Essex County Courthouse, Newark, N.J. – Photo by Carmen Natale

The president of the Essex County Bar Association recently issued an email "Call to Action." The email indicated that during the past year, the Superior Court of Essex County had over 113,000 new matters filed, the largest caseload in New Jersey. However, its last judicial appointment was over two years ago, and there are presently 12 unfilled seats and several announced retirements which will take place in the near future. Thus, it pointed out that Essex County will have 14 judicial vacancies representing about one-third of the current number of judges sitting in Essex County Superior Court. Given that Essex is the busiest vicinage in New Jersey, the situation is described as a judicial crisis.

There is no question that the present judges in Essex County are doing their very best under the aegis of the assignment judge to conduct the judicial affairs as efficiently as possible, placing emphasis obviously on the most sensitive or most emergent matters. Nonetheless, the situation is probably as dire as it has ever been in Essex County, and there is no question but that the effect of the judicial shortage is to cause long delays in the disposition of civil and criminal matters. The hardships visited upon litigants under these circumstances are palpably obvious. Of special note is the difficulty in the family court, where matters including such things as custody and visitation of children are often not resolved for unduly long periods of time through no fault of the judges assigned.

Accordingly, in the conclusion of the bar association's email it is said that, "TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. PLEASE CALL/E-MAIL ESSEX COUNTY'S SENATOR'S AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE RIGHT NOW."

Experience teaches that these matters are often replete with political considerations which sometimes cause inordinate delays. However, under the circumstances, we urge that partisanship and bickering between or among parties responsible for judicial appointments and the approval thereof should be put to one side. This is an emergency, and it is our understanding that there are a number of qualified applicants for judicial positions. It is absolutely necessary that where holdups exist because of personal or political considerations, those have to be put to one side so that nominations by the governor can be considered and approved without further delay. We echo the plea of the bar association.