Rendell's pick for judge draws Republicans' ire

HARRISBURG - Gov. Rendell yesterday nominated former Commonwealth Court Judge James Gardner Colins to fill a vacancy on the state Supreme Court, prompting swift criticism from Senate Republicans who must confirm him.

Rendell praised Colins, a longtime friend and fellow Democrat, as a having "a great legal mind."

"He's got a mix of intellectual scholarship, great perception and common sense," said Rendell at a news conference where he also announced three other court nominations.

A Senate GOP spokesman said legislative leaders were upset that Rendell ignored their candidate recommendations and said they have questions about Colins' objectivity in cases involving the Rendell administration.

"We are unable to find a decision that he has penned in the last five years that was against Gov. Rendell," said Drew Crompton, spokesman for Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph B. Scarnati III (R., Jefferson). "It raises legitimate questions regarding the slant in the opinions he's taken in the last five years."

Commonwealth Court was established in 1970 exclusively to handle cases involving governmental entities and elections.

Colins, 61, served on that court for 24 years until his retirement earlier this month, the longest tenure in the court's history. He would fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court created when Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy retired this month.

In a statement, newly named Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille said Colins brings "a wealth of experience" to the court and urged the Senate to "act expeditiously" to confirm him.

Crompton said that, given the amount of research the Republicans intend to conduct on Colins' decisions, he did not know when confirmation hearings would be held.

Rendell announced three other interim judicial appointments: former interim Supreme Court Justice James J. Fitzgerald 3d, who served on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, and Philadelphia attorney Robert C. Daniels to fill openings on the Superior Court, and Duquesne University law professor Ken Gormley to serve on the Commonwealth Court.

Rendell noted that two (Colins and Gormley) nominees are Democrats and two (Fitzgerald and Daniels) are Republicans. But Crompton said Rendell promised diversity and pointed out that three nominees were from Philadelphia.

All of the nominees have pledged not to run for the seats when their terms expire.