List of justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey

Current justices

Name	Born	Joined	Term ends	Mandatory retirement	Party affiliation	Appointed by	Law school
Stuart Rabner, Chief Justice	(1960-06-30) June 30, 1960 (age 64)	June 29, 2007	–^[a]	June 30, 2030	Democratic	Jon Corzine (D)	Harvard
Anne M. Patterson	(1959-04-15) April 15, 1959 (age 65)	September 1, 2011	–^[a]	April 15, 2029	Republican	Chris Christie (R)	Cornell
Lee Solomon	(1954-08-17) August 17, 1954 (age 69)	June 19, 2014	–^[a]	August 17, 2024	Republican	Chris Christie (R)	Widener
Fabiana Pierre-Louis	(1980-09-09) September 9, 1980 (age 43)	September 1, 2020	September 1, 2027	September 9, 2050	Democratic	Phil Murphy (D)	Rutgers
Douglas M. Fasciale	(1960-11-05) November 5, 1960 (age 63)	October 21, 2022^[b]	October 21, 2029	November 5, 2030	Republican	Phil Murphy (D)	Seton Hall
Rachel Wainer Apter	(1980-07-22) July 22, 1980 (age 44)	October 21, 2022	October 21, 2029	July 22, 2050	Democratic	Phil Murphy (D)	Harvard
Michael Noriega	(1978-03-27) March 27, 1978 (age 46)	July 6, 2023	July 6, 2030	March 27, 2048	Democratic	Phil Murphy (D)	Seton Hall

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

	Position	Succeeded	Tenure
Richard Stockton (1730–1781)			1774 – 1776 (Elected to Continental Congress)
John De Hart (1730–1781)			September 4, 1776 – February 1777 (Replaced for failure to attend)
Isaac Smith (1740–1807)			1777 – 1804
Robert Morris (1742–1814)	Chief Justice		February 5, 1777 – May 25, 1779 (Resigned)
John Cleves Symmes (1742–1814)			1777 – 1778
David Brearley^[1] (1745–1790)	Chief Justice	R. Morris	1779 – September 26, 1789 (Elevated to U.S. District Court)
James Kinsey^[2] (1731–1802)	Chief Justice	D. Brearley	1789 – January 4, 1802 (Died)
Andrew Kirkpatrick (1756–1831)	Justice		1798 – 1808 (Continued as Chief Justice)
Andrew Kirkpatrick (1756–1831)	Chief Justice	J. Kinsey	1808 – 1825
William Rossell (1760–1840)	Justice		1804 – 1826 (Elevated to U.S. District Court)
William Sanford Pennington (1757–1826)	Justice		1805 – 1813 (Elected Governor of New Jersey)
Mahlon Dickerson (1770–1853)	Justice		1813 – 1815 (Elected Governor of New Jersey)
Samuel L. Southard (1787–1842)			1815 – 1820 (Elected to U.S. Senate)
Charles Ewing^[3] (1780–1832)	Chief Justice	A. Kirkpatrick	1825 – August 5, 1832 (Died)
Joseph Coerten Hornblower (1777–1864)	Chief Justice	C. Ewing	1838 – 1844 (Continued as Chief Justice)
William L. Dayton (1807–1864)	Justice		1838 – 1842 (Appointed to U.S. Senate)

1844 Constitution

	Position	Succeeded	Tenure	Appointed by
Joseph Coerten Hornblower (1777–1864)	Chief Justice		1844 – 1846 (Resigned)
Joseph Fitz Randolph (1803–1873)	Justice		1845 – 1852 (Resigned)
Elias B. D. Ogden (1800–1865)	Justice		1848 – February 24, 1865 (Died)
Garret D. Wall (1783–1850)	Justice		1848 – November 22, 1850 (Died)
Daniel Haines (1801–1877)	Justice		1852 – 1866
Lucius Elmer (1793–1883)	Justice		1852 – 1859
Peter Vrendenburgh (1805–1873)	Justice		1854 – 1868
Edward W. Whelpley (1818–1864)	Justice		1858 – 1861 (Continued as Chief Justice)
John Van Dyke (1807–1878)	Justice		1859 – 1866
Edward W. Whelpley (1818–1864)	Chief Justice		1861 – 1864
George Houston Brown (1810–1865)	Justice		1861 – August 1, 1865 (Died)
Lucius Elmer (1793–1883)	Justice		1861 – 1869
Mercer Beasley (1815–1897)	Chief Justice		March 8, 1864 – February 19, 1897 (Died)
Joseph D. Bedle (1831–1894)	Justice		1865 – January 19, 1875 (Elected Governor of New Jersey)
Edward W. Scudder (1822–1893)	Justice		1869 – February 3, 1893 (Died)	Theodore Fitz Randolph
Bennett Van Syckel (1830–1921)	Justice		1869 – 1904
Jonathan Dixon (1839–1906)	Justice		1875 – May 21, 1906 (Died)	Joseph D. Bedle
Alfred Reed	Justice		1875 – 1895
Joel Parker (1816–1888)	Justice		1880 – January 2, 1888 (Died)
William J. Magie (1832–1917)	Justice		1880 – 1897 (Continued as Chief Justice)
Charles G. Garrison (1849–1924)	Justice	J. Parker	1888 – 1893 (Resigned)
David A. Depue (1826–1902)	Justice		1889 – 1900 (Continued as Chief Justice)
Manning M. Knapp (1825–1892)	Justice		1889 – January 26, 1892 (Died)
George Theodore Werts (1846–1910)	Justice	M. Knapp	1892 – January 17, 1893 (Elected Governor of New Jersey)	Leon Abbett
Job H. Lippincott (1842–1900)	Justice	G. T. Werts	1893 – 1900 (Died)	George Theodore Werts
Joseph H. Gaskill (1851–1935)	Justice		1893 – 1896
Leon Abbett (1836–1894)	Justice		1893 – December 4, 1894 (Died)
William Stryker Gummere (1852–1933)	Justice		1895 – November 19, 1901 (Continued as Chief Justice)
George C. Ludlow (1830–1900)	Justice		1895 – December 18, 1900 (Died)
Charles G. Garrison (1849–1924)	Justice		1895 – 1920 (Resigned)
William H. Vredenburgh	Justice		1897 – 1916	John W. Griggs
Gilbert Collins (1846–1920)	Justice		March 2, 1897 – 1903 (Resigned)
William J. Magie (1832–1917)	Chief Justice	M. Beasley	1897 – 1900 (Elevated to Chancellor of the Court of Errors and Appeals)
David A. Depue (c. 1827–1902)	Chief Justice	W. J. Magie	1900 – 1901 (Resigned)	Foster M. Voorhees
John Franklin Fort (1852–1920)	Justice		1900 – 1907 (Elected Governor of New Jersey)	Foster M. Voorhees
William Stryker Gummere (1852–1933)	Chief Justice	D. Depue	November 19, 1901 – 1933 (Died)
Mahlon Pitney (1858–1924)	Justice		November 19, 1901 – 1908
Thomas Whitaker Trenchard (1863–1942)	Justice		January 15, 1907 – 1941 (Resigned)
Charles Wolcott Parker (1862–1948)	Justice		1907 – 1942
James J. Bergen (1847–1923)	Justice		1907 – 1915
Charles C. Black (1858–1947)	Justice		1914 – 1939	James Fairman Fielder
Frank S. Katzenbach (1868–1929)	Justice		1920 – March 13, 1929 (Died)	Edward I. Edwards
Joseph Lamb Bodine (1883–1950)	Justice		1929 – 1948
Clarence E. Case (1877–1961)	Justice		1929 – 1946 (Continued as Chief Justice)
Ralph W. E. Donges (1875–1974)	Justice		1930 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947)
Thomas J. Brogan (1889–1965)	Justice		1932 – 1933 (Continued as Chief Justice)
Joseph B. Perskie (1885–1957)	Justice		1933 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947)
Harry Heher (1889–1972)	Justice		1933 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947)
Thomas J. Brogan (1889–1965)	Chief Justice	W. S. Gummere	1933 – 1946 (Resigned)
Newton Hazelton Porter (1815–1897)	Justice		1938 – 1945
Frederic R. Colie (1895–1974)	Justice		1941 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947)
A. Dayton Oliphant (1887–1963)	Justice	N. H. Porter	1945 – 1946	Walter Evans Edge
Clarence E. Case (1877–1961)	Chief Justice	T. Brogan	1946 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947)
William A. Wachenfeld (1889–1969)	Justice		1946 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947)
Howard Eastwood (1884–1976)	Justice		1946 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947)
Albert E. Burling (1891–1960)	Justice		1947 – 1948 (Constitution of 1947)

Supreme Court justices under 1947 Constitution

List of justices

Justice		Position	Succeeded	Tenure	Appointed by
1	Arthur T. Vanderbilt (1888–1957)	Chief Justice	Inaugural	1948 – June 16, 1957 (Died)	Alfred E. Driscoll
2	Albert E. Burling (1891–1960)	Justice	Inaugural	1948 – October 29, 1960 (Died)
3	Harry Heher (1889–1972)	Justice	Inaugural	1948 – March 20, 1959 (Mandatory retirement)
4	William A. Wachenfeld (1889–1969)	Justice	Inaugural	1948 – February 24, 1959 (Mandatory retirement)
5	A. Dayton Oliphant (1887–1963)	Justice	Inaugural	1948 – October 28, 1957 (Mandatory retirement)
6	Clarence E. Case (1877–1961)	Justice	Inaugural	1948 – 1952 (Resigned)
7	Henry E. Ackerson Jr. (1880–1970)	Justice	Inaugural	1948 – 1952 (Resigned)
8	Nathan L. Jacobs (1905–1989)	Justice	C. Case	1952 – 1975 (Mandatory retirement)
9	William J. Brennan Jr. (1906–1997)	Justice	H. E. Ackerson	1951 – 1956 (Elevated to U.S. Supreme Court)
10	Joseph Weintraub (1908–1977)	Justice	W. J. Brennan	1956 – 1957 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Robert Meyner
10	Joseph Weintraub (1908–1977)	Chief Justice	A. Vanderbilt	1957 – 1973
11	Haydn Proctor (1903–1996)	Justice	A. Oliphant	October 28, 1957 – 1973 (Mandatory retirement)
12	John J. Francis (1903–1984)	Justice	J. Weintraub	1957 – 1973 (Mandatory retirement)
13	Frederick Wilson Hall (1908–1984)	Justice	W. Wachenfeld	1959 – February 1975^[4] (Resigned)
14	C. Thomas Schettino (1907–1983)	Justice	H. Heher	October 1959 – 1972
15	Vincent S. Haneman (1902–1978)	Justice	A. Burling	1960 – 1971
16	Worrall Frederick Mountain (1909–1992)	Justice	V. Haneman	1971 – 1979	William Cahill
	Pierre P. Garven (1925–1973)	Justice	C. T. Schettino^[5]	April 1973 – September 1973 (Continued as Chief Justice)
17	Mark Sullivan (1911–2001)	Justice	J. Francis^[5]	March 23, 1973 – August 11, 1981 (Mandatory retirement)
18	Robert L. Clifford (1924–2014)	Justice	P. Garven^[6]	1973 – 1994 (Mandatory retirement)
19	Morris Pashman (1912–1999)	Justice	H. Proctor^[6]	April 1973 – 1982 (Mandatory retirement)
20	Pierre P. Garven (1925–1973)	Chief Justice	J. Weintraub^[6]	September 1, 1973 – October 19, 1973 (Died)
21	Richard J. Hughes (1909–1992)	Chief Justice	P. Garven	December 18, 1973 – August 10, 1979 (Mandatory retirement)
22	Sidney Schreiber (1915–2009)	Justice	N. Jacobs	1975 – 1984 (Resigned)	Brendan Byrne
23	Alan B. Handler (1931–2024)	Justice	F. W. Hall^[4]	1977 – 1999 (Resigned)
24	Stewart G. Pollock (1932–)	Justice	W. F. Mountain	June 28, 1979 – 1999 (Resigned)
25	Robert Wilentz (1927–1996)	Chief Justice	R. Hughes	1979 – July 23, 1996 (Died)
26	Daniel Joseph O'Hern (1930–2009)	Justice	M. Sullivan	August 6, 1981 – 2000 (Mandatory retirement)
27	Marie L. Garibaldi (1934–2016)	Justice	M. Pashman	November 17, 1982 – 2000 (Resigned)	Thomas Kean
28	Gary S. Stein (1933–)	Justice	S. Schreiber	January 11, 1985 – 2002 (Resigned)	Thomas Kean
29	James H. Coleman (1933–2024)	Justice	R. Clifford	1994 – 2003	Christine Todd Whitman
30	Deborah Poritz (1936–)	Chief Justice	R. Wilentz	July 10, 1996 – October 25, 2006 (Mandatory retirement)
31	Peter Verniero (1959–)	Justice	S. Pollock	1999 – 2004 (Resigned)
32	Virginia Long (1942–)	Justice	A. Handler	September 1, 1999 – March 1, 2012 (Mandatory retirement)
33	James R. Zazzali (1937–)	Justice	D. J. O'Hern	May 25, 2000 – October 26, 2006 (Continued as Chief Justice)
34	Jaynee LaVecchia (1954–)	Justice	M. Garibaldi	February 1, 2000 – December 31, 2021 (Retired)
35	Barry T. Albin (born 1952)	Justice	G. Stein	September 18, 2002 – July 6, 2022 (Retired)	James McGreevey
36	John E. Wallace Jr. (1953–)	Justice	J. Coleman	May 20, 2003 – May 20, 2010 (Not re-nominated)
37	Roberto A. Rivera-Soto (1953–)	Justice	P. Verniero	September 1, 2004 – August 31, 2011 (Not re-nominated)
33	James R. Zazzali (1937–)	Chief Justice	D. Poritz	October 26, 2006 – June 17, 2007 (Mandatory retirement)	Jon Corzine
38	Helen E. Hoens (1937–)	Justice	J. Zazzalli	October 26, 2006 – October 26, 2013 (Not re-nominated)
39	Stuart Rabner (born 1960)	Chief Justice	J. Zazzali	June 29, 2007 – Incumbent
40	Anne Patterson (born 1959)	Justice	R. Rivera-Soto	September 1, 2011 – Incumbent	Chris Christie
41	Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina (1952–)	Justice	H. Hoens	November 19, 2013 – February 15, 2022 (Mandatory retirement)
42	Lee Solomon (born 1954)	Justice	V. Long	June 19, 2014 – Incumbent
43	Walter F. Timpone (1950–)	Justice	J. Wallace (2011)	May 2, 2016 – August 31, 2020
44	Fabiana Pierre-Louis (1980–)	Justice	W. Timpone	September 1, 2020 – Incumbent	Phil Murphy
45	Douglas M. Fasciale (1960–)	Justice	F. Fernandez-Vina	September 1, 2022 – Incumbent
46	Rachel Wainer Apter (1980/1981–)	Justice	J. LaVecchia	October 21, 2022 – Incumbent
47	Michael Noriega (1977/1978–)	Justice	B. Albin	July 6, 2023 – Incumbent

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.^[7] 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^[8]) during an extended period of controversy and conflict with the New Jersey Senate about the court's political composition.^[9]^[10]

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.^[11] 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.^[12] 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),^[13] 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.^[14] Both Apter and Fasciale were confirmed on October 17, 2022.^[15] Additionally, Michael Noriega was nominated and confirmed in 2023 to succeed Albin.

LaVecchia vacancy:

Albin vacancy:

Jack M. Sabatino

Fernandez-Vina vacancy:

Douglas M. Fasciale

Timeline of justices

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c At the end of their initial seven-year term, the justice was renominated for tenure and was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate to serve until the mandatory retirement age of 70.
^ Fasciale served in a temporary appointment from September 1–October 21, 2022

References

^ The Founding Fathers: New Jersey - David Brearly Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine, National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed November 27, 2007.
^ James Kinsey Archived 2007-03-12 at the Wayback Machine, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 15, 2007.
^ Manuscript Group 283, Ewing Family (Trenton, NJ) Archived 2007-10-05 at the Wayback Machine, accessed January 9, 2007.
^ ^a ^b "Metropolitan Area News in Brief". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 22 Mar 1977. p. 12.
^ ^a ^b New Jersey Register. Vol. 5. New Jersey State Library: State of New Jersey. 1973. p. 129.
^ ^a ^b ^c Sullivan, Ronald (19 Apr 1973). "Cahill Names Two Justices And Supreme Court Chief: Nominees Praised 2 Meyner Nominees". The New York Times. p. 90.
^ "The Politicization of a Respected Court" Archived 2020-08-31 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, December 16, 2010; accessed May 19, 2014.
^ "A new title for temporary Supreme Court members: The Auditor". June 2014. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
^ "Appellate judge appointed temporary N.J. Supreme Court justice". 11 June 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
^ "A political fight provides N.J. Supreme Court with apolitical legal mind". 24 October 2010. Archived from the original on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
^ Wildstein, David (March 8, 2021). "LaVecchia will retire, opening Supreme Court nomination for Murphy". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
^ "Governor Murphy Announces Intention to Nominate Rachel Wainer Apter to Serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court" (Press release). Retrieved March 15, 2021.
^ Fox, Joey (October 6, 2021). "Murphy optimistic on Wainer Apter nomination despite long delay". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
^ Sobko, Katie (September 14, 2022). "Murphy to name Republican to Supreme Court in deal with Bergen County's Schepisi". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
^ Biryukov, Nikita (October 17, 2022). "Lawmakers confirm two for New Jersey Supreme Court seats". New Jersey Monitor. Retrieved October 31, 2022.

[tenure-1] At the end of their initial seven-year term, the justice was renominated for tenure and was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate to serve until the mandatory retirement age of 70.

[2] Fasciale served in a temporary appointment from September 1–October 21, 2022

[3] The Founding Fathers: New Jersey - David Brearly Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine, National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed November 27, 2007.

[4] James Kinsey Archived 2007-03-12 at the Wayback Machine, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 15, 2007.

[5] Manuscript Group 283, Ewing Family (Trenton, NJ) Archived 2007-10-05 at the Wayback Machine, accessed January 9, 2007.

[:0-6] "Metropolitan Area News in Brief". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 22 Mar 1977. p. 12.

[:2-7] New Jersey Register. Vol. 5. New Jersey State Library: State of New Jersey. 1973. p. 129.

[:1-8] Sullivan, Ronald (19 Apr 1973). "Cahill Names Two Justices And Supreme Court Chief: Nominees Praised 2 Meyner Nominees". The New York Times. p. 90.

[NYT2010-9] "The Politicization of a Respected Court" Archived 2020-08-31 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, December 16, 2010; accessed May 19, 2014.

[10] "A new title for temporary Supreme Court members: The Auditor". June 2014. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.

[11] "Appellate judge appointed temporary N.J. Supreme Court justice". 11 June 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2016.

[12] "A political fight provides N.J. Supreme Court with apolitical legal mind". 24 October 2010. Archived from the original on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.

[:3-13] Wildstein, David (March 8, 2021). "LaVecchia will retire, opening Supreme Court nomination for Murphy". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved March 8, 2021.

[14] "Governor Murphy Announces Intention to Nominate Rachel Wainer Apter to Serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court" (Press release). Retrieved March 15, 2021.

[15] Fox, Joey (October 6, 2021). "Murphy optimistic on Wainer Apter nomination despite long delay". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved November 14, 2021.

[16] Sobko, Katie (September 14, 2022). "Murphy to name Republican to Supreme Court in deal with Bergen County's Schepisi". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved September 18, 2022.

[17] Biryukov, Nikita (October 17, 2022). "Lawmakers confirm two for New Jersey Supreme Court seats". New Jersey Monitor. Retrieved October 31, 2022.

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