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Lodzinski Murder Conviction is Reversed by a 4-3 Supreme Court Vote

State v. Lodzinski, ___ N.J. ___ (2021). Today, the Supreme Court voted 4-3 to reverse ...

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An Opinion About Stays From Judge Accurso

In re New Jersey Transit Award of Contracts No. 21-048A and 21-048B, 473 N.J. Super. ...

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The 2023-24 General Assignment Order

Bruce D. Greenberg

The 2023-24 General Assignment Order has been published and is available here . Judge Sumners remains as Chief Judge and Judge Currier is Deputy Presiding Judge for Administration. There are seven Appellate Division Parts, an increase of one Part from this past year.

Judges Messano and Geiger have retired. Judge Gilson replaced Judge Messano as Presiding Judge of Part E during the current Term. Judge Whipple is the Presiding Judge of Part G, and Judge Sabatino, back from his Supreme Court assignment, is once again the Presiding Judge of Part A. The other Presiding Judges remain the same as in the current Term: Part B- Judge Currier; Part C- Judge Accurso; Part D- Judge Haas; Part F- Chief Judge Sumners.

There are four judges temporarily assigned to the Appellate Division. Judge Chase has been assigned to Part A, Judge Walcott-Henderson to Part C, Judge Puglisi to Part D, Judge Perez Friscia to Part F, and Judge Paganelli to Part G. Last Term’s lineup had only three temporarily assigned judges (Judges Marczyk, Bishop-Thompson, and Berdote Byrne), all of whom continue to sit in the Appellate Division.

Two Statutory Interpretation Decisions: One Involving Discipline of a Tenured Teacher and the Other About Unemployment Tax Payments for Court Reporters

Yesterday, the Supreme Court decided Sanjaun v. School District of West New York, ___ N.J. ...

To Start the Week, A Catch-Up Post

While the Supreme Court has been quiet since it handed down this decision, the Appellate ...

Three New Supreme Court Grants of Certification

The Supreme Court announced yesterday that it has granted certification in three new matters. One ...

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Jeffrey Jablonski, Hudson County’s new assignment judge, wants to get people excited about jury duty

  • Updated: Mar. 03, 2021, 4:49 p.m. |
  • Published: Mar. 03, 2021, 4:49 p.m.

new jersey assignment judge

Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Jablonski. July 29, 2019, in Jersey City. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal) Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal

  • Peter D’Auria | The Jersey Journal

When things in Hudson County’s judicial system return to normal, Judge Jeffrey Jablonski is looking forward to inspiring jurors.

Jablonski, who was recently named Hudson County’s assignment judge, plans to continue a tradition that his retiring predecessor, Judge Peter Bariso, started: having superior court judges welcome jurors to the courthouse before a trial.

These interactions would transform jurors from at first thinking, “how can I get out of this,” Jablonski said, to being “completely involved in the process.”

Last month, New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced that Hudson County Assignment Judge Peter Bariso would step down after nine years atop the Hudson County vicinage. Rabner tapped Jablonski to fill the role, elevating the presiding judge of the chancery division to Hudson County’s highest judicial post.

Jablonski’s promotion comes at a pivotal moment. Hudson County is beginning preparations to move court proceedings into the planned Frank J. Guarini Justice Complex, which is currently under construction in Journal Square.

If the courthouse opens as expected in 2023, Jablonski will likely be the first assignment judge to preside from the new building, meaning he will get to decide judicial placements and organization within the building.

Jablonski began his career as a clerk for Hudson County Superior Court Judge John McLaughlin. He worked in private legal practice and with the Office of the Public Defender before becoming a superior court judge in 2013. In a press release announcing his appointment, Chief Justice Rabner called Jablonski a “wise and thoughtful jurist.”

“I am confident that Hudson County, and the Judiciary as a whole, will be well served under his stewardship,” Rabner said.

Jablonski is taking the job at a crucial time. COVID-19 has emptied courthouses and forced court administrators to wrestle with the technological and constitutional implications of holding court proceedings online.

Jablonski said Hudson’s courts had a “seamless transition” from in-person to virtual. The county is holding virtual grand juries, and two virtual civil trials are scheduled to start next month.

But the courts also face what many fear will be an avalanche of evictions and eviction hearings in Hudson County, as a backlog of litigation has accumulated during the governor’s eviction moratorium. The court system will also have to confront “all the issues that tend to flow from potential homelessness,” Jablonski said.

Hudson County is making preparations for that eventuality, Jablonski said. He declined to provide specifics, but said the courts will address the crisis “fairly and justly.”

“I can guarantee you that,” he said.

As assignment judge, Jablonski hopes to step up the court’s community outreach. He wants the get out the message “that the judicial system is there for them, whether you’re accused of a crime, whether or you have a civil dispute that you can’t work (out.)”

That dovetails with his goal to get people more excited about jury duty.

“I see it as my job as a judge to not foist upon them their jury service, but more importantly, to let them know that they (are) part of the process, an integral part of the process,” Jablonski said.

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Ocean County courts getting a new top judge in February

One-minute read.

new jersey assignment judge

TOMS RIVER - Superior Court Judge Francis R. Hodgson Jr. has been appointed to lead the Ocean County courts as assignment judge starting Feb. 1, New Jersey Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced Tuesday.

Hodgson was appointed to the bench in 2007 by Gov. Jon Corzine, said Rabner, and renominated in 2014 by Gov. Chris Christie to the Superior Court. He served in both the family and criminal divisions until 2015, when he was named presiding judge of General Equity.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to lead the hard-working staff and judges of the Ocean Vicinage and am grateful for Chief Justice Rabner’s confidence in my ability to continue to uphold the exceptional reputation of the Judiciary,” Hodgson said.

He earned his bachelor's degree from Stockton State College and master's degree from Monmouth University, the announcement said, before receiving his law degree from Villanova University. He worked as a law clerk to Ocean Vicinage Civil Presiding Judge Frank R. Buczynski and in private practice for a year before joining the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office in 1997.

Hodgson will take the place of Judge Marlene Lynch Ford, the announcement said, who is retiring after over 24 years on the bench, and seven as assignment judge.

“We congratulate Judge Ford on a remarkable career that encompassed all three branches of government, culminating with her impressive contributions to the Judiciary," Rabner said. Judge Hodgson is an exemplary judge with broad experience who is poised to continue the tradition of excellent leadership in the Ocean Vicinage."

Jenna Calderón covers breaking news and cold cases in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Before coming to the Press, she covered The Queen City for Cincinnati Magazine in Ohio. Contact her at 330-590-3903; [email protected]

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Politics & Government

Sheila venable is first black woman to lead essex county courts, the largest court vicinage in nj will soon have a history-making new assignment judge: sheila venable. see her impressive credentials here..

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Eric Kiefer , Patch Staff

Superior Court Judge Sheila Venable was announced as the successor to Sallyanne Floria in the Essex County vicinage.

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The largest court vicinage in New Jersey will soon have a history-making new assignment judge.

Superior Court Judge Sheila Venable was recently announced as the successor to Sallyanne Floria, who is retiring after 22 years on the bench.

Venable, the first Black assignment judge for the Essex County vicinage, will take over her new post on Feb. 1.

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Venable’s credentials are impressive. According to a news release from the New Jersey Courts:

“Judge Venable served as the presiding judge of the criminal division in the Hudson Vicinage from 2008 to 2018 and currently serves as a drug court judge there. She was appointed to the bench on Jan. 20, 2005 by Gov. Richard Codey, serving first in the family division and then moving to the criminal division later that year. She was reappointed by Gov. Chris Christie and received tenure in December 2011. Prior to her judicial career, Judge Venable served from 1986 to 1988 as designated counsel on behalf of the State Public Defender’s Office at the Department of Public Advocate. During the same period, Judge Venable served as public defender for Jersey City. Judge Venable then served as assistant prosecutor in Jersey City and, in 1991, became Jersey City’s chief municipal prosecutor. She served as a municipal court judge in Jersey City from 1993 to 2005. Prior to her judicial career, Judge Venable earned her bachelor’s degree in political science, with an emphasis in public administration, at California State University Northridge. She later received her law degree at the University of Santa Clara.”

“Judge Venable’s distinguished career has been marked by excellence, strong leadership and empathy, qualities that will serve the state’s largest vicinage and the public well,” Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said.

“Essex County, and the judiciary as a whole, are fortunate to have such a gifted jurist continue to maintain the highest standards Judge Floria exemplified,” Rabner said.

Venable thanked Rabner for his words of praise and said that Floria has set a strong example to follow.

“I am humbled and honored to have been chosen and I feel privileged to be a part of this independent judiciary,” Venable said.

Venable will take over the helm of the Essex Vicinage, which is the largest of New Jersey’s 15 court vicinages. The division has 811 employees.

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The Record, Bergen County

NJ Senate advances 10 judges in latest effort to stem judicial vacancy crisis

I n the waning hours of the legislative session, the state Senate Judiciary Committee met one more time to advance 10 potential judges to seats in New Jersey courtrooms.

Of the 10 people interviewed, one was being reappointed and nine were new candidates. They were all approved Monday afternoon by the full state Senate.

These new appointments bring the number of vacancies down to 47. That number reached as high as 75 just 18 months ago.

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Where will the new judges serve?

Among the newest batch of judges, two are headed to the Somerset and Warren vicinage, two will serve in Essex County, two will serve in Monmouth County and one each will serve in Bergen, Cumberland and Sussex counties.

There are also 11 nominations that will expire Tuesday, including two in Somerset County that would eliminate the vacancies there.

One recognizable name cleared the committee as well. Little Ferry Councilman Thomas Sarlo — brother of state Sen. Paul Sarlo — received support for his nomination. He will resign from the council effective immediately but said serving the borough was an “honor and a privilege.”

Senate moves to fill bench openings: NJ Senate begins to move to fill state's judicial vacancies in effort to stem crisis

State Sen. Brian Stack, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, called the new judge “responsible and conscientious.” State Sen. Joseph Lagana said Thomas Sarlo will be a “lawyer’s judge” and won’t “forget where he came from.”

Paul Sarlo said the committee looks for people who are at the right point in their lives, have experience in courtrooms, have the financial stability to do it and are humble, before abstaining from voting on his brother.

This isn’t the first time the committee has seen a family member join the bench. Last August, state Sen. Michael Testa’s cousin, Frank Testa, was interviewed by the Judiciary Committee and later appointed.

In New Jersey, judges serve for an initial seven-year term and can be renominated for tenure, which allows them to sit on the bench until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Timothy McGoughran of the New Jersey State Bar Association said the Superior Court "gained nine outstanding judges ready to serve the residents of New Jersey fairly and impartially in accordance with their oath."

McGoughran also said more work remains to be done.

"The NJSBA applauds the effort of the governor and the Senate to bring this number down, but we will remain a persistent voice for more judicial appointments until the high vacancy rate in the state’s Superior Court is substantially reduced," he said.

McGoughran added that the bar association will continue to "urge that state leaders — the governor and the state Senate — fulfill their constitutional duties to act swiftly to approve more qualified candidates to the Judiciary. Every moment of delay is an injustice for the residents of New Jersey, who deserve a higher level of service from their court system."

We asked the experts: Why do some criminal cases take so long to go to trial in NJ?

Judicial vacancies linger

The number of vacancies that have lingered throughout the judicial system has grabbed headlines for much of the past year. Before the summer recess, the committee held multiple sessions in June and appointed 15 Superior Court judges and a new member of the state Supreme Court.

Lawmakers said they would likely reconvene over the summer to consider more appointments, but that never happened, and as summer turned to fall, lawmakers focused on the election and left the calendar empty.

Potential jurists are presented to the governor's office by members of the state Senate, from both parties, for consideration. These possible nominees are given a questionnaire, interviewed by the governor's office and subjected to background checks of their financial, medical, criminal and educational history that require approval from the Attorney General's Office. They then face a judicial advisory panel, including former members of the state Supreme Court, which determines whether nominees are qualified.

There have been 154 judges confirmed since Murphy took office, and 92 during this session, according to the administration.

That may not be enough, though. State Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner has been sounding the alarm about the condition of New Jersey's judiciary for years. Trials in civil and marital cases in Hunterdon, Passaic, Somerset and Warren counties are suspended.

"The judiciary's goal is to serve the public by providing a place to resolve disputes fairly and expeditiously," Rabner said. "In order to do so in every vicinage, we respectfully ask the executive and legislative branches to continue to address the critical issue of judicial vacancies in a timely manner."

Rabner suspended civil and divorce cases in Cumberland and Gloucester counties earlier this year but reopened them in July.

The judicial shortage has been steadily building in recent years, reaching a critical mass last May with 75 seats on the Superior Court bench empty.

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: [email protected]

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ Senate advances 10 judges in latest effort to stem judicial vacancy crisis

Trenton, NJ September 8, 2023 -- Tahesha Way, with her husband Charles holding the Bible is sworn in as the new Lt. Governor by NJ Chief Justice Stuart Rabner. Tahesha Way was sworn in as the new New Jersey Lt. Governor, replacing the late Sheila Oliver. The ceremony took place outside Governor Phil Murphy's office in the NJ Statehouse on September 8, 2023.

New Jersey Globe

Judge Lisa Thornton dies at 59

Monmouth County Assignment Judge had been on the bench since 2008

By David Wildstein , May 27 2023 11:03 am

Superior Court Judge Lisa Thornton, the assignment judge in Monmouth County, has died suddenly.  She was 59.

Thornton, a hugely respected jurist for the last fifteen years, was traveling between New Jersey and Florida at the time of her death.

Gov. Jon Corzine nominated her to serve on the bench in 2008.  She became the assignment judge in 2014 following the retirement of Lawrence Lawson.

She had served as an associate counsel to Corzine and then as chief of staff to two attorneys general, Stuart Rabner, now the chief justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, and Anne Milgram, now the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration administrator.

“Lisa Thornton was more than a gifted judge, inspiring trailblazer, and natural leader.  She was brilliant and plain spoken, insightful and honest, direct and witty, and a selfless friend,” Rabner said.   “Judge Thornton also cared deeply about making this a better world through her words and deeds.  Her sudden passing is a loss to the Judiciary and to humanity.”

Thornton had begun her career as a trial attorney at Prudential Financial and served as the Neptune Township municipal court judge from 1999 to 2001 after being appointed by then-Mayor Michael Beson.

She served in the administration of Gov. James E. McGreevey as the special deputy commissioner of the Department of Banking and Insurance.

“Our hearts are broken today,” said Arlene Quinones Perez, the Hunterdon County Democratic chair and a former law clerk to Thornton.  “Not only did we lose a friend but a respected jurist. Heaven gained a beautiful soul that we were not ready to lose.”

State Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch) said that news of Thornton’s passing “is truly heartbreaking.”

“Judge Thornton is singularly the reason why Monmouth has a full judiciary and the reputation of being the best in the state. I will miss her greatly. She is a trailblazer and will go down in Monmouth County history as one of the greatest,” Gopal said.  “I  and so many others across Monmouth County loved her deeply. Her life and legacy will live on in so many she impacted each and every day.”

Attorney General Matt Platin called Thornton “a true public servant,” noting that she was a trailblazer as the first Black woman to serve as an assignment judge in the state.

New Jersey State Bar Association President Timothy McGoughran called Thornton  “a trailblazer in the legal community, leading at all times with integrity, passion and heart.”

“She was the heart and soul of the Monmouth County bench. Her relationship with the bar was second to none. She was collaborative and truly had an open-door policy,” he said.  “ Judge Thornton led by example with a  tremendous  work ethic.  She was strong and serious when necessary but she also had an  infectious  laugh, warm sense of humor, and ever-present smile… To say she was beloved is an understatement.  She was a devoted public servant, a shining light of justice and has had a lasting positive impact on society.”

new jersey assignment judge

Press Releases

New Jersey Judiciary Releases General Assignment Order for Court Year 2021-2022

Statehouse

Chief Justice Stuart Rabner released the General Assignment Order for the court year 2021-2022.

The order lists all assignments for judges in the Appellate Division, Tax Court, and the civil, criminal, family and general equity divisions of Superior Court. The order also lists acting assignment judges, vicinage presiding judges of each trial court division and presiding judge of each part in the Appellate Division of Superior Court.

Article VI, Section 7 of the New Jersey Constitution states, “The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall assign Judges of the Superior Court to the Divisions and Parts of the Superior Court, and can from time to time transfer Judges from one assignment to another, as need appears.”

The chief justice, in consultation with assignment judges and the administrative director of the courts, assigns judges based on considerations such as caseloads across divisions and vicinages, judicial experience and professional development. Judges are reassigned regularly to address management needs and to provide the judges with an opportunity to broaden their experience.

The General Assignment Order becomes effective Sept. 1. As the needs of the Judiciary change throughout the year, the chief justice often reassigns judges among the divisions or among the vicinages and issues supplemental orders to make the changes. The General Assignment Order is available at njcourts.gov

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COMMENTS

  1. Assignment Judges and Trial Court Administrators

    Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401: 609-402-0100 Bergen. Novey Catuogno, Carol V. Assignment Judge Bergen: Bergen County Justice Center10 Main Street ... Assignment Judge Camden: Camden County Hall of Justice101 South 5th Street Camden, New Jersey 08103: 856-650-9100 ext. 43030: Camden. Lore, Colleen P. Trial Court Administrator

  2. The 2023-24 General Assignment Order

    August 2, 2023. The 2023-24 General Assignment Order has been published and is available here. Judge Sumners remains as Chief Judge and Judge Currier is Deputy Presiding Judge for Administration. There are seven Appellate Division Parts, an increase of one Part from this past year. Judges Messano and Geiger have retired.

  3. Assignment Judge

    Salem County. Phone: 856-878-5050 ext. 15945. The Assignment Judge is the chief judicial officer within Gloucester for Vicinage 15, which is composed of Gloucester, Cumberland, and Salem Counties.

  4. N.J. Ct. R. 1:33

    Rule 1:33-4. Assignment Judges Chief judge of the Appellate Division (a) The Assignment Judge shall be the chief judicial officer within the vicinage and shall have plenary responsibility for the administration of all courts therein, subject to the direction of the Chief Justice and the rules of the Supreme Court. The Assignment Judge shall be ...

  5. Jeffrey Jablonski, Hudson County's new assignment judge, wants to get

    Last month, New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced that Hudson County Assignment Judge Peter Bariso would step down after nine years atop the Hudson County vicinage.

  6. (Updated) Appellate, assignment judges are mostly ...

    New Jersey has a Noah's Ark system of appointing Superior Court judges, aspiring - although not always succeeding - for the courts to have a partisan. ... Democrats occupy two-thirds of the influential assignment judge positions: 10 Democrats and 5 Republicans in the state's fifteen Superior Court Vicinages, a 2-1 advantage for Democrats.

  7. Benefits of the New Jersey Process for Assignment of Trial Judges

    The New Jersey system requiring trial court experience also permits a judge who is ultimately assigned to the Appellate Division to fully appreciate the duties, experience and role of a trial ...

  8. PDF New Jersey Judiciary Releases General Assignment Order for Court Year

    Chief Justice Stuart Rabner today released the General Assignment Order for the court year 2021-2022. The order lists all assignments for judges in the Appellate Division, Tax Court, and the civil, criminal, family and general equity divisions of Superior Court. The order also lists acting assignment judges, vicinage presiding judges of each ...

  9. Non-tenured jurist nabs Bergen County Assignment Judge post

    By David Wildstein, March 06 2023 3:01 pm. Carol Novey Catuogno will be the new assignment judge in Bergen County, the state's largest vicinage, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced today. She will replace Judge Bonnie Mizdol, who is retiring after more than 17 years as a Superior Court Judge. A 56-year-old Republican named to the bench by ...

  10. Ocean County NJ courts get new assignment judge

    TOMS RIVER - Superior Court Judge Francis R. Hodgson Jr. has been appointed to lead the Ocean County courts as assignment judge starting Feb. 1, New Jersey Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced ...

  11. Judge Benjamin C. Telsey

    Hon. Benjamin C. Telsey is the assignment judge for the Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem County Superior Court (Vicinage 15) in New Jersey. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jon Corzine in 2007 and reappointed for tenure in 2014. Telsey was appointed to the position of assignment judge in 2017 by the Hon. Stuart Rabner, Chief Justice ...

  12. Sheila Venable Is First Black Woman To Lead Essex County Courts

    The largest court vicinage in NJ will soon have a history-making new assignment judge: Sheila Venable. ... According to a news release from the New Jersey Courts: "Judge Venable served as the ...

  13. Judge Michael A. Toto

    Biography. Hon. Michael A. Toto is the assignment judge for the Vicinage 8 Superior Court in Middlesex County in New Jersey. He was appointed to the bench in 2005 and obtained tenure status in 2012. Toto was named assignment judge in 2020, replacing the Hon. Alberto Rivas, who was forced to step down from the position.

  14. Judge Lisa Miralles Walsh

    Hon. Lisa Miralles Walsh is the assignment judge for the Vicinage 12 Superior Court in Union County in New Jersey. She was appointed to the bench by former Governor Chris Christie in 2017. Miralles Walsh was appointed to the position of assignment judge in August 2021 by the Hon. Stuart Rabner, Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of the ...

  15. New Assignment Judge—See Who Will Assume the Leadership Position

    New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced the appointment of Carol Novey Catuogno as assignment judge for Bergen County. Novey Catuogno, who assumes the new role May 1, has an ...

  16. Rabner taps Lougy as influential Mercer top judge post

    By David Wildstein, June 10 2021 10:09 pm. Superior Court Judge Robert T. Lougy, who spent two months as the acting attorney general of New Jersey in 2016, will assume the most powerful lower court judgeship in the state on September 1 as the new Mercer County Assignment Judge. "The assignment judge for the Mercer Vicinage often hears cases ...

  17. NJ Senate advances 10 judges in latest effort to stem judicial ...

    In the waning hours of the legislative session, the state Senate Judiciary Committee met one more time to advance 10 potential judges to seats in New Jersey courtrooms. Of the 10 people ...

  18. Judge Lisa Thornton dies at 59

    By David Wildstein, May 27 2023 11:03 am. Superior Court Judge Lisa Thornton, the assignment judge in Monmouth County, has died suddenly. She was 59. Thornton, a hugely respected jurist for the last fifteen years, was traveling between New Jersey and Florida at the time of her death. Gov. Jon Corzine nominated her to serve on the bench in 2008.

  19. New Jersey Judiciary Releases General Assignment Order for Court Year

    Chief Justice Stuart Rabner released the General Assignment Order court year 2021-2022. The order lists all assignments for judges in the Appellate Division, Tax Court, and the civil, criminal, family and general equity divisions of Superior Court. The order also lists acting assignment judges, vicinage presiding judges of each trial court ...

  20. NJ bankruptcy court will not limit large cases to just a few judges

    NJ court isn't changing how large cases are assigned Creditors raised concerns about ongoing review of Ch. 11 rules Feb 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey, an emerging hot spot ...

  21. Judge Deborah Silverman Katz

    Silverman Katz was named the assignment judge of the Camden County Vicinage by the Hon. Stuart Rabner, Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court in 2014. Prior to that, she held assignments in the Civil Division (2008, 2011 to 2014) and the Family Division (2008 to 2011) in Camden County. While in the Civil Division, Silverman Katz presided ...

  22. NJ Supreme Court Overturns Decision Over Arbitrator's Authority

    The West New York School District brought tenure charges against Sanjuan on Aug. 31, 2020, alleging conduct unbecoming and suspending her without pay for 120 days, according to court documents.

  23. PDF New Jersey Judiciary Releases General Assignment Order for Court Year

    Chief Justice Stuart Rabner today released the General Assignment Order for the court year 2023-2024. The order lists all assignments for judges in the Appellate Division, Tax Court, and the civil, criminal, family and general equity divisions of Superior Court. The order also lists acting assignment judges, vicinage presiding judges of each ...