Divorce, Civil Trials Suspended In 6 NJ Counties Amid Judge Shortage

NEW JERSEY — Six New Jersey counties will suspend civil and divorce trials as the state's shortage of judges persists. With 1 in 6 trial courts vacant throughout the state, the chief justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court urged lawmakers Tuesday to fill the judicial vacancies.

Courts in two areas will suspend the trials starting Feb. 21: Vicinage 13 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren Counties) and Vicinage 15 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties).

Chief Justice Stuart Rabner's decision puts new pressure on Gov. Phil Murphy and the State Legislature to alleviate New Jersey's judge shortage, which has persisted throughout the pandemic. There are 69 vacancies throughout the state's trial courts as of Tuesday, and the system has operated with an average of more than 50 vacancies over the past three years, he says.

"Without additional relief, we may well face the same situation in other vicinages in the near future," Rabner said in a statement.

The judiciary will allow civil and divorce cases in the impacted areas under limited circumstances. The courts will prioritize emergencies such as domestic-violence complaints, criminal and juvenile delinquency matters, and proceedings in which a person's liberty is at stake, Rabner says.

Vicinage 13 has five vacancies out of 20 judicial positions, while Vicinage 15 is missing nine out of 28.

"We recognize that when the doors of the courthouse are closed — even partially — people entitled to their day in court suffer real harm," Rabner said. "We therefore respectfully call on the Executive and Legislative branches to address the current vacancy crisis in Vicinages 13 and 15 as well as other parts of the state.

In New Jersey, Murphy must nominate judges, and the State Senate must confirm them. Seventeen Murphy-nominated judges await Senate confirmation, according to NJ Advance Media.

Additionally, 23 judges are expected to retire by the end of the year.

Rabner has repeatedly warned of New Jersey's judicial shortage. The vacancies impose heightened responsibilities on sitting judges, who handle thousands of proceedings and motions each month, he says.

Following Rabner's statement, a lawmaker representing many Vicinage 13 communities in western New Jersey called on officials to take action.

"Given the magnitude of the problem and the impact on people and families, we need to act now to keep our courtrooms open," said State Sen. Doug Steinhardt (R-23). "We need the Governor’s Office to work with legislators to make good nominations for all judicial vacancies, and the Senate advice and consent process to work swiftly and efficiently."