December 8, 2020: The following is a statement from Rhode
Island Superior Court Associate Justice Melissa Austin Long on her selection by
Governor Gina M. Raimondo to be an Associate Justice of the Rhode Island
Supreme Court:
“I am honored by Governor Raimondo’s nomination and humbled
by the prospect of serving on the Rhode Island Supreme Court. I look forward to
the consideration of my candidacy by the Rhode Island House and Senate.”
“As the great, great-granddaughter of slaves and the
daughter of two U.S. Army Veterans who married six months prior to the U.S.
Supreme Court’s decision in Loving v. Virginia, I am acutely aware of the
impact that our judiciary can have on the everyday lives of our citizens. If
confirmed, I commit to serving with honor and integrity and to bringing all my
energies and accumulated wisdom to the sacred task of rendering decisions that
shape our society and our lives. Like so many of my heroes who have come before
me, I aspire to understand and respect the stories of those that appear in our
courts, and to appreciating that their stories matter – to them, to their
families, and to others who are similarly situated.”
“Growing up as a child on military bases in the United
States, Germany and Korea provided me perspective into what America and its
institutions mean at home and abroad, and made me well aware of the sacrifices
made to protect those ideals, including the rule of law and the fair and
impartial administration of justice. I see judicial office as a public trust,
and carry a solemn duty to enhance the public’s confidence in our legal system.
It would be the honor of a lifetime to serve as an Associate Justice of the
Rhode Island Supreme Court.”