We have not forgotten, nor should our legislators and the people of New Jersey forget, the proposal that surfaced this spring. It suggested an amendment to the state constitution to require Superior Court Appellate Division judges to be nominated by the governor and approved by the senate, just like Supreme Court justices. Now they are elevated on merit by the chief justice from the trial bench to the Appellate Division.
No good reason was advanced for such a change, and it received an immediate welter of opposition from many quarters, including the New Jersey State Bar Association and this Editorial Board. The proposal seems to have deservedly dropped out of sight and may now be too late for this year’s general election. But it is still a bad idea and we should be diligent in watching out for its reappearance.