Former Nutley Mayor Confirmed As NJ Superior Court Judge

NUTLEY, NJ — A former mayor of Nutley who transitioned to a judgeship on the municipal court has earned a big promotion.

Earlier this month, the state Senate confirmed seven Superior Court judges, including Joanne Cocchiola, who has deep ties to Nutley.

In addition to Cocchiola, the Senate confirmed Lori Grifa, MeLinda Hawkins Taylor, Heather V. Taylor, Linda Hynes, Jill S. Mayer and Aldo Russo to the Essex, Burlington, and Camden vicinages.

The “highly-qualified group of judges” will make substantial contributions to the state’s judiciary for decades to come, Gov. Phil Murphy said, applauding their confirmation.

“Since the beginning of our administration, we have responded to vacancies in the courts with 116 nominations, of which 81 have been confirmed,” Murphy said. “I look forward to continuing to make progress on nominations to the Superior Court.”

According to the governor’s office, Cocchiola has served as the municipal court judge for the Township of Nutley. Previously, Cocchiola served as associate counsel for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority for more than 12 years.

Cocchiola is a former mayor of Nutley, and previously served on the township’s Board of Commissioners. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Douglass College, and a J.D. from Seton Hall University.

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