice Breyer 42
at the end of the current Supreme Court term; now, therefore 43
44
BE IT RESOLVED by the General Assembly of the State of New 45
Jersey: 46

AR139 SUMTER, REYNOLDS-JACKSON
3

1. This house commemorates the appointment of Justice 1
Ketanji Brown Jackson as an Associate Justice of the United States 2
Supreme Court. 3
4
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, 5
shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the 6
Governor, to each member of New Jersey's congressional 7
delegation, to the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of 8
Representatives, and the President and Secretary of the United 9
States Senate. 10
11
12
STATEMENT 13
14
This resolution commemorates the appointment of Justice 15
Ketanji Brown Jackson as an Associate Justice of the United States 16
Supreme Court, the first black woman appointed to that position. 17
The confirmation of Judge Jackson’s appointment is a historic 18
occasion for the United States and for the institution of the Supreme 19
Court. Judge Jackson’s distinguished career includes her work on 20
the bench as well as at the bar, including her appointment to the 21
United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and to the 22
United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and her work 23
as a federal public defender. In addition, Judge Jackson served as a 24
Vice Chairperson and Commissioner on the United States 25
Sentencing Commission. 26