Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has put forward two new judicial nominations for the state's Superior Court. On the slate are Judge Asha White and Attorney Amy Karangekis, poised to become Associate Justices if confirmed by the Governor’s Council. According to a press release by the Government of Massachusetts, Healey lauded both nominees for their previous success and commitment to strengthening the court system.
The Governor's confidence is mirrored by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, who stated to Government of Massachusetts, "Over the course of their careers, Judge White and Attorney Karangekis have shown their dedication to justice and the rule of law." Healey's administration evidently holds expectations that the Council will move to confirm the nominations, facilitating the nominees' integration into the judiciary with a focus on administering fair and timely justice.
These nominations are not the Governor's first, as she has already positioned fourteen judges onto the Superior Court bench. The Superior Court, a nexus of jurisdiction within Massachusetts, undertakes a vast swath of cases—from civil disputes involving large monetary sums to first-degree murder trials.
Judge Asha White comes to the opportunity having served on the District Court bench since 2021. His well-rounded experience stems from a career as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney, and more recently as the First Justice of the Woburn District Court. His academic role as an adjunct professor at Suffolk University, coupled with his presidency of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, speaks to a career dedicated not only to the letter but also the teaching of the law.
Attorney Amy Karangekis has led the Western Massachusetts Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office since 2018. In this role, she's handled supervisory duties over both the Civil and Criminal Divisions, taking point on significant criminal prosecutions that ranged from human trafficking to organized crime. Her pedigree includes clerkships on Massachusetts' highest courts and a parallel career in legal education. Both nominees, if confirmed, bring a wealth of experience and a demonstrated commitment to upholding the law.
