Another seven Superior Court judges confirmed as spring session approaches end

The New Jersey State Senate confirmed seven new Superior Court judges today, likely representing the final Superior Court nominations the Senate will consider before the legislature’s spring voting session ends this Friday.

Three of those nominees are prominent names who were approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning for Hudson County judgeships: Marlene Caride, the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance and a former assemblywoman; Alberto Santos, the mayor of Kearny; and Jane Weiner, the daughter of former New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Virginia Long.

The other four – David Labib, Robert Landel, Kevin Purvin, and William Soukas – were nominated to Bergen County judgeships and came before the Judiciary Committee last Friday. All seven nominees were approved by both the committee and the full Senate on unanimous votes.

With Caride heading to the bench, her chief of staff, Justin Zimmerman, is the leading candidate to replace her as the head of the Department of Banking and Insurance. As for Santos, it will be up to the Kearny Democratic Municipal Committee to propose three potential mayoral successors, one of whom will be chosen by the Kearny Town Council.

There are now 18 Superior Court candidates still awaiting a Senate hearing after being nominated by the governor, and another 35 judgeships without a nominee at all. The 53 total vacant Superior Court positions remain a problem for the judiciary’s ability to function, though the vacancy rate is well down from the recent high of 75 unfilled spots.

The rate could also go down further this summer, since Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Linden) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Brian Stack (D-Union City) have both said they may hold at least one summer voting session to confirm more judges.

Also confirmed by the Senate today was one new Administrative Law Judge, Patrice Hobbs, as well as Cape May County Commissioner E. Marie Hayes (R-Ocean City) to be the new Cape May County Surrogate. Hayes is running for a full term as surrogate this year to succeed Dean Marcolongo, who departed in December to become a Superior Court judge; today’s confirmation vote simply lets Hayes assume the role six months early.

This story was updated at 3:36 p.m. on June 27 with a correction: there are 18 pending Superior Court nominees, not 15.

Judicial nomination tracker 626 updated