Courts confirm judge was elevated after he reported relationship with his employee

A spokesman for the New Jersey Judiciary said today that Hudson County Assignment Judge Jeffrey R. Jablonski followed court rules by disclosing that he had begun a consensual adult relationship with an employee who reported directly to him and defended Chief Justice Stuart Rabner’s decision to sidestep the situation by elevating Jablonski to the state appellate court – a prestigious assignment with a higher salary.

The acknowledgment comes six days after the New Jersey Globe asked for the date the relationship between Jablonski and his staffer began and the date it was reported.  The spokesman, Peter McAleer, sidestepped offering any exact dates and time frames.

“Consistent with judiciary policy, shortly after Judge Jablonski had begun dating a staff member he supervises, he self-reported that information and explained that he wished to pursue the relationship,” said McAleer.

Rabner announced Jablonski’s promotion, but didn’t mention the employee relationship.  Instead, Rabner pointed to “enormous personal challenges this past year.”  Jablonski’s wife died while they were in Utah on a ski trip.

McAleer said Jablonski was “transferred from his current position of assignment judge” in a move that was consistent with policy.

“This action was taken both to avoid a conflict of interest, pursuant to judiciary policy, and because Judge Jablonski is eminently qualified to serve in the appellate division,” he said.

Jablonski authorized the woman’s initial hiring in Hudson County five months after he became assignment judge and recommended her promotion thirteen months later. The New Jersey Globe withheld her name to protect her privacy.

“When employees follow the Judiciary’s dating policy, the judiciary does not publicly release their names and expose their private lives to the public,” said McAleer.

Rabner declined to say when he first learned of the relationship; it’s unclear to the public how much time it took to separate Jablonski from a subordinate after the relationship was reported.