TRENTON – Gov. Phil Murphy called it a “really big day” for New Jersey and on Wednesday appointed Justice Douglas Fasciale of the state Supreme Court’s Appellate Division as the newest associate justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Fasciale has temporarily filled a High Court seat at the direction of Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, Murphy said during his announcement.
If confirmed, Fasciale would become the 42nd judge in the court’s 75-year history, dating back to the ratification of the current state constitution, which Murphy says happened this week in 1947.
“As someone who spent 17 years as a trial attorney and trial attorney in New Jersey and then 18 years as a judge at various levels in our judiciary, I have dedicated my entire career to our state’s legal system,” Fasciale said. choked on realizing the influence of his late parents on his path. “I am so grateful to have the opportunity to continue this ministry by sitting on our state’s highest court.”
If Murphy has his way, Fasciale won’t be the only new justice confirmed. The governor’s earlier nomination of Rachel Wainer Apter was delayed in the state Senate.
The presence of Senate Speaker Nicholas Scutari, D-Union Co., at Wednesday’s announcement seemed to indicate that both nominations would move forward.
“I’m proud to nominate Judge Fasciale,” Murphy said. “I eagerly await the day when both he and Rachel Wainer Apter are confirmed by the Senate and take their seats.”
Fasciale, who was a Superior Court judge in Union County from 2004 to 2010 before his appointment to the Appellate Division, was unanimously recommended by Murphy’s Judicial Advisory Board.
Murphy said he hopes Fasciale’s election would boost the state Supreme Court’s credibility, a distinction he says the US Supreme Court has lost in recent years.
“His ascension to our state’s highest court will send a powerful message to all residents of New Jersey, and I hope leaders across our country, about the importance of the independence and impartiality of the judiciary,” the governor said.
A timeline for possible confirmation hearings was not immediately clear.
Patrick Lavery is a reporter and host for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at [email protected]
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