bump
This from Politico says that Rudy picked the PANEL, which recommends the candidates:
“When Giuliani took office in 1994, he inherited a system of judicial appointments created by one of his predecessors, Ed Koch, and designed to insulate the courts from political influence. Under the system, the mayor appoints members of an independent panel. Aspiring judges apply to the panel, which recommends three candidates for each vacancy.”
excerpt http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2957.html