“Our courts have been reduced from a court of law to a court of emergency,” said Jeralyn Lawrence, president of the New Jersey State Bar Association. Lawrence said she was shocked to hear that divorce and civil lawsuits in six New Jersey counties are to be put on indefinite hold because the courts don’t have enough judges to do the job. “What the chief is now saying is, ‘If your life or liberty is at stake, if there’s an emergency or something of that ilk, the court is open to you. And I only have enough judges to tend to those emergencies, because we’ve been operating at this ridiculous level of sustained vacancies.’”
After complaining for months about the problem, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner ordered the suspension, citing 69 vacancies throughout the trial courts, or one out of every six judgeships.
“Trials will be suspended in these two vicinages for matrimonial and for civil cases, which include, automobile negligence, medical malpractice, Law Against Discrimination (LAD) claims, employment, contract, insurance, personal injury, labor disputes,” said Pete McAleer, spokesperson for the Administrative Office of the Courts. “Courts will still address applications for child support, custody, and visitation.”
