Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed the first Native American justice to serve in the state’s appellate division.
Mark Montourwill take the benchin the Appellate Division's Fourth Judicial Department, which serves Central and western new York. He was also the first ever Native American to be elected to a state level judicial position in 2013 on the state’s Supreme Court. Montour has also served as an acting administrative and supervising judge.
Montour is a member of the St. Regis Mohawk Indian Nation, and is the chairman of the state tribal court committee.
Under the state constitution, the governor has the authority to appoint justices to each Appellate Division from among those who’ve been elected as justices of the state Supreme Court.