List of justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey

Current justices

List of justices before 1947 Before 1947 and particularly after 1844, the structure of the New Jersey state judiciary was incredibly complex. In some cases, it is not entirely clear whether the following justices served on the Supreme Court of New Jersey (1776–), the New Jersey Court of Common Pleas (1704–1947), or the New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals (1844–1947).

1776 Constitution

JusticePositionSucceededTenureRichard Stockton(1730–1781)–1776(Elected to Continental Congress)John De Hart(1730–1781)–February 1777(Replaced for failure to attend)Isaac Smith(1740–1807)–1804Robert Morris(1742–1814)–May 25, 1779(Resigned)John Cleves Symmes(1742–1814)–1778David BrearleyThe Founding Fathers: New Jersey - David Brearly , National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed November 27, 2007.(1745–1790)R. Morris–September 26, 1789(Elevated to U.S. District Court)James KinseyJames Kinsey , Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 15, 2007.(1731–1802)D. Brearley–January 4, 1802(Died)Andrew Kirkpatrick(1756–1831)–1808(Continued as Chief Justice)Andrew Kirkpatrick(1756–1831)J. Kinsey–1825William Rossell(1760–1840)–1826(Elevated to U.S. District Court)William Sanford Pennington(1757–1826)–1813(Elected Governor of New Jersey)Mahlon Dickerson(1770–1853)–1815(Elected Governor of New Jersey)Samuel L. Southard(1787–1842)Mahlon Dickerson–1820(Elected to U.S. Senate)Charles EwingManuscript Group 283, Ewing Family (Trenton, NJ) , accessed January 9, 2007.(1780–1832)A. Kirkpatrick–August 5, 1832(Died)Joseph Coerten Hornblower(1777–1864)C. Ewing–1844(Continued as Chief Justice)William L. Dayton(1807–1864)–1842(Appointed to U.S. Senate)

1844 Constitution

JusticePositionSucceededTenureAppointed byJoseph Coerten Hornblower(1777–1864)–1846(Resigned)Joseph Fitz Randolph(1803–1873)–1852(Resigned)Elias B. D. Ogden(1800–1865)–February 24, 1865(Died)Garret D. Wall(1783–1850)–November 22, 1850(Died)Daniel Haines(1801–1877)–1866Lucius Elmer(1793–1883)–1859Peter Vrendenburgh(1805–1873)–1868Edward W. Whelpley(1818–1864)–1861(Continued as Chief Justice)John Van Dyke(1807–1878)–1866Edward W. Whelpley(1818–1864)–1864George Houston Brown(1810–1865)–August 1, 1865(Died)Lucius Elmer(1793–1883)–1869Mercer Beasley(1815–1897)–February 19, 1897(Died)Joseph D. Bedle(1831–1894)–January 19, 1875(Elected Governor of New Jersey)Edward W. Scudder(1822–1893)–February 3, 1893(Died)Theodore Fitz RandolphBennett Van Syckel(1830–1921)–1904Jonathan Dixon(1839–1906)–May 21, 1906(Died)Joseph D. BedleAlfred Reed–1895Joel Parker(1816–1888)–January 2, 1888(Died)William J. Magie(1832–1917)–1897(Continued as Chief Justice)Charles G. Garrison(1849–1924)J. Parker–1893(Resigned)David A. Depue(1826–1902)–1900(Continued as Chief Justice)Manning M. Knapp(1825–1892)–January 26, 1892(Died)George Theodore Werts(1846–1910)M. Knapp–January 17, 1893(Elected Governor of New Jersey)Leon AbbettJob H. Lippincott(1842–1900)G. T. Werts–1900(Died)George Theodore WertsJoseph H. Gaskill(1851–1935)–1896Leon Abbett(1836–1894)–December 4, 1894(Died)William Stryker Gummere(1852–1933)–November 19, 1901(Continued as Chief Justice)George C. Ludlow(1830–1900)–December 18, 1900(Died)Charles G. Garrison(1849–1924)–1920(Resigned)William H. Vredenburgh–1916John W. GriggsGilbert Collins(1846–1920)–1903(Resigned)William J. Magie(1832–1917)M. Beasley–1900(Elevated to Chancellor of the Court of Errors and Appeals)David A. Depue(c. 1827–1902)W. J. Magie–1901(Resigned)Foster M. VoorheesJohn Franklin Fort(1852–1920)–1907(Elected Governor of New Jersey)William Stryker Gummere(1852–1933)D. Depue–1933(Died)Mahlon Pitney(1858–1924)– 1908Thomas Whitaker Trenchard(1863–1942)–1941(Resigned)Charles Wolcott Parker(1862–1948)–1942James J. Bergen(1847–1923)–1915Charles C. Black(1858–1947)–1939James Fairman FielderFrank S. Katzenbach(1868–1929)–March 13, 1929(Died)Edward I. EdwardsJoseph Lamb Bodine(1883–1950)–1948Clarence E. Case(1877–1961)– 1946 (Continued as Chief Justice)Ralph W. E. Donges(1875–1974)–1948(Constitution of 1947)Thomas J. Brogan(1889–1965)–1933(Continued as Chief Justice)Joseph B. Perskie(1885–1957)–1948(Constitution of 1947)Harry Heher(1889–1972)–1948(Constitution of 1947)Thomas J. Brogan(1889–1965)W. S. Gummere–1946(Resigned)Newton Hazelton Porter(1815–1897)–1945Frederic R. Colie(1895–1974)–1948(Constitution of 1947)A. Dayton Oliphant(1887–1963)N. H. Porter–1946Walter Evans EdgeClarence E. Case(1877–1961)T. Brogan–1948(Constitution of 1947)William A. Wachenfeld(1889–1969)–1948(Constitution of 1947)Howard Eastwood(1884–1976)–1948(Constitution of 1947)Albert E. Burling(1891–1960)–1948(Constitution of 1947)

Supreme Court justices under 1947 Constitution

List of justices JusticePositionSucceededTenureAppointed by1Arthur T. Vanderbilt(1888–1957)Inaugural–June 16, 1957(Died)Alfred E. Driscoll2Albert E. Burling(1891–1960)Inaugural–October 29, 1960(Died)3Harry Heher(1889–1972)Inaugural–March 20, 1959(Mandatory retirement)4William A. Wachenfeld(1889–1969)Inaugural–February 24, 1959 (Mandatory retirement)5A. Dayton Oliphant(1887–1963)Inaugural–October 28, 1957(Mandatory retirement)6Clarence E. Case(1877–1961)Inaugural–1952(Resigned)7Henry E. Ackerson Jr.(1880–1970)Inaugural–1952(Resigned)8Nathan L. Jacobs(1905–1989)C. Case–1975(Mandatory retirement)9William J. Brennan Jr.(1906–1997)H. E. Ackerson–1956(Elevated to U.S. Supreme Court)10Joseph Weintraub(1908–1977)W. J. Brennan–1957(Continued as Chief Justice)Robert Meyner10Joseph Weintraub(1908–1977)A. Vanderbilt–197311Haydn Proctor(1903–1996)A. OliphantOctober 28, –1973(Mandatory retirement)12John J. Francis(1903–1984)J. Weintraub–1973(Mandatory retirement)13Frederick Wilson Hall(1908–1984)W. Wachenfeld–February 1975 (Resigned)14C. Thomas Schettino(1907–1983)H. Heher–197215Vincent S. Haneman(1902–1978)A. Burling– 197116Worrall Frederick Mountain(1909–1992)V. Haneman–1979William CahillPierre P. Garven(1925–1973)C. T. Schettino–September 1973(Continued as Chief Justice)17Mark Sullivan(1911–2001)J. Francis–August 11, 1981(Mandatory retirement)18Robert L. Clifford(1924–2014)P. Garven–1994(Mandatory retirement)19Morris Pashman(1912–1999)H. Proctor–1982(Mandatory retirement)20Pierre P. Garven(1925–1973)J. Weintraub–October 19, 1973(Died)21Richard J. Hughes(1909–1992)P. Garven–August 10, 1979(Mandatory retirement)22Sidney Schreiber(1915–2009)N. Jacobs–1984(Resigned)Brendan Byrne23Alan B. Handler(1931–2024)F. W. Hall–1999(Resigned)24Stewart G. Pollock(1932–)W. F. Mountain– 1999 (Resigned)25Robert Wilentz(1927–1996)R. Hughes– July 23, 1996 (Died)26Daniel Joseph O'Hern(1930–2009)M. Sullivan– 2000 (Mandatory retirement)27Marie L. Garibaldi(1934–2016)M. PashmanNovember 17, – 2000

(Resigned)Thomas Kean28Gary S. Stein(1933–)S. SchreiberJanuary 11, –2002(Resigned)29James H. Coleman(1933–2024)R. Clifford–2003Christine Todd Whitman30Deborah Poritz(1936–)R. Wilentz–October 25, 2006(Mandatory retirement)31Peter Verniero(1959–)S. Pollock–2004(Resigned)32Virginia Long(1942–)A. Handler–March 1, 2012(Mandatory retirement)33James R. Zazzali(1937–)D. J. O'Hern–October 26, 2006(Continued as Chief Justice)34Jaynee LaVecchia(1954–)M. Garibaldi–December 31, 2021(Retired)35Barry T. Albin(born 1952)G. Stein–July 6, 2022 (Retired)James McGreevey36John E. Wallace Jr.(1953–)J. Coleman–May 20, 2010(Not re-nominated)37Roberto A. Rivera-Soto(1953–)P. Verniero–August 31, 2011(Not re-nominated)33James R. Zazzali(1937–)D. Poritz–June 17, 2007(Mandatory retirement)Jon Corzine38Helen E. Hoens(1937–)J. Zazzalli–October 26, 2013(Not re-nominated)39Stuart Rabner(born 1960)J. Zazzali–Incumbent40Anne Patterson(born 1959)R. Rivera-Soto–IncumbentChris Christie41Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina(1952–)H. Hoens–February 15, 2022(Mandatory retirement)42Lee Solomon(born 1954)V. Long–August 17, 2024(Mandatory retirement)43Walter F. Timpone(1950–)J. Wallace(2011)–August 31, 202044Fabiana Pierre-Louis(1980–)W. Timpone–IncumbentPhil Murphy45Douglas M. Fasciale(1960–)F. Fernandez-Vina–Incumbent46Rachel Wainer Apter(1980/1981–)J. LaVecchia–Incumbent47Michael Noriega(1977/1978–)B. Albin–Incumbent48John Jay Hoffman(1965–)L. SolomonDesignate

Acting justices Wallace vacancy On May 3, 2010, Governor Chris Christie declined to re-nominate John E. Wallace Jr., whose seven-year term expired on May 20, 2010. He was the first Justice of the Supreme Court to be denied tenure in more than a half-century since the adoption of the Constitution of New Jersey in 1947."The Politicization of a Respected Court" , The New York Times, December 16, 2010; accessed May 19, 2014. To fill the vacancy Chief Justice Stuart Rabner appointed a number of acting judges (known as Judge of the Appellate Division, Temporarily Assigned to the Supreme Court) during an extended period of controversy and conflict with the New Jersey Senate about the court's political composition.

Mary Catherine Cuff Ariel A. Rodriguez Edwin Stern Dorothea O'C. Wefing

LaVecchia/Albin/Fernandez-Vina vacancies On March 8, 2021, Justice Jaynee LaVecchia announced that she would retire on August 31, 2021, more than three years before her mandatory retirement date. A week later, Governor Phil Murphy announced his intention to nominate Rachel Wainer Apter, the director of the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights, to replace LaVecchia. Apter was blocked for 14 months by Republican Senator Holly Schepisi by a process called senatorial consent (similar to the blue slip process for federal judgeships), and was only allowed to move forward after two more justices, Barry T. Albin and Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina, had reached retirement age in the interim and Gov. Murphy nominated Republican Douglas M. Fasciale to succeed Fernandez-Vina. Both Apter and Fasciale were confirmed on October 17, 2022. Additionally, Michael Noriega was nominated and confirmed in 2023 to succeed Albin.

LaVecchia vacancy: Jose L. Fuentes Clarkson S. Fisher, Jr.

Albin vacancy: Jack M. Sabatino

Fernandez-Vina vacancy: Douglas M. Fasciale

Timeline of justices

See also

Judiciary of New Jersey Courts of New Jersey

Notes

References