Supreme Court of New Jersey Decisions

The New Jersey Supreme Court consists of seven justices. While it was originally founded in 1776 during the American Revolution, it did not take a clear form until the New Jersey Constitution of 1844. In contrast to many other state supreme courts, it does not hold original jurisdiction over any legal matters. The Court may review an appeal from a lower court in a case involving the death penalty, a constitutional question, redistricting, or a dissent by an appellate justice. Also, it may review an appeal of a decision for which it has granted certification. In addition to its legal authority, the Court holds limited political authority. It will review and finalize a decision by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission on redistricting congressional districts if the Commission cannot reach a decision.

The Governor of New Jersey nominates candidates to serve on the Supreme Court. The New Jersey State Senate then must decide whether to confirm the nominee one week after the Governor issues a public notice of the nomination. Each justice will serve an initial seven-year term, after which the Governor will decide whether to grant indefinite tenure. The justices must be balanced between the political parties, such that neither party has an advantage of more than one seat. To qualify to serve on the Supreme Court, a candidate must have been admitted to practice law in New Jersey for at least 10 years. This is the same requirement as for Superior Court judges.

A justice may be removed from the New Jersey Supreme Court upon being impeached by the New Jersey General Assembly and convicted by the New Jersey Senate. Alternatively, the Supreme Court may inform the Governor that a justice has become incapacitated. A three-person commission will determine whether the justice should be removed on that basis.

Browse Opinions From the Supreme Court of New Jersey
Recent Decisions From the Supreme Court of New Jersey
Goldfarb v. Solimine  
Date: February 18, 2021
 Docket Number: a-24-19

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff Jed Goldfarb claimed defendant David Solimine reneged on a promise of employment after Goldfarb quit his job to accept the promised position managing the sizeable investment portfolio of defendant’s family. The...

Anasia Maison v. New Jersey Transit Corporation
Date: February 17, 2021
 Docket Number: a-34-19 ALBIN, J., writing for the Court. In this appeal, the Court considers whether, under the New Jersey Tort Claims Act (TCA), the heightened ...
In the Matter of the Request to Release Certain Pretrial Detainees  
Date: February 11, 2021
 Docket Number: m-550-20

Justia Opinion Summary: The New Jersey Office of the Public Defender and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU) jointly sought two forms of relief: (1) the release of all defendants detained for six months or longer whose most...

New Jersey v. Desir  
Date: February 9, 2021
 Docket Number: a-43-19

Justia Opinion Summary: In this appeal, the issue presented for the New Jersey Supreme Court's consideration was whether defendant Herby Desir was entitled to discovery regarding the controlled purchase of narcotics by a confidential informant...

Goulding v. NJ Friendship House, Inc.  
Date: February 8, 2021
 Docket Number: a-48-19

Justia Opinion Summary: Under New Jersey’s Worker’s Compensation Act, an employee injured during a social or recreational activity generally cannot receive compensation for those injuries unless a two-part exception is met. Here, the New Jersey...

The Bank of New York Mellon v. Marianne Corradetti .)
Date: February 4, 2021
 Docket Number: a-81-19
New Jersey Transit Corporation v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London  
Date: January 27, 2021
 Docket Number: a-72-73-19

Justia Opinion Summary: This appeal involved an insurance coverage dispute arising out of water damage caused by Superstorm Sandy to properties owned by plaintiff New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit). At the time Sandy struck in October...

New Jersey v. Brown  
Date: January 25, 2021
 Docket Number: a-39-19

Justia Opinion Summary: Consolidated appeals presented a common issue: whether state or federal constitutional ex post facto prohibitions permitted the defendants in these cases to be charged with and convicted of the enhanced third-degree offe...

New Jersey v. Singh  
Date: January 21, 2021
 Docket Number: a-37-19

Justia Opinion Summary: In January 2015, a man entered a gas station store wielding a machete and told the cashier to give him the money. The man took the money and fled. The events were captured on the gas station’s surveillance video, which p...

State v. Damon Williams
Date: January 19, 2021
 Docket Number: a-46-19 SOLOMON, J., writing for the Court. In this appeal, the Court considers whether the prosecutor's comments and use of a particular PowerPoint ...
Branch v. Cream-O-Land Dairy  
Date: January 13, 2021
 Docket Number: a-29-19

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff Elmer Branch brought a putative class action against his employer, defendant Cream-O-Land Dairy, on behalf of himself and similarly situated truck drivers employed by defendant, for payment of overtime wages pu...

Delaney v. Dickey  
Date: December 21, 2020
 Docket Number: a-30-19

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue in this appeal was whether the arbitration provision in the retainer agreement plaintiff Brian Delaney signed when he engaged the representation of Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. was enforceable in light of the fiduc...

State v. Louis V. Williams
Date: November 2, 2020
 Docket Number: a-40-19
Estate of Brandon Narleski v. Gomes  
Date: September 17, 2020
 Docket Number: a-9-10-19

Justia Opinion Summary: Nineteen-year-old Mark Zwierzynski permitted underage adult friends to consume alcoholic beverages in his home. Nineteen-year-old Brandon Narleski and twenty-year-old Nicholas Gomes left the home severely intoxicated. Sh...

Flanzman v. Jenny Craig, Inc.  
Date: September 11, 2020
 Docket Number: a-66-18

Justia Opinion Summary: Jenny Craig, Inc. hired Marilyn Flanzman to work as a weight maintenance counselor in 1991. In May 2011, Flanzman signed a document entitled “Arbitration Agreement” in connection with her employment. In February 2017, wh...

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