Press Statement  State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump's Statement on the Passing of Chief Justice Ralph Gants

Boston — State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump released the following statement shortly after the passing of Chief Justice Ralph Gants:

“Massachusetts has lost a brilliant legal mind and a true humanitarian. Chief Justice Ralph Gants was not only an incisive interpreter of the law, but a passionate advocate for improved access to the courts and the equal administration of justice. Unafraid of upsetting the status quo in a tradition-bound area of endeavor, he conducted research to illuminate failures in the judicial system and unabashedly and literally took to the streets to get the attention of policy-makers and the public. I admired Chief Justice Gants’ humility and quiet authority. My favorite times with him were spent awaiting ceremonial occasions in the Governor’s office and the House chamber. We would pass the time discussing matters both weighty and trivial, the Boston Red Sox being for him a very weighty matter. They, and we, are the poorer for his untimely passing.”