Essex County Builds 2 New Family Court Rooms

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Will two new courtrooms help Essex County deal with its family court backlog?

On Thursday, Essex County officials announced that two new Superior Court courtrooms have been completed in the Wilentz Justice Complex in Newark. The courtrooms – part of the Essex Vicinage Family Court – will provide “modern, up-to-date accommodations for members of the public as well as judges and court personnel,” officials stated.

Upgrades include modern sound systems and technology that enables video conferencing to be conducted, as well as to reconstruct hallways to enhance security, officials said.

Construction on the new spaces began in February and was completed in about six months. Comito and Associates from Newark received a $115,000 contract to design the two courtrooms. John O’Hara Co. from East Orange was awarded a publicly-bid $999,737 contract to perform the construction work. The project was funded through the Essex County Capital Budget.

“People coming to Family Court can be involved in life-alerting events,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said. “Providing courtroom space that is up to date and functional creates a welcoming atmosphere that puts people at ease and allows the courts to work more efficiently.”

In August, the New Jersey Senate confirmed eight new Superior Court judges, including residents of West Caldwell, Nutley, Verona, West Orange, Fairfield and Cedar Grove.

• See related article: 8 New Superior Court Judges Approved In Essex County

A year ago, the Essex vicinage had 21 judicial vacancies, the highest in the state, according to NJ.com.

“The backlog became so bad at one point that civil and family court trials were temporarily suspended,” NJ.com reported.