By David Cruz
Correspondent
It’s been years – five at least – since the push and pull between the governor and Democratic lawmakers has slowed the superior court system in Essex County to a virtual crawl. 21 vacancies causing unprecedented logjams and the postponement of proceedings in family and divorce court.
“If you want to get divorced don’t file in Essex County; it could take years,” joked Senator Dick Codey.
That’s probably still good advice, even with the governor’s nomination of seven superior court judges to the Essex County bench, since there were 21 vacancies there but it’s something, says Codey, who is one of several Essex County-based lawmakers who have exercised so-called senatorial courtesy to block nominees in the past.
“The problem of judicial appointments in Essex County is Ron Rice and Dick Codey and if they want to solve it, they have my number.” That’s what Governor Chris Christie said about the senator back in 2011.
Codey – a former governor himself – said “the governor’s got to be part of the equation and it’s tough to get him to focus on things like judges in different counties. Once you do, I think we got it done relatively quick but as I said there’s got to be a willingness on the part of the senate and the governor to get it done as quick as possible.”
Depending on who you talk to, the hold up has either something to do with some Senators objecting to the governor’s appointment of individuals to other boards and commissions or simply recalcitrant Democrats trying to block every move the governor makes.
“Well, Steve Sweeney is in a race for governor for 2017,” noted Assembly Minority Jon Bramnick. “He’s been distancing himself from the governor for months now. I assume if there wasn’t a gubernatorial race, we’d be back where there was cooperation between Steve Sweeney and the governor.”
With just a few weeks to go before he makes his race for the presidency official, the governor says he’s concentrating on his day job, and the filing of these nominations – including six superior court judges and the county prosecutor in Passaic County – suggest that loose ends may be in the process of being tied up.
“Well, first you need the cooperation of the Senate because you have [Senatorial] courtesy. They did move an Essex package a few months ago, so this is routine business. I don’t think that’s an indication of anything except the senators have been able to negotiate with the governor, a package,” Bramnick said.
The governor was back in the statehouse yesterday, carrying a briefcase, a rare sight for this usually hands-free chief executive. When a reporter asked about it, he said he always carries a briefcase – when he’s working. And with two weeks left in the budget process and a big announcement in the offing, the governor’s sleeves appear to be rolled up, to which one Democrat remarked: “We welcome him back.”