Meet Governor Baker's Three Supreme Court Nominees

In what the governor's office calls a "historic and unprecedented opportunity," Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, on Tuesday nominated three new justices to the state's highest court.

In a press statement, Baker said, “These distinguished and well-respected judges will bring nearly a century of combined experience to the Supreme Judicial Court, having dealt with the most complicated civil and criminal cases before the courts of the Commonwealth."

The three current Superior Court Justices would serve as Associate Justices on Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court. If confirmed, the nominees will replace Justices Francis Spina, Robert Cordy and Fernande Duffly, who announced their retirements earlier this year.

The Supreme Judicial Court is the Commonwealth's highest appellate court, consisting of the Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. 

Meet Baker's choices here:

Kimberly Budd

Budd has served as an Associate Justice in the Massachusetts Superior Court since 2009, appointed by Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick. 

She is currently the Regional Administrative Justice for Middlesex Criminal Business. She has served as a law clerk, litigation associate at a private firm, adjunct instructor at New England School of Law,  Assistant U.S. Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office and Director of the Community Values program at Harvard Business School, among other roles.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a law degree from Harvard Law School. 

She lives in Newton with her family.

Frank Gaziano 

Gaziano has served as an Associate Justice in the Massachusetts Superior Court since 2004, when he was appointed by Republican Gov. Mitt Romney. 

He has previously served as prosecutor and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the state, a litigator at a private firm and a lecturer at Stonehill College.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College and a law degree from Suffolk University Law School in. He lives in Scituate with his family.

David Lowy 

Lowy has served as Associate Justice in the Massachusetts Superior Court, since he was nominated by Republican Gov. Paul Cellucci in 2001. 

He's worked as an adjunct law professor and served  as assistant district attorney in Suffolk County, where he worked in the gang unit. While in Salem court, he presided over a high-profile trial in the murder of Danvers teacher Collen Ritzer.

Lowy is a UMass-Amherst graduate with a Boston University law school degree. He lives in Marblehead with his family.