Governor Andrew Cuomo has nominated Justice Leslie Stein to replace Judge Victoria Graffeo on the New York Court of Appeals. A Democrat, Justice Stein currently sits in the Appellate Division’s Third Department, where she had been appointed by former Governor Eliot Spitzer in 2008. Cuomo’s decision to replace Graffeo, a Republican, has the potential to give Democrats a 4-3 majority on the Court.  The Senate has 30 days to act on the nomination.

For more details on Governor Cuomo’s appointment, read the New York Law Journal’s article, Cuomo Picks Third Dept. Justice for Top Court and the Governor’s press release.