Rowan Wilson has been appointed as the first Black Chief Judge of which city?
2023
Rowan Wilson has been appointed as the first Black Chief Judge of which city?
Answer: C. New York — Concept: A “Chief Judge” is the presiding officer of a named court, so a judicial-appointment question is settled by identifying the court first. The…
- A.
Washington
- B.
Chicago
- C.
New York
- D.
More than one of the above
- E.
None of the above
Attempted by 71 students.
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Correct answer: C
Concept: A “Chief Judge” is the presiding officer of a named court, so a judicial-appointment question is settled by identifying the court first. The territory a court covers may be a whole state, a federal district, or a county, and news reports often label that court loosely by the city it is most associated with.
Application: Rowan D. Wilson had served as an associate judge of the New York Court of Appeals — the highest court of the State of New York — since 2017. Governor Kathy Hochul nominated him as Chief Judge on 10 April 2023 and the New York State Senate confirmed him on 18 April 2023. He thereby became Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals and, ex officio, Chief Judge of the State of New York, and the first Black person to hold that office.
Cross-check: Setting the three named places beside the courts they are identified with:
Place | Highest local court | Presiding officer in 2023 |
|---|---|---|
Washington, D.C. | District of Columbia Court of Appeals | Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby |
Chicago | Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois | Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans |
New York | New York Court of Appeals | Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson |
Because the post is a state-level one, the stem’s word “city” is loose shorthand; among the places listed, New York is the name that identifies that jurisdiction, and no second listed place identifies it, so neither aggregate alternative applies.
Answer: New York.