New Jersey’s governor and state Senate (who are of the same political party) have caused a continuing crisis in the courts by failing to nominate and confirm enough Superior Court judges. Month after month, vicinages have been short of judges and the chief justice was compelled to preclude new civil and matrimonial trials. At its worst, in May 2022, there were 75 vacancies out of 433 trial court positions. No matter how pressing the case, litigants in many parts of New Jersey just had to wait.

The governor and the state Senate have been criticized for precipitating this judicial crisis. Although a solution has not yet arrived, the judicial crisis has at least begun to ameliorate. Most recently, the New Jersey Senate’s Judiciary Committee has unanimously approved seven nominees for the Superior Court bench. Confirmation by the full Senate is likely.