Baker taps Judge Serge Georges Jr. for state's high court

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Municipal Court Judge Serge Georges Jr. was nominated to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court by Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday.

The Republican governor, in his second term, has now nominated all seven members of the state’s high court. He described all seven as “rock stars.”

The nomination of Georges — who is Black and the son of Haitian immigrants — follows Baker’s choice of Kimberly Budd to be the court’s first Black female chief justice and Dalila Argaez Wendlandt to be the court’s first Latina justice.

All three still must be confirmed by the Governor’s Council.

If all are confirmed, it would mark the first time three justices of color would be serving on the state's highest court, which dates back to 1692.

Georges said he was honored to have the opportunity.

“It’s something that I can't really adequately express. I just don’t have the words,” Georges, 50, a graduate of Boston College and Suffolk University Law School, said after Baker announced his nomination at a press conference.

“I will show my honor and my respect for this position by working as hard as I can to do the best that I can for the commonwealth,” Georges added.

Georges said that having justices with a variety of backgrounds and experiences would be a boon for the court.

“Diverse groups make better decisions,” he said.

Georges grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston and was nominated by former Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick to the Boston Municipal Court in 2013. He presided over the Dorchester Drug Court from 2014 to 2018.

He would fill the associate justice seat currently held by Budd.

Georges, who lives Randolph resident, is former president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and worked at several law firms before becoming a judge.

He would be only the second Black man to serve on the high court, following former Chief Justice Roderick L. Ireland.