Westchester DA seen as top prospect for Cuomo court pick

After serving as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's ethics czar, might Janet DiFiore be his next pick for New York's top court?

More than one media outlet reported that DiFiore, the current Westchester County district attorney, could be Cuomo's choice to replace state Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, who must step down from the Court of Appeals Dec. 31 after reaching the mandatory retirement age for judges.

By Oct. 15, a judicial screening panel is slated to submit up to seven candidates for the governor to consider. His choice would take a spot on the seven-judge bench in January.

DiFiore is in her third term as district attorney and previously led Cuomo's Joint Commission on Public Ethics, an agency that's been dogged by complaints about a lack of independence.