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The Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct will conduct a formal virtual hearing Wednesday in a complaint against Superior Court Judge Michael J. Kassel for allegedly expressing unfamiliarity with litigants' cases and voicing his dissatisfaction with his temporary assignment to family court, among other allegations.

In a complaint filed by disciplinary counsel for the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct, it was alleged that on 16 separate occasions, while serving temporarily in the Family Division, Kassel made remarks to litigants and counsel "that he lacked familiarity with their case, was ignorant of the applicable law, and incapable of adjudicating family court matters." The complaint further alleged that Kassel openly expressed disagreement with Rule 5:4-3(b), "which relieves a defendant of the need to file an answer, appearance, or acknowledgement in a summary family action, provided the defendant appears in court on the return day."