Pamela Woodcock Pfeiffer

PROVIDENCE — The state Senate yesterday confirmed three new judges, placing Bennett R. Gallo on the Superior Court, Pamela Woodcock Pfeiffer on the District Court and Debra E. DiSegna on the Family Court.

The Senate voted 36 to 0 for each of the nominees about an hour-and-a-half after the Senate Judiciary Committee held a public hearing and recommended their approval.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams spoke in favor of all three candidates, saying, “I thank the governor for sending these nominations. I just wish he would do the same with the five remaining vacancies in our judicial branch.”

Governor Carcieri made the three nominations in March following months of prodding by Williams, other state judges and the Rhode Island Bar Association, which warned that “access to justice will be impeded and the administration of justice will falter if the existing judicial vacancies are not filled as mandated by law.”

With yesterday’s confirmations, the state has three District Court vacancies and one Workers’ Compensation Court vacancy, and Superior Court Judge Vincent A. Ragosta has announced he will retire on May 30.

Gallo, 63, of West Greenwich, is filling the Superior Court vacancy left by the February 2007 retirement of Judge Stephen J. Fortunato Jr. Gallo has been on the state Parole Board since 1997, he practices law at a Coventry law firm, and he was an assistant attorney general.

“Ben comes to the position with a wealth of legal experience, in the public sector and the private sector,” said Superior Court Judge Netti C. Vogel, who once worked with Gallo at a Providence law firm. “He will be a wonderful asset to the Superior Court.”

“We were talking about it at Town Hall today, and near as we can figure, he may be the first judge out of West Greenwich since Judge Rathbun in the late 1800s,” said Sen. Kevin A. Breene, R-West Greenwich, the part-time town administrator. “Until 25 years ago, we only had one or two lawyers living in town.” Now, there are a lot more lawyers in town, Breene said, drawing laughs when he added, “I don’t know if things are better or worse.”

Woodcock Pfeiffer, a Bristol resident who turns 47 today, is filling the District Court vacancy created by the November 2007 retirement of Judge John M. McLoughlin. She has been the Supreme Court clerk since 2003, and she was a special assistant attorney general. She is married to Superior Court Judge Mark Pfeiffer.

Supreme Court Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg spoke in favor of Woodcock Pfeiffer, saying it was good to see the governor appointing two female judges, and she hopes to see more female nominees in the future. She described Woodcock Pfeiffer as “a lady with a steel foundation,” predicting she will “serve with dignity” on “the people’s court.”

DiSegna, 52, of Narragansett, is filling the Family Court vacancy created by the August 2007 retirement of Judge Pamela M. Macktaz. She has been a Family Court magistrate since 1989, and she was a special assistant attorney general.

Supreme Court Justice Paul A. Suttell, a former Family Court judge, spoke in favor of DiSegna, noting she has been a Family Court magistrate for nearly 19 years now. “I think it’s safe to say that no one is more qualified to assume the responsibilities of a Family Court judge,” he said.

efitzpat@projo.com