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New Jersey Supreme Court justice vacancy (February 2022)
| New Jersey Supreme Court |
|---|
 |
| Fernandez-Vina vacancy |
| Date: February 15, 2022 |
| Status: Seat filled |
| Nomination |
| Nominee: Douglas M. Fasciale |
| Date: September 14, 2022 |
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) appointed Douglas M. Fasciale to the New Jersey Supreme Court on September 14, 2022. He was confirmed by the New Jersey State Senate on October 18, 2022.[1] Fasciale succeeded Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina, who retired on February 15, 2022, upon reaching the state's mandatory retirement age of 70 years old.[2] Fasciale was Gov. Murphy's third nominee to the seven member court.[3]
At the time of the appointment, vacancies on the court were filled via direct gubernatorial appointment. For more details on judicial selection in New Jersey, click here.
Ballotpedia has compiled the following resources on the process to fill the New Jersey Supreme Court vacancy:
- An overview of the appointee.
- An overview of the selection process.
- Noteworthy events that occurred during the nomination process.
- An overview of the court following the vacancy.
- An overview of the justice who left office.
- A list of other state supreme court appointments in 2022.
The appointee
- See also: Douglas M. Fasciale
Fasciale received his undergraduate degree from Seton Hall University and his J.D. from Seton Hall Law School.[4]
Fasciale is the former presiding judge of the civil division of the New Jersey Vicinage 12. He assumed office in 2004 after he was appointed by Gov. Jim McGreevey (D).[4]
The selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in New Jersey
In New Jersey, state supreme court justices are selected through direct gubernatorial appointment. Justices are appointed directly by the governor without the use of a nominating commission.[5] There are five states that use this selection method. To read more about the gubernatorial appointment of judges, click here.
Noteworthy events
- August 15, 2022: Chief Justice Stuart Rabner appointed senior presiding judges of the appellate division Clarkson Fisher, Jack Sabatino, and Douglas M. Fasciale to the court temporarily to fill three vacancies on the New Jersey Supreme Court.[6]
Media coverage
This section includes excerpts from articles about the appointment process.
- David Wildstein, The New Jersey Globe (September 2, 2022):
| “ | The New Jersey Senate is expected to adjust its meeting schedule this month to fast track the expected nomination of Douglas M. Fasciale to the New Jersey Supreme Court, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed.
The agreement Murphy reached with State Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-River Vale) to end a 17-month standstill and release the nomination of Rachel Wainer Apter for another Supreme Court vacancy includes an agreement that Wainer Apter and Fasciale would be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee – and things go well for them – by the full Senate at the same time.[7][8] |
” |
Makeup of the court
- See also: New Jersey Supreme Court
Justices
Following Fernandez-Vina's retirement, the New Jersey Supreme Court included the following members:
| ■ Stuart Rabner | Appointed by Gov. Jon Corzine (D) in 2007 | |
| ■ Fabiana Pierre-Louis | Appointed by Gov. Phil Murphy (D) in 2020 | |
| ■ Barry Albin | Appointed by Gov. Jon Corzine (D) in 2002 | |
| ■ Anne Patterson | Appointed by Gov. Chris Christie (R) in 2011 | |
| ■ Lee A. Solomon | Appointed by Gov. Chris Christie (R) in 2014 |
About the court
Founded in 1776, the New Jersey Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships. The current chief of the court is Stuart Rabner.
About Justice Fernandez-Vina
- See also: Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina
Justice Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina joined the New Jersey Supreme Court on November 19, 2013. He was appointed to the court by Governor Chris Christie (R).
Before serving on the state supreme court, Fernandez-Vina served as a legal associate and as a partner with private law firms.[9]
He received a B.A. in history from Widener University in 1974 and a J.D. from Rutgers University in 1978. After law school, Fernandez-Vina clerked for New Jersey Superior Court Judge E. Stevenson Fluharty.[10]
Other state supreme court appointments in 2022
- See also: State supreme court vacancies, 2022
The following table lists vacancies on state supreme courts that opened in 2022. Click the link under the Court column for a particular vacancy for more information on that vacancy.
Click here for vacancies that opened in 2021.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ NJ.com, "Depleted N.J. Supreme Court will get 2 justices after Senate confirms them, ending logjam," October 18, 2022
- ↑ The New Jersey Globe, "Berdote Byrne emerges as top contender for state Supreme Court seat," January 3, 2022
- ↑ New Jersey Globe, "Murphy picks Fasciale for N.J. Supreme Court," September 14, 2022
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 New Jersey Courts, "Judge Douglas M. Fasciale Elevated to Appellate Division of Superior Court," June 23, 2010
- ↑ Note: In New Hampshire, a judicial selection commission has been established by executive order. The commission's recommendations are not binding.
- ↑ New Jersey Courts, "Order - Appellate Division Judges Fisher, Sabatino, and Fasciale Temporarily Assigned to the Supreme Court Effective September 1," August 15, 2022
- ↑ The New Jersey Globe, "Senate will change schedule to speed up Fasciale Supreme Court nomination," September 2, 2022
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Governor Chris Christie, "Supremely Qualified: Meet The Honorable Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina," archived June 5, 2017
- ↑ DeMichele & DeMichele, "New Assignment Judge in Camden County," archived March 8, 2016
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Federal courts:
Third Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of New Jersey • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of New Jersey
State courts:
New Jersey Supreme Court • New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division • New Jersey Superior Courts • New Jersey Municipal Courts • New Jersey Tax Court
State resources:
Courts in New Jersey • New Jersey judicial elections • Judicial selection in New Jersey
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