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
C.R. v. M. T.  
Date: April 22, 2024
 Docket Number: A-47-22

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a plaintiff, referred to as "Clara," who alleged that she was sexually assaulted by the defendant, referred to as "Martin," in June 2018. Following the incident, Clara applied for a temporary protective…

American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey v. County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey  
Date: April 17, 2024
 Docket Number: A-33-22

Justia Opinion Summary: The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU) sought to obtain records from the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey (CPANJ), a nonprofit association whose members are the twenty-one county prosecutors.…

Comprehensive Neurosurgical, P.C. v. The Valley Hospital  
Date: April 16, 2024
 Docket Number: A-52-22

Justia Opinion Summary: A group of neurosurgeons and their practice group, Comprehensive Neurosurgical, P.C., sued The Valley Hospital after the hospital granted another group of neurosurgeons exclusive privileges in areas where the plaintiffs…

State v. Cooper  
Date: March 27, 2024
 Docket Number: A-35-22

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around the defendant, Kalil Cooper, who was charged with promoting organized street crime, among other offenses, after a wiretap investigation into a local gang's activities. He was charged with twelve…

State v. Harrell  
Date: March 26, 2024
 Docket Number: A-13-23

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, an eight-year-old child disclosed during an interview with a detective in 2016 that her music teacher, defendant Donnie E. Harrell, had touched her inappropriately on multiple occasions during school hours.…

Robey v. SPARC Group, LLC  
Date: March 25, 2024
 Docket Number: A-50-22

Justia Opinion Summary: The New Jersey Supreme Court evaluated a class-action lawsuit brought by shoppers at the retail clothing store Aéropostale against the store's owner and operator, SPARC Group LLC. The plaintiffs alleged that the store…

Players Place II Condominium Association, Inc. v. K.P. and B.F.  
Date: March 13, 2024
 Docket Number: A-60/61-22

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of New Jersey delivered an opinion concerning an appeal by condominium owners who claimed they were discriminated against because of their need for an emotional support animal (ESA) that exceeded the…

State v. Ross  
Date: March 5, 2024
 Docket Number: A-34-22

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2017, defendant Shlawrence Ross was indicted for attempted murder and other offenses following an alleged exchange of gunfire with police officers. During the incident, he was wounded and a bullet lodged in his…

State v. Knight  
Date: March 5, 2024
 Docket Number: A-39-22

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of New Jersey, in its decision, examined whether the State can obtain from defense counsel an affidavit that is physical evidence of a crime, under New Jersey discovery rules. The case revolves around a…

Sanjuan v. School District of West New York  
Date: February 12, 2024
 Docket Numbers: A-4/5-22, A-45-22

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of New Jersey examined whether N.J.S.A. 18A:6-16 limits an arbitrator’s authority to penalize conduct under the Tenure Employees Hearing Law (TEHL), N.J.S.A. 18A:6-10 to -18.1. The defendant, the Board…

AC Ocean Walk, LLC v. American Guarantee and Liability Insurance Company  
Date: January 24, 2024
 Docket Number: A-28-22

Justia Opinion Summary: Ocean Walk, LLC, a company that operates a casino and other entertainment facilities in New Jersey, sought coverage under its commercial property insurance policies for losses sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic. The…

State v. Hill  
Date: January 18, 2024
 Docket Number: A-41-22

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of New Jersey ruled that the State's witness tampering statute, N.J.S.A. 2C:28-5(a), is not unconstitutionally overbroad, but it may have been unconstitutionally applied to the defendant, William Hill,…

State v. Gartrell  
Date: January 17, 2024
 Docket Number: A-31-22

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, defendant Curtis Gartrell fled from police near Newark Penn Station, leaving behind a suitcase containing handguns, ammunition, illegal narcotics, and cash. Gartrell was later apprehended and charged with…

State v. Fair  
Date: January 16, 2024
 Docket Number: A-20-22

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case State v. Calvin Fair, the Supreme Court of New Jersey had to decide whether a prosecution for terroristic threats under N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3(a), based on a mens rea of recklessness, is constitutional. The…

DeSimone v. Springpoint Senior Living, Inc  
Date: January 10, 2024
 Docket Number: A-37-22

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff William DeSimone and a class of plaintiffs brought a suit against Springpoint Senior Living, Inc. (Springpoint) alleging that the company violated the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act (CFA) with regard to…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

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