ECBA Hosts Over 300 Attendees for Town Hall with Judiciary

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – The Essex County Bar Association, in cooperation with Assignment Judge Sheila A. Venable and the Presiding Judges of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex Vicinage (Hon. Jodi Alper (P.J. Ch.), Hon. Anthony J. Frasca (P.J. M.C.), Hon. David B. Katz (P.J. Fam.), Hon. Thomas M. Moore (P.J. Civ.), and Hon. Ronald D. Wigler P.J. Crim.)), hosted its sixth “town hall” forum on February 18, 2021, providing attorneys in Essex County the opportunity to obtain a court operations update from the leadership of the state’s largest court vicinage. Yesterday’s town hall was the first since May 2020 and provided Judge Venable and the Presiding Judge of each trial division an opportunity to explain the status of and plan for continued remote operations in response to the temporary COVID-19 health emergency. Due to the sheer number of landlord/tenant matters pending for more than 60 days, Supervising Judge Stephen Petrillo, J.S.C., also offered an update on commercial and residential landlord/tenant cases.

More than 300 attorneys and judiciary employees in Essex County attended the forum, where Essex County Bar President Kevin G. Walsh also formally introduced Judge Venable to the Essex County legal community. Judge Venable took the helm of the largest Superior Court vicinage in New Jersey on February 1, 2021. Judge Venable was appointed to the bench in Hudson County in 2005 where she served in several parts since then, including 10 years as the Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division. Yesterday, Judge Venable offered an overview of current court operations, reaffirming that the Chancery, Civil, Criminal, Family, and Municipal Court Divisions of the Essex Vicinage have been and will continue processing cases in a largely remote setting for the benefit of attorneys, litigants, defendants, and judges, though certain proceedings are being held in person as needed. She also noted the high number of judicial vacancies in Essex County, which are currently 17, and her willingness to work with all stakeholders toward filling those open judicial seats.

The Assignment Judge invited the Presiding Judge for each trial division to offer an update on a wide-range of topics, including contact information for court personnel as counsel continue to file papers and make appearances remotely, mediation and settlement procedures, grand jury proceedings, oral arguments in all types of contested cases, and the upcoming start of remote civil jury trials, slated to begin for 10 cases in Essex County on April 12, 2021. The judges, Trial Court Administrator Amy K. DePaul, and other court administrators also answered participants’ questions posed during the event.

A highlight from each trial division:

• Civil – Judge Moore noted that 10 cases each are scheduled for trial or final settlement on April 12 and April 26, 2021, though only one case will be tried at a time during each two-week window.
• Chancery – Judge Alper explained the continuing use of JEDS and the need to send paper courtesy copies, unless otherwise instructed.
• Criminal – Judge Wigler stated that grand juries have handed up more than 300 indictments since remote operations began on March 16, 2020.
• Landlord/Tenant – Judge Petrillo advised that almost 14,000 cases are pending between landlords and tenants, which represents about 1/3 of all such cases in the State of New Jersey.
• Family – Judge Katz alerted counsel that they now have the ability to seek TROs by telephone in emergent circumstances.
• Municipal – Judge Frasca predicted that, when the pandemic is over, municipal court practice will likely resemble this time of remote operations and will surely “not just go back to the way it was” for most cases involving counsel.

“As Essex County lawyers continue to advocate for their clients during the pandemic, the Bar Association has found a willing partner in the Essex County judiciary,” observed Essex County Bar Association President, Kevin G. Walsh, a Director with Gibbons P.C. “Yesterday’s ‘town hall’ was an important, continuing dialogue with the leadership of the Essex County courts. We thank Judge Venable, all our Essex County judges, and the amazing courthouse administration for their openness and flexibility during this challenging time. The Bar Association is committed to the hard work needed, now and into the future, to ensure the fair administration of justice for litigants in Essex County.”

The Essex County Bar Association will continue to provide up-to-date information through its COVID-19 Resources pages found at www.essexbar.com, relevant CLE programming, and periodic bench-bar programs such as yesterday’s town hall event.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The Essex County Bar Association is the largest and oldest county association of private attorneys, government lawyers, public defenders, and prosecutors. Founded in 1895, today’s ECBA supports all members of the bar in their practice of law and the administration of justice for the nearly 800,000 residents of Essex County. The ECBA is governed by a volunteer group of six Officers and sixteen Trustees who also practice law in New Jersey; administered by an executive staff of two full-time attorneys and several support staff; and has more than 2,000 active members.