While it may not appear to be a top priority in Trenton, it has not escaped the notice of those concerned about the stability of our state Supreme Court that the nomination to fill the seat of now retired Associate Justice Jaynee LaVecchia has been pending for 14 months. retired Associate Justice Faustino Fernandez-Vina reached the mandatory retirement age in late February, an event that had been utterly predictable for the preceding 70 years, but no nomination for his replacement has been made. And Associate Justice Barry Albin reaches the mandatory retirement age on July 7.

The court is therefore currently operating with five confirmed justices and one temporary assignment, senior Appellate Division Judge Jose Fuentes, who will serve until the end of the court term this summer when he also retires. Chief Justice Rabner has very wisely decided not to call up a seventh temporary member from the Appellate Division in order to maintain the longstanding tradition of not having more than four members of the court from one political party. The court has therefore not been operating at full strength for several months, a situation whose end is not yet in sight.