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Jan R. Jurden
Jan R. Jurden was a judge of the New Castle County Superior Court. She assumed office in 2001. She left office on February 28, 2025.
This office is outside of Ballotpedia's coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. Our scope includes all elected federal and state officeholders as well as comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population.
Jurden was appointed to the New Castle County Superior Court by former Governor Ruth Ann Minner in May 2001 and oversaw the court's mental health court starting in 2008.[1][2] She was reappointed in 2013 for a term that will expire in 2025.[3]
On December 1, 2014, Governor Jack Markell nominated Jurden to serve as the next president judge of the Superior Court of Delaware. The Delaware State Senate confirmed her nomination on December 16, 2014.[4][5]
Education
Jurden received her B.A. from Muhlenberg College in 1985 and her J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law (now the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University) in 1988.[1]
Career
- 2001-2025: Judge, New Castle County Superior Court
- 1996-2001: Partner, Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor
- 1988-1995: Attorney, Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor [1]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2011: Outstanding Service to the Courts and Bar Award, Delaware State Bar Association
- 2009: Sylvia H. Rambo Award, Women’s Law Caucus of the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law
- 1997: Caleb R. Layton III Service Award
- 1996: New Lawyers Distinguished Service Award [1]
Associations
- American Bar
- Delaware State Bar Associations
- National Association of Women Judges
- Advisory Committee on the Delaware Rules of Evidence and the Advisory Committee on Professionalism [1]
Noteworthy cases
Child rapist avoids prison time
Though Robert H. Richards IV was convicted in 2008 of raping his three-year-old daughter, he avoided prison time after Judge Jurden ruled: "Defendant will not fare well in Level 5 setting" ("Level 5" refers to prison).[6] She also wrote in the order: "Treatment needs exceed need for punishment."[6] The 2009 sentence was not well-known until 2014, when a lawsuit filed against Richards by his ex-wife seeking damages brought the situation to light. The lawsuit accused Richards of abusing his son as well.
Richards pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his daughter several times in 2005. He told the three-year-old that it was "our little secret." The girl told her grandmother about the situation in 2007.
Richards was initially indicted on two counts of second-degree rape of a child. A conviction for those felonies would have carried a mandatory minimum of ten years in jail for each count. However, prior to the trial, prosecutor Renee Hrivnak offered a plea deal to a single count of fourth-degree rape in exchange for a confession. Richards accepted. He was convicted of this charge, which includes a maximum of fifteen years in prison, but a suggested sentence (according to sentencing guidelines) of 0-2.5 years. Judge Jurden handed down an 8-year sentence but suspended all prison time in favor of probation. The sentence also carried stipulations that Richards complete treatment programs and stay away from children under 16.
The sentence caused some backlash:
| “ | Our prisons should be more rehabilitative environments, but the prison system's inadequacies are not a justification for letting a child molester off the hook.[7] | ” |
| —Kendall Marlowe, executive director of the National Association for Counsel for Children[6] | ||
The attorney for Richards' ex-wife Tracy in the 2014 lawsuit stated:
| “ | This self-confessed, admitted rapist and child abuser didn't go to jail, and, in fact, he stays in luxury where he has always been.[7] | ” |
| —Thomas C. Crumplar[8] | ||
However, some attorneys agreed with the judge's ruling:
| “ | Sex offenders are the lowest of the low in prison. He's a rich, white boy who is a wuss and a child perv. The prison can't protect them, and Jan Jurden knows that reality. She is right on.[7] | ” |
| —Defense attorney Joseph A. Hurley[6] | ||
See also
- Courts in Delaware
- Judicial selection in Delaware
- News: Delaware couples ring in the new year with civil unions, January 7, 2012
External links
- Delaware State Courts, "Superior Court of Delaware Judge Profiles"
- Delaware State Courts, "Superior Court of Delaware"
- Delaware Online, "4 want chief justice position," November 12, 2013
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Delaware State Courts, "Judge Jan R. Jurden," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ Delaware Online, "4 want chief justice position," November 12, 2013
- ↑ Delaware General Assembly, "Nominee Information The Honorable Jan R. Jurden," June 11, 2013
- ↑ Delaware.gov, "Governor Markell Nominates Judge Jan Jurden for President Judge of Delaware Superior Court," December 1, 2014
- ↑ Delaware.gov, "Governor’s Statement on the Confirmation of Judge Jan Jurden As President Judge of the Delaware Superior Court," December 16, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Delaware Online, "Judge said du Pont heir 'will not fare well' in prison," March 31, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Delaware Online, "Du Pont heir faces child sex lawsuit," March 19, 2014
Federal courts:
Third Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Delaware • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Delaware
State courts:
Delaware Supreme Court • Superior Court of Delaware • Delaware Court of Chancery • Delaware Family Court • Delaware Court of Common Pleas • Delaware Justice of the Peace Courts • Delaware Alderman's Courts
State resources:
Courts in Delaware • Delaware judicial elections • Judicial selection in Delaware
