Sen. Darius Brown, D-Wilmington, released the following statement Monday following the announcement that Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Leo E. Strine Jr. plans to step down in the fall:
“I would like to congratulate Chief Justice Leo E. Strine Jr. on a long career and a well-deserved retirement. He is a bright and energetic, homegrown talent who has committed most of his legal career to the Delaware judiciary.
By forming the Access to Justice Committee, he examined causes of racial disparity in the criminal justice system and proposed ways to reduce those disparities.
From my time on Wilmington City Council and my current role as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have worked with Justice Strine to establish a community court model that would handle low-level misdemeanors through employment help or treatment programs instead of traditional fines or jail time.
I wish him well in his future endeavors and appreciate his contributions to the Delaware legal system.
I’m sure Governor John Carney is already beginning the process of searching for his successor.
I would urge the Governor to consider the historic lack of racial and gender diversity when it comes to the makeup of the highest court in our state. While we now have our second female state Supreme Court justice, the First State is still awaiting its first African-American, Hispanic or Asian member of the Delaware Supreme Court.
This impending vacancy provides us an opportunity to correct that record.”
