Condolences
Resolution 1: Condolences
WHEREAS, the members of the Conference of Chief Justices are deeply saddened by the passing of Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants on September 14, 2020; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Gants was first appointed to the bench as a Massachusetts Superior Court judge in 1997, served as administrative justice of the Superior Court's Business Litigation Session in 2008, was appointed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 2009, and was named as Chief Justice of that court in 2014; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Gants also served for many years as the Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission which works at a systemic level to improve access to justice; and
WHEREAS, at the time of his passing, Chief Justice Gants was serving as the Co-Chair of the Access and Fairness Committee of the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators and the Co-Chair of the National Justice for All Initiative; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Gants was a national leader on access to justice issues who cared passionately about the needs of court users who cannot afford counsel, and who worked tirelessly and selflessly to ensure that the justice system serves everyone equally and is accessible to all; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Gants was committed to facing and addressing historic injustices through his judicial work and community outreach; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Gants was a person of keen intellect as demonstrated in his opinions, articles, reports, and speeches shared with members of the judiciary, the bar, and the community at large; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Gants was a brilliant and compassionate jurist, a remarkable administrator, and an inspiring leader; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Gants was deeply respected and admired by all members of the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators as an exceptional Chief Justice, valued friend, and person of good humor;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators express their deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Deborah Ramirez, and their family and his colleagues and friends across Massachusetts and the nation for their sorrow and loss.
Adopted as proposed by the CCJ/COSCA Access and Fairness Committee at the 2021 CCJ Midyear Meeting on February 9, 2021 and the COSCA General Business Meeting on February 12, 2021.