Sheila Venable Is First Black Woman To Lead Essex County Courts

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The largest court vicinage in New Jersey will soon have a history-making new assignment judge.

Superior Court Judge Sheila Venable was recently announced as the successor to Sallyanne Floria, who is retiring after 22 years on the bench.

Venable, the first Black assignment judge for the Essex County vicinage, will take over her new post on Feb. 1.

Venable’s credentials are impressive. According to a news release from the New Jersey Courts:

“Judge Venable served as the presiding judge of the criminal division in the Hudson Vicinage from 2008 to 2018 and currently serves as a drug court judge there. She was appointed to the bench on Jan. 20, 2005 by Gov. Richard Codey, serving first in the family division and then moving to the criminal division later that year. She was reappointed by Gov. Chris Christie and received tenure in December 2011. Prior to her judicial career, Judge Venable served from 1986 to 1988 as designated counsel on behalf of the State Public Defender’s Office at the Department of Public Advocate. During the same period, Judge Venable served as public defender for Jersey City. Judge Venable then served as assistant prosecutor in Jersey City and, in 1991, became Jersey City’s chief municipal prosecutor. She served as a municipal court judge in Jersey City from 1993 to 2005. Prior to her judicial career, Judge Venable earned her bachelor’s degree in political science, with an emphasis in public administration, at California State University Northridge. She later received her law degree at the University of Santa Clara.”

“Judge Venable’s distinguished career has been marked by excellence, strong leadership and empathy, qualities that will serve the state’s largest vicinage and the public well,” Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said.

“Essex County, and the judiciary as a whole, are fortunate to have such a gifted jurist continue to maintain the highest standards Judge Floria exemplified,” Rabner said.

Venable thanked Rabner for his words of praise and said that Floria has set a strong example to follow.

“I am humbled and honored to have been chosen and I feel privileged to be a part of this independent judiciary,” Venable said.

Venable will take over the helm of the Essex Vicinage, which is the largest of New Jersey’s 15 court vicinages. The division has 811 employees.

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