New Jersey Chief Justice Decries Appellate Appointment Bill (1)

A proposal to strip New Jersey’s highest judge of the power to fill the appellate court benches would “delay justice and harm the public,” Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said in prepared remarks Friday.

The chief came out publicly against New Jersey Senate Democrats’ plan for a constitutional amendment that would give the governor appointment power over roughly 30 judges on the state appellate court, citing the potential for the same political-dealmaking delays that bog down lower-court appointments as his main concern.

“On the trial court level, for the decade from 2014 to 2023, judicial vacancies ranged from about 10 to ...