Civil and divorce trials in parts of South Jersey to resume, but Rabner suspending Passaic trials

Chief Justice Stuart Rabner has lifted the suspension of civil and matrimonial trials in three South Jersey counties after a substantial reduction in judicial vacancies but will now shut down the same kind of trials in Passaic County at the end of July.

There will still be no civil and matrimonial trials in Hunterdon, Somerset, and Warren counties.  Rabner halted them in February.

“Because there are still not enough judges…the moratorium on conducting those trials regrettably remains in place,” Rabner stated, noting that the number of vacant Superior Court judgeships remains the same.”

In the vicinage that includes Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem, the number of unfilled judgeships has gone from nine to two.

“The Judiciary’s goal is to serve the public by providing a place to resolve disputes fairly and expeditiously,” Rabner said.  “In order to do so in every vicinage, we respectfully ask the Executive and Legislative branches to continue to address the critical issue of judicial vacancies in a timely manner.”

According to Rabner,  the courts have operated with an average of more than 60 vacancies for the last three years.

In Passaic County, seven of the 28 seats on the Superior Court are vacant.