Empty Judge Bench Credit: icedmocha/Shutterstock

An open letter from the county bar presidents in Vicinage 13, addressed to Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Brian Stack, and Senate President Nicholas Scutari, said that the failure to fill judicial vacancies has denied justice and equal protection under the law to the citizens of those counties.

Vicinage 13, which covers Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties, as well as Vicinage 15, which covers of Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties, have had all civil and matrimonial trials shut down since February. The letter, signed by bar presidents Steven K Warner of Somerset County, Patrick Heller of Hunterdon County and Kelly Shelton of Warren County, called the judicial vacancies "unacceptable and unnecessary" and "easily remedied."