The New York Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced the nomination of Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore to become the state's chief judge, presiding at its highest court and overseeing the statewide judiciary.
The 60-year-old DiFiore, nominated by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, tells lawmakers she'll maintain independence from the governor and judge each case separately.
The full Senate's confirmation vote has been scheduled for Thursday.
Chairman John Bonacic, a Middletown Republican, says the committee vote was unanimous though some senators advanced her name without recommendation.
DiFiore, a Democrat like Cuomo and also a former judge, was questioned by some Republican senators about gun rights, the governor's authority to issue executive orders and the right of indigent New Yorkers to attorneys in civil cases.
She declined to comment on possible cases.
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