List of justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey
Current justices
| Name | Born | Joined | Term ends | Mandatory retirement | Party affiliation | Appointed by | Law school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Rabner, Chief Justice | June 30, 1960 | June 29, 2007 | –[a] | June 30, 2030 | Democratic | Jon Corzine (D) | Harvard |
| Anne M. Patterson | April 15, 1959 | September 1, 2011 | –[a] | April 15, 2029 | Republican | Chris Christie (R) | Cornell |
| Fabiana Pierre-Louis | September 9, 1980 | September 1, 2020 | September 1, 2027 | September 9, 2050 | Democratic | Phil Murphy (D) | Rutgers |
| Rachel Wainer Apter | July 22, 1980 | October 21, 2022 | October 21, 2029 | July 22, 2050 | Democratic | Phil Murphy (D) | Harvard |
| Douglas M. Fasciale | November 5, 1960 | October 21, 2022[b] | October 21, 2029 | November 5, 2030 | Republican | Phil Murphy (D) | Seton Hall |
| Michael Noriega | March 27, 1978 | July 6, 2023 | July 6, 2030 | March 27, 2048 | Democratic | Phil Murphy (D) | Seton Hall |
| John Jay Hoffman | August 23, 1965 | October 2, 2024 | October 2, 2031 | August 23, 2035 | Independent | Phil Murphy (D) | Duke |
List of justices before 1947
Before 1947 and particularly after 1844, the structure of the New Jersey state judiciary was incredibly complex. In some cases, it is not entirely clear whether the following justices served on the Supreme Court of New Jersey (1776–), the New Jersey Court of Common Pleas (1704–1947), or the New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals (1844–1947).
1776 Constitution
| Justice | Position | Succeeded | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Richard Stockton (1730–1781) |
1774 – 1776 (Elected to Continental Congress) | ||
|
John De Hart (1730–1781) |
September 4, 1776 – February 1777 (Replaced for failure to attend) | ||
|
Isaac Smith (1740–1807) |
1777 – 1804 | ||
| Robert Morris (1742–1814) |
Chief Justice |
February 5, 1777 – May 25, 1779 (Resigned) | ||
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|
John Cleves Symmes (1742–1814) |
1777 – 1778 | ||
|
David Brearley[1] (1745–1790) |
Chief Justice |
R. Morris | 1779 – September 26, 1789 (Elevated to U.S. District Court) |
|
James Kinsey[2] (1731–1802) |
Chief Justice |
D. Brearley | 1789 – January 4, 1802 (Died) |
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|
Andrew Kirkpatrick (1756–1831) |
Justice | 1798 – 1808 (Continued as Chief Justice) | |
| Andrew Kirkpatrick (1756–1831) |
Chief Justice |
J. Kinsey | 1808 – 1825 | |
| William Rossell (1760–1840) |
Justice | 1804 – 1826 (Elevated to U.S. District Court) | ||
|
William Sanford Pennington (1757–1826) |
Justice | 1805 – 1813 (Elected Governor of New Jersey) | |
|
Mahlon Dickerson (1770–1853) |
Justice | 1813 – 1815 (Elected Governor of New Jersey) | |
|
Samuel L. Southard (1787–1842) |
1815 – 1820 (Elected to U.S. Senate) | ||
|
Charles Ewing[3] (1780–1832) |
Chief Justice |
A. Kirkpatrick | 1825 – August 5, 1832 (Died) |
| Joseph Coerten Hornblower (1777–1864) |
Chief Justice |
C. Ewing | 1838 – 1844 (Continued as Chief Justice) | |
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|
William L. Dayton (1807–1864) |
Justice | 1838 – 1842 (Appointed to U.S. Senate) | |
1844 Constitution
| Justice | Position | Succeeded | Tenure | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Coerten Hornblower (1777–1864) |
Chief Justice |
1844 – 1846 (Resigned) |
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| Joseph Fitz Randolph (1803–1873) |
Justice | 1845 – 1852 (Resigned) |
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| Elias B. D. Ogden (1800–1865) |
Justice | 1848 – February 24, 1865 (Died) |
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|
Garret D. Wall (1783–1850) |
Justice | 1848 – November 22, 1850 (Died) |
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|
Daniel Haines (1801–1877) |
Justice | 1852 – 1866 |
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|
Lucius Elmer (1793–1883) |
Justice | 1852 – 1859 |
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| Peter Vrendenburgh (1805–1873) |
Justice | 1854 – 1868 |
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|
Edward W. Whelpley (1818–1864) |
Justice | 1858 – 1861 (Continued as Chief Justice) |
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| John Van Dyke (1807–1878) |
Justice | 1859 – 1866 |
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|
Edward W. Whelpley (1818–1864) |
Chief Justice |
1861 – 1864 |
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| George Houston Brown (1810–1865) |
Justice | 1861 – August 1, 1865 (Died) |
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|
Lucius Elmer (1793–1883) |
Justice | 1861 – 1869 |
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|
Mercer Beasley (1815–1897) |
Chief Justice |
March 8, 1864 – February 19, 1897 (Died) |
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|
Joseph D. Bedle (1831–1894) |
Justice | 1865 – January 19, 1875 (Elected Governor of New Jersey) |
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| Edward W. Scudder (1822–1893) |
Justice | 1869 – February 3, 1893 (Died) |
Theodore Fitz Randolph | ||
| Bennett Van Syckel (1830–1921) |
Justice | 1869 – 1904 |
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|
Jonathan Dixon (1839–1906) |
Justice | 1875 – May 21, 1906 (Died) |
Joseph D. Bedle | |
| Alfred Reed | Justice | 1875 – 1895 |
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|
Joel Parker (1816–1888) |
Justice | 1880 – January 2, 1888 (Died) |
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|
William J. Magie (1832–1917) |
Justice | 1880 – 1897 (Continued as Chief Justice) |
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| Charles G. Garrison (1849–1924) |
Justice | J. Parker | 1888 – 1893 (Resigned) |
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| David A. Depue (1826–1902) |
Justice | 1889 – 1900 (Continued as Chief Justice) |
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| Manning M. Knapp (1825–1892) |
Justice | 1889 – January 26, 1892 (Died) |
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|
George Theodore Werts (1846–1910) |
Justice | M. Knapp | 1892 – January 17, 1893 (Elected Governor of New Jersey) |
Leon Abbett |
|
Job H. Lippincott (1842–1900) |
Justice | G. T. Werts | 1893 – 1900 (Died) |
George Theodore Werts |
| Joseph H. Gaskill (1851–1935) |
Justice | 1893 – 1896 | |||
|
Leon Abbett (1836–1894) |
Justice | 1893 – December 4, 1894 (Died) | ||
|
William Stryker Gummere (1852–1933) |
Justice | 1895 – November 19, 1901 (Continued as Chief Justice) | ||
|
George C. Ludlow (1830–1900) |
Justice | 1895 – December 18, 1900 (Died) | ||
| Charles G. Garrison (1849–1924) |
Justice | 1895 – 1920 (Resigned) |
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|
William H. Vredenburgh | Justice | 1897 – 1916 |
John W. Griggs | |
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|
Gilbert Collins (1846–1920) |
Justice | March 2, 1897 – 1903 (Resigned) | ||
|
|
William J. Magie (1832–1917) |
Chief Justice |
M. Beasley | 1897 – 1900 (Elevated to Chancellor of the Court of Errors and Appeals) | |
| David A. Depue (c. 1827–1902) |
Chief Justice |
W. J. Magie | 1900 – 1901 (Resigned) |
Foster M. Voorhees | |
|
John Franklin Fort (1852–1920) |
Justice | 1900 – 1907 (Elected Governor of New Jersey) | ||
|
|
William Stryker Gummere (1852–1933) |
Chief Justice |
D. Depue | November 19, 1901 – 1933 (Died) |
|
|
Mahlon Pitney (1858–1924) |
Justice | November 19, 1901 – 1908 | ||
| Thomas Whitaker Trenchard (1863–1942) |
Justice | January 15, 1907 – 1941 (Resigned) |
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| Charles Wolcott Parker (1862–1948) |
Justice | 1907 – 1942 |
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|
James J. Bergen (1847–1923) |
Justice | 1907 – 1915 |
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| Charles C. Black (1858–1947) |
Justice | 1914 – 1939 |
James Fairman Fielder | ||
| Frank S. Katzenbach (1868–1929) |
Justice | 1920 – March 13, 1929 (Died) |
Edward I. Edwards | ||
| Joseph Lamb Bodine (1883–1950) |
Justice | 1929 – 1948 |
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Clarence E. Case (1877–1961) |
Justice | 1929 – 1946
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Ralph W. E. Donges (1875–1974) |
Justice | 1930 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) |
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| Thomas J. Brogan (1889–1965) |
Justice | 1932 – 1933 (Continued as Chief Justice) |
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| Joseph B. Perskie (1885–1957) |
Justice | 1933 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) |
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| Harry Heher (1889–1972) |
Justice | 1933 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) |
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| Thomas J. Brogan (1889–1965) |
Chief Justice |
W. S. Gummere | 1933 – 1946 (Resigned) |
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| Newton Hazelton Porter (1815–1897) |
Justice | 1938 – 1945 |
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| Frederic R. Colie (1895–1974) |
Justice | 1941 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) |
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| A. Dayton Oliphant (1887–1963) |
Justice | N. H. Porter | 1945 – 1946 |
Walter Evans Edge | |
|
|
Clarence E. Case (1877–1961) |
Chief Justice |
T. Brogan | 1946 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) | |
| William A. Wachenfeld (1889–1969) |
Justice | 1946 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) | |||
| Howard Eastwood (1884–1976) |
Justice | 1946 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) | |||
| Albert E. Burling (1891–1960) |
Justice | 1947 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) | |||
Supreme Court justices under 1947 Constitution
List of justices
| Justice | Position | Succeeded | Tenure | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur T. Vanderbilt (1888–1957) |
Chief Justice |
Inaugural | 1948 – June 16, 1957 (Died) |
Alfred E. Driscoll | |
| 2 | Albert E. Burling (1891–1960) |
Justice | Inaugural | 1948 – October 29, 1960 (Died) | ||
| 3 | Harry Heher (1889–1972) |
Justice | Inaugural | 1948 – March 20, 1959 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 4 | William A. Wachenfeld (1889–1969) |
Justice | Inaugural | 1948 – February 24, 1959 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 5 | A. Dayton Oliphant (1887–1963) |
Justice | Inaugural | 1948 – October 28, 1957 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 6 |
|
Clarence E. Case (1877–1961) |
Justice | Inaugural | 1948 – 1952 (Resigned) | |
| 7 | Henry E. Ackerson Jr. (1880–1970) |
Justice | Inaugural | 1948 – 1952 (Resigned) | ||
| 8 | Nathan L. Jacobs (1905–1989) |
Justice | C. Case | 1952 – 1975 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 9 | 
|
William J. Brennan Jr. (1906–1997) |
Justice | H. E. Ackerson | 1951 – 1956 (Elevated to U.S. Supreme Court) | |
| 10 | Joseph Weintraub (1908–1977) |
Justice | W. J. Brennan | 1956 – 1957 (Continued as Chief Justice) |
Robert Meyner | |
| 10 | Joseph Weintraub (1908–1977) |
Chief Justice |
A. Vanderbilt | 1957 – 1973 | ||
| 11 | Haydn Proctor (1903–1996) |
Justice | A. Oliphant | October 28, 1957 – 1973 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 12 | John J. Francis (1903–1984) |
Justice | J. Weintraub | 1957 – 1973 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 13 | Frederick Wilson Hall (1908–1984) |
Justice | W. Wachenfeld | 1959 – February 1975[4] (Resigned) | ||
| 14 | C. Thomas Schettino (1907–1983) |
Justice | H. Heher | October 1959 – 1972 | ||
| 15 | Vincent S. Haneman (1902–1978) |
Justice | A. Burling | 1960 – 1971 | ||
| 16 | Worrall Frederick Mountain (1909–1992) |
Justice | V. Haneman | 1971 – 1979 |
William Cahill | |
|
Pierre P. Garven (1925–1973) |
Justice | C. T. Schettino[5] | April 1973 – September 1973 (Continued as Chief Justice) | ||
| 17 | Mark Sullivan (1911–2001) |
Justice | J. Francis[5] | March 23, 1973 – August 11, 1981 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 18 | Robert L. Clifford (1924–2014) |
Justice | P. Garven[6] | 1973 – 1994 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 19 | Morris Pashman (1912–1999) |
Justice | H. Proctor[6] | April 1973 – 1982 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 20 |
|
Pierre P. Garven (1925–1973) |
Chief Justice |
J. Weintraub[6] | September 1, 1973 – October 19, 1973 (Died) | |
| 21 | .jpg)
|
Richard J. Hughes (1909–1992) |
Chief Justice |
P. Garven | December 18, 1973 – August 10, 1979 (Mandatory retirement) | |
| 22 | Sidney Schreiber (1915–2009) |
Justice | N. Jacobs | 1975 – 1984 (Resigned) |
Brendan Byrne | |
| 23 | Alan B. Handler (1931–2024) |
Justice | F. W. Hall[4] | 1977 – 1999 (Resigned) | ||
| 24 | Stewart G. Pollock (1932–) |
Justice | W. F. Mountain | June 28, 1979 – 1999
| ||
| 25 | Robert Wilentz (1927–1996) |
Chief Justice |
R. Hughes | 1979 – July 23, 1996
| ||
| 26 | Daniel Joseph O'Hern (1930–2009) |
Justice | M. Sullivan | August 6, 1981 – 2000
| ||
| 27 | Marie L. Garibaldi (1934–2016) |
Justice | M. Pashman | November 17, 1982 – 2000
|
Thomas Kean | |
| 28 | Gary S. Stein (1933–) |
Justice | S. Schreiber | January 11, 1985 – 2002 (Resigned) | ||
| 29 | James H. Coleman (1933–2024) |
Justice | R. Clifford | 1994 – 2003 |
Christine Todd Whitman | |
| 30 | Deborah Poritz (1936–) |
Chief Justice |
R. Wilentz | July 10, 1996 – October 25, 2006 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 31 | Peter Verniero (1959–) |
Justice | S. Pollock | 1999 – 2004 (Resigned) | ||
| 32 | Virginia Long (1942–) |
Justice | A. Handler | September 1, 1999 – March 1, 2012 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 33 | James R. Zazzali (1937–) |
Justice | D. J. O'Hern | May 25, 2000 – October 26, 2006 (Continued as Chief Justice) | ||
| 34 | Jaynee LaVecchia (1954–) |
Justice | M. Garibaldi | February 1, 2000 – December 31, 2021 (Retired) | ||
| 35 | Barry T. Albin (born 1952) |
Justice | G. Stein | September 18, 2002 – July 6, 2022 (Retired) |
James McGreevey | |
| 36 | John E. Wallace Jr. (1953–) |
Justice | J. Coleman | May 20, 2003 – May 20, 2010 (Not re-nominated) | ||
| 37 | Roberto A. Rivera-Soto (1953–) |
Justice | P. Verniero | September 1, 2004 – August 31, 2011 (Not re-nominated) | ||
| 33 | James R. Zazzali (1937–) |
Chief Justice |
D. Poritz | October 26, 2006 – June 17, 2007 (Mandatory retirement) |
Jon Corzine | |
| 38 | Helen E. Hoens (1937–) |
Justice | J. Zazzalli | October 26, 2006 – October 26, 2013 (Not re-nominated) | ||
| 39 | Stuart Rabner (born 1960) |
Chief Justice |
J. Zazzali | June 29, 2007 – Incumbent | ||
| 40 | Anne Patterson (born 1959) |
Justice | R. Rivera-Soto | September 1, 2011 – Incumbent |
Chris Christie | |
| 41 | Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina (1952–) |
Justice | H. Hoens | November 19, 2013 – February 15, 2022 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 42 | Lee Solomon (born 1954) |
Justice | V. Long | June 19, 2014 – August 17, 2024 (Mandatory retirement) | ||
| 43 | Walter F. Timpone (1950–) |
Justice | J. Wallace (2011) |
May 2, 2016 – August 31, 2020 | ||
| 44 | Fabiana Pierre-Louis (1980–) |
Justice | W. Timpone | September 1, 2020 – Incumbent |
Phil Murphy | |
| 45 | Douglas M. Fasciale (1960–) |
Justice | F. Fernandez-Vina | September 1, 2022 – Incumbent | ||
| 46 | Rachel Wainer Apter (1980/1981–) |
Justice | J. LaVecchia | October 21, 2022 – Incumbent | ||
| 47 | Michael Noriega (1977/1978–) |
Justice | B. Albin | July 6, 2023 – Incumbent | ||
| 48 | John Jay Hoffman (1965–) |
Justice | L. Solomon | Designate | ||
Acting justices
Wallace vacancy
On May 3, 2010, Governor Chris Christie declined to re-nominate John E. Wallace Jr., whose seven-year term expired on May 20, 2010. He was the first Justice of the Supreme Court to be denied tenure in more than a half-century since the adoption of the Constitution of New Jersey in 1947.[7] To fill the vacancy Chief Justice Stuart Rabner appointed a number of acting judges (known as Judge of the Appellate Division, Temporarily Assigned to the Supreme Court[8]) during an extended period of controversy and conflict with the New Jersey Senate about the court's political composition.[9][10]
LaVecchia/Albin/Fernandez-Vina vacancies
On March 8, 2021, Justice Jaynee LaVecchia announced that she would retire on August 31, 2021, more than three years before her mandatory retirement date.[11] A week later, Governor Phil Murphy announced his intention to nominate Rachel Wainer Apter, the director of the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights, to replace LaVecchia.[12] Apter was blocked for 14 months by Republican Senator Holly Schepisi by a process called senatorial consent (similar to the blue slip process for federal judgeships),[13] and was only allowed to move forward after two more justices, Barry T. Albin and Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina, had reached retirement age in the interim and Gov. Murphy nominated Republican Douglas M. Fasciale to succeed Fernandez-Vina.[14] Both Apter and Fasciale were confirmed on October 17, 2022.[15] Additionally, Michael Noriega was nominated and confirmed in 2023 to succeed Albin.
LaVecchia vacancy:
- Jose L. Fuentes
- Clarkson S. Fisher, Jr.
Albin vacancy:
Fernandez-Vina vacancy:
Timeline of justices
See also
Notes
- ^ a b At the end of their initial seven-year term, the justice was renominated for tenure and was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate to serve until the mandatory retirement age of 70.
- ^ Fasciale served in a temporary appointment from September 1–October 21, 2022
References
- ^ The Founding Fathers: New Jersey - David Brearly Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine, National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed November 27, 2007.
- ^ James Kinsey Archived 2007-03-12 at the Wayback Machine, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 15, 2007.
- ^ Manuscript Group 283, Ewing Family (Trenton, NJ) Archived 2007-10-05 at the Wayback Machine, accessed January 9, 2007.
- ^ a b "Metropolitan Area News in Brief". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 22, 1977. p. 12.
- ^ a b New Jersey Register. Vol. 5. New Jersey State Library: State of New Jersey. 1973. p. 129.
- ^ a b c Sullivan, Ronald (April 19, 1973). "Cahill Names Two Justices And Supreme Court Chief: Nominees Praised 2 Meyner Nominees". The New York Times. p. 90.
- ^ "The Politicization of a Respected Court" Archived 2020-08-31 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, December 16, 2010; accessed May 19, 2014.
- ^ "A new title for temporary Supreme Court members: The Auditor". June 2014. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ^ "Appellate judge appointed temporary N.J. Supreme Court justice". June 11, 2011. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ "A political fight provides N.J. Supreme Court with apolitical legal mind". October 24, 2010. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
- ^ Wildstein, David (March 8, 2021). "LaVecchia will retire, opening Supreme Court nomination for Murphy". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ "Governor Murphy Announces Intention to Nominate Rachel Wainer Apter to Serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court" (Press release). Retrieved March 15, 2021.
- ^ Fox, Joey (October 6, 2021). "Murphy optimistic on Wainer Apter nomination despite long delay". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
- ^ Sobko, Katie (September 14, 2022). "Murphy to name Republican to Supreme Court in deal with Bergen County's Schepisi". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
- ^ Biryukov, Nikita (October 17, 2022). "Lawmakers confirm two for New Jersey Supreme Court seats". New Jersey Monitor. Retrieved October 31, 2022.