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Judiciary TimesWinter 2003-2004

The newsletter of the New Jersey Judiciary

Inside...

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Robert W. Smith Brings 25 Years ExperienceTo New Role as Municipal Assistant Director

A Day in the Life of Civil and Special Civil Part:How the Hudson Vicinage Meets the ChallengeEditor’s note: This is the first in aregular series of “a day in the life”articles highlighting the good workthat judges and Judiciary staff aredoing around the state. This firstarticle focuses on a day in the life ofthe civil division and special civilpart in Jersey City, the HudsonCounty seat.

A visit to landlord/tenant court

“Good morning, everyone! Please turnoff all cell phones and beepers! I’mabout to call today’s cases. If you’re atenant, it is imperative that you let meknow you’re here. Once I completethis list you will not be allowed tocheck in. And if you do not deposityour rent with the court by 4:30 p.m.,you may be locked out approximatelynine days from today!”

This is landlord/tenant court inJersey City where dozens of requeststo evict people are heard four days aweek.

This is just one part of theoperation of the civil division. Inaddition to landlord/tenant, civil hearsmajor lawsuits, small claims and thethousands of bill collection cases ofthe special civil part.

Robert W. (“Bob”) Smith’s careerwith the Judiciary began at an agewhen most people are only starting tothink about what they want to do inlife.

“I started as a student assistantin high school delivering mail at the

Middlesex County Courthouse,”reflected Smith recently. “I workedthere while in high school andcontinued through college whilestudying business economics atRutgers.”

Smith graduated from Rutgers in1980 and kept on working at thecourthouse. He eventually becamemunicipal court liaison and joined theAdministrative Office of the Courts in1986 as an information technologyanalyst in the municipal division.

As his interest in courts andtechnology grew, so did his career.Smith was promoted to assistant chiefof the municipal court automationsection in 1988 and became chief ofthe Automated Traffic System/Automated Complaint System (ATS/Bob Smith, new

assistantdirector ofmunicipal courtservices, at workin his office inTrenton

Administrators certifiedJobs for probationersBurlington Law Day AwardRoots & Wings takes offFifty years with JudiciaryMiddlesex renovatesA-sail on Pete Seeger’s ship

p. 2p. 3p. 5p. 8p. 13p. 14p. 20

Judiciary Times is prepared byCommunication Services, Office ofCommunications, the Administra-tive Office of the Courts (AOC) foremployees of the Judiciary andvolunteers who work with thecourt system. The Chief Justice of the NewJersey Supreme Court isDeborah T. Poritz. The Adminis-trative Director of the Courts isRichard J. Williams. Please e-mail short news articlessaved as Word documents, photosand/or suggestions to:[email protected] send disk, photos and papercopy to: Editor, Judiciary Times,Office of Communications, PO Box037, Richard J. Hughes JusticeComplex, Trenton NJ 08625-0037.Submissions are subject to editing,and not all can be published.

Judiciary Times2.

Director of Communications

Editorial Staff and Contributors

Winifred ComfortEditor Linda Brown HoltContributors

Janet Bastien, ArleneBonville, Lillian Diego, FrankHoeber, Andy Kafel, TamaraKendig, Tina LaLena, RobertLevine, Rosanne Martin, KateMcCann, Maura Procopio-Barr,George Stahanovich, ChristophStanecki, Kim Daniels Walsh .Thanks to the other Judiciary staffwho contributed articles andphotographs.

Cape May County Municipal Courts First to AchieveFull Certification of All Municipal Court Administratorsby Tamara KendigCommunications SpecialistOffice of Communications

Cape May County municipal courts arethe first in New Jersey where everymunicipal court administrator has

achieved state certification,according to Dennis L. Bliss, chairof the Municipal CourtAdministrator Certification Board.The announcement was made inAtlantic City this fall at the annualconference of the Municipal CourtAdministrators Association ofNew Jersey.

and professionalism of the Cape MayCounty municipal courtadministrators,” he said. “I am pleasedthat their combined effort to achievethe mark of distinction that comes withcertification has brought thisrecognition they so richly deserve.”

According to legislation signed in1994, the Municipal CourtAdministrator Certification Boardestablishes courses and designsexaminations for certification ofmunicipal court administrators. TheJudiciary municipal services divisionadministers the program. Thelegislation was written in response tothe growing demand for managerialskills and the increasingprofessionalism required of thoseresponsible for the daily operations forthe state’s 536 municipal courts.

“This is an important milestone inthe Judiciary’s vision to certify everymunicipal court administrator in NewJersey,” said Robert Smith, assistantdirector of municipal court services.

Currently, 320 of the state’s morethan 500 municipal court administratorsare certified, and more than 100additional court administrators anddeputy court administrators are in theprocess of obtaining certification. CapeMay County has 14 certified municipalcourt administrators.

Judge Richard J. Williams,administrative director of the courts,spoke to the conference of municipalcourt administrators.

“We are proud of theprofessionalism demonstrated by thosemunicipal court administrators whohave dedicated significant time andeffort to achieving certification,” saidJudge Williams. “Certification is noteasy, and Cape May County municipalcourts have distinguished themselvesby having every one of theiradministrators certified.”

Detailed information aboutcertification for municipal courtadministrators is available on theJudiciary’s Web site atnjcourtsonline.com.

“Cape May has establishedthe standard for qualificationexcellence in municipal courtadministration,” said Bliss. “Thegoal now is to achieve thatstandard throughout the state andmake New Jersey’s municipal courtadministrators, through thecertification program, the bestqualified in the country.”

The three-part certificationprocess consists of 105 hours ofcoursework, written and oralexams, and the development of awritten court improvement project.The coursework includes thestudy of administration,operations and management ofmunicipal courts; and advancedstudy of the municipal courtcomputerized case tracking systemand NJMCDirect, the onlinepayment system. The courtimprovement project mustcontribute to the administration ofjustice in the municipal courts andfurther a court’s interests as a partof the local community.

Retaining certificationrequires a career-long commitmentto professionalism. Municipalcourt administrators must berecertified every three years,during which they must acquire 45hours of continuing educationcredits in order to qualify forrecertification.

Municipal Court PresidingJudge Louis J. Belasco, whooversees operations of municipalcourts in Cape May and AtlanticCounties, offered his praise.

“I have had the opportunityto see first-hand the dedication

3.Judiciary Times

Steps We Can Take Now to Help

Managing the storage of courtrecords is always a challenge. Somerecords may need to be kept for a fewmonths; others, for many years. Itcosts the state millions of dollars ayear for storage space and other costsassociated with maintaining 350,000boxes of files.

An article about how the Judiciaryproposes to deal with this crisis willappear in an upcoming edition ofJudiciary Times. But in the meantime,courtesy of Kate McCann in therecords management unit, here aresome steps that can be taken now tohelp ease the records crisis:

1. Remove any papers that may be purged from files pursuant to theretention schedule.

2. Dedicate time each month to keep records organized.3. Keep your records inventory up to date.4. Dedicate time at the end of each year to identify records that can be

destroyed.5. Apply for destruction of records when they become eligible. See

Directive #3-01 for a listing of Judiciary retention schedules.6. Avoid storing duplicate copies of reports or documents in files.

Camden Probation Links Clients with Jobsby Rosanne MartinVicinage Assistant Chief ProbationOfficer

Finding and keeping jobs is a key tothe success of probation clients.

Experience has shown that if aprobationer can get and keep a job, itwill give him or her not only an incomebut also a new sense of self-respect.

An employed probationer is lesslikely to re-offend, and that’s whatprobation is ultimately all about.

Since November 2002, theemployment committee of the Camdenprobation division has successfullyhelped probation officers assistclients in finding jobs. The committeewas initiated by a senior probationofficer, Maura Procopio-Barr, whoserved on the Outcome BasedStandards Employment Committee.Today, it is composed of officers withan interest in employment services.

The program is part of a statewidepartnership between the Judiciary andthe New Jersey Department of Labor(DOL) to help probation clients getand keep jobs.

Camden’s committee maintains ajob services board in the reportingarea, offers weekly career bulletins fordistribution to clients, acts as a liaisonwith DOL and verifies weekly atten-dance at the One-Stop Job Program(part of the Judiciary-DOL partner-ship).

Following a presentation byDOL’s One-Stop Job Program place-ment specialist, training was providedto all adult section employees lastspring. This training included informa-tion about DOL procedures, properuse of employment coding in CAPS,alternative employment programs,innovative sanctions to implementwith unemployed clients and availableeducational programs.

The training ended with a

videotape featuring the Strive jobreadiness model (Strive is a three-week intensive job training programbased in Harlem and funded entirelyfrom corporate and charitable dona-tions). Training was conducted withsmall groups of officers in order toencourage questions and participa-tion. The presentation was taped for

viewing by newly hired probationofficers.

The committee will continue toassist section probation officers intheir goal to help each client becomeemployed resulting in client rehabilita-tion, reduced recidivism and safercommunities.

Committee members (left to right, back row) are: Toyia Walker, VACPO;Pamela Graham, PO; Maura Procopio-Barr, Senior PO; Sarah Barbella,Senior PO; Kathy Allison, PO; Rosanne Martin, VACPO ; (center front) DebbieThomson, Senior PO.

Ease Records Storage Challenge

Judiciary Times4.

Jude Del Preore, Mercer TCA, Elected MAACM PresidentJude Del Preore of Moorestown, trialcourt administrator (TCA) for theMercer Vicinage, was elected presi-dent of the Mid-Atlantic Associationfor Court Management (MAACM) atthe organization’s 10th annual meetingthis fall. With 500 members, MAACM is adiverse, regional association ofprofessionals dedicated to excellencein court administration in the Districtof Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey,Pennsylvania and Virginia.

“I am greatly honored to beelected president of MAACM,” DelPreore told his colleagues during theannual meeting in Cherry Hill. “I wantto thank you for your continuedsupport of our great organization andfor (your) trust and confidence…It istruly an honor to serve you, ourcolleagues, in the nation’s premierregional association for court manage-ment.”

As Mercer’s TCA, Del Preore isresponsible for 370 staff and themanagement of the civil, criminal,family, general operations, humanresources, information technology,municipal, probation and financedivisions. He reports to MercerVicinage Assignment Judge Linda R.Feinberg.

MAACM is committed tocontinuously improving court manage-ment and services to the publicthrough visionary leadership. It

provides a variety of accessible, highquality, professional developmentprograms. The association promotescollaboration among court profession-als to promote best practices, network-ing, and information sharing within thejustice community.

The professional organization isnationally recognized as a leadingregional resource for creative andchallenging approaches to educatingand developing court leaders.

Del Preore has been in the field ofboth court and corrections adminis-tration for over 25 years. He hasserved on numerous judicial andlegislative subcommittees, planninggroups, and advisory boards.

He is a certified trainer andserves on the adjunct faculty of SetonHall Law School, two county colleges,the New Jersey State Policy Academy,several county police academies andthe New Jersey State AdministrativeOffice of the Courts Training andOrganizational Development Unit.

Del Preore completed hisundergraduate education at RutgersUniversity and a Masters degree inPublic Administration for KeanUniversity. He has completed theCourt Executive Development of theNational Center for State Courts’Institute for Court Management andis certified as a Fellow.

As president, Del Preore willpreside at meetings, manage associa-tion business, appoint members tocommittees and see that all orders andresolutions are carried out.

N.J. Judiciary Web Site Ranked #1 in the NationThe New Jersey Judiciary took firstplace in the Top 10 Court Web Sitecompetition at the 2003 NationalCenter for State Courts’ CourtTechnology Conference (CTC).

The event is the world’s onlyconference dedicated exclusively tocourt technology. Since 1984, judges,court administrators and informationtechnologists have gathered at thecenter’s CTCs to learn about the latestinformation and trends in courttechnology.

This is the second major awardthat the New Jersey Judiciary receivedfor its Web site in 2003. Earlier in theyear, a study ranked it as one of the 10best court-related Web sites in theworld.

For its annual ranking, the firm,Justice Served, examined more than900 Web sites worldwide. The NewJersey Judiciary Web site ranked firstamong all state judiciary Web sitesand fourth internationally.

The Judiciary’s Web site isadministered by Internet Services inthe Office of Communications underthe leadership of Winnie Comfort,director, and Toni McLaughlin,assistant director. Other members ofthe Web team are Thomas Arey,administrative supervisor; JeanneHart-Convery, Doris McCormick andNicole Southard, Web developers;and Andrea Quarino, secretary.

Jude Del Preore

Judiciary Times 5.

ABA Selects Burlington Vicinage Law DayAs One of the Nation’s Top Five ProgramsThe American Bar Association (ABA)has recognized the BurlingtonVicinage for offering one of the fivebest Law Day programs in the countryin 2003.

The vicinage will be honoredduring the ABA Mid-Year Meeting tobe held in February in San Antonio,Texas.

According to the ABA Web site,winning entries for Law Day 2003represented a wide geographic andprogrammatic diversity. Winningprojects showed creativity in reachingout to students and the public toconvey the importance of the rule oflaw.

“Our Law Day project serves toemphasize the commitment that ourvicinage has to the ‘rule of law’ and itsimportance to those who are affected

by what we do,” said AssignmentJudge John A. Sweeney.

The Burlington Vicinage Law Day

National Magazine Features Bill MeccaAmong Top Video Producers of 2003

program is a cooperative effort of theBurlington County Bar Association,the Burlington County Superintendent

William Mecca,video produc-tion coordinatorin the Office ofCommunications,AdministrativeOffice of theCourts, wasfeatured in AVVideo Multime-

At the Judiciary, Mecca hasproduced a wide range of educationaland informative videos including NewJersey’s Child Support HearingOfficer Program. He is currentlyworking with the Family Division on aseries of training videos for judgesand court staff on domestic violence.

Mecca resides in ManchesterTownship with his wife, Christine, andtheir four children, Elizabeth,Katherine, Meghan and Christopher.When not producing videos, Meccaenjoys spending time with his familyand indulging his other passion, rock‘n’ roll tenor saxophone.

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A dramatic scene involvingactors from the first in aseries of domestic violencevideos produced in 2003by Christine Hepner of thefamily division and directedand edited by WilliamMecca.

William Mecca dia ProducerMagazine’s “Profiles in Excellence, aShowcase of Top Producers.” Theannouncement, with a biography andphoto, appeared in the November 2003edition.

A Judiciary employee for nineyears, Mecca formerly was radio newsanchor with WOBM-FM and was alsoa television newsman with WYOU-TVin Scranton, Penn. He graduated fromRowan University (formerly GlassboroState College) in 1982.

Judiciary Times6.

Safe & Sound

by Arlene M. Bonville, Court Access Services

‘Twas the Season – You Shopped-‘Til You Dropped –But Did You Do It Safely?

I have never, ever needed a reason togo shopping, but provide me with alegitimate reason, like Christmas, andI’m out the door before you can say,“CHARGE (it)!”

The fun, or rather the stress, ofthe holiday season has come andgone. We managed to expand ourmulti-tasking abilities – holidayshopping, wrapping, cooking, baking,decorating, entertaining, familyobligations, as well as still workingfull-time – and for the most part, havekept our sanity (debatable!).

Now the big question: Did youtake added safety precautions duringthe holidays when you were at themall? The department store? Thegrocery store? Driving on the high-way? Or did you fall victim to thevenomous Scrooges in the world?

Statistics show that during theholiday season the crime rate goes up,e.g., thefts, robberies, road rage,assaults, kidnappings and murders.People tend to be edgier because of alack of time, energy and, most of all,money.

Nerves are frayed, tempers areshort, and it doesn’t take much to setsomeone off without really trying.Here are just a few unsafe practices

witnessed this holiday season. Butplease note, these safety suggestions,offered after the offenses, should bepracticed at all times, not just duringthe holiday season.

What would be safer? If youhave a few dollars to spare,perhaps you could treat yourselfby taking advantage of the valetparking service that malls offerduring the holidays and some-times straight through the wintermonths.

• People loaded with packages walkfrom the store, alone, in the dark,to the far end of the lot, makingthemselves vulnerable to apossible assault.What would be safer? If you’regoing to be shopping alone —and this is not only during theholidays, but any time — try toshop during daylight hours whenit is somewhat safer to walk adistance to and from your car.And if you are buying a largequantity of items, purchase over-sized store bags so you can fitseveral items in just one or twobags.

• Never leave mail on the front seatof your car with your name andaddress clearly visible to anyonewho walks by. According to arecent news report, an individualwho did this came home to find astranger waiting for her at herhouse. He had watched herleaving her car at the mall, walkedpast her car, saw the mail on thefront seat and wrote down theinformation.What would be safer? Beforewalking away from your car, makeit a habit to do a quick check –look in your windows and makesure no personal items are visible,especially those that identify youby name and address.

• When paying for merchandise,people tend to open their wallets,exposing cash-a-plenty, as well asan assortment of major creditcards just screaming, “Take me!”What would be safer? On eachexcursion, take a very limitedamount of cash, enough for asoda and a soft pretzel, and nomore than two (preferably one)major credit cards that areaccepted in the stores in whichyou shop.

• Women sometimes leave theirhandbags in shopping carts, thenwalk away from the cart (albeitoften only a short distance) tolook at something on a rack orshelf.What would be safer? Use ahandbag with a long shoulderstrap that can be put over yourhead with the bag tucked safelyunder your arm. This will avoidsomeone grabbing your bag andrunning, or just simply lifting itfrom your shopping cart. Men, onthe other hand, should keep theirwallets in their front pants pocketsto avoid the ever-so-craftypickpocket.

• With parking lots filled to capac-ity, you’ve no doubt witnessedmany “fights” for a spot beingvacated, barely allowing theindividual enough room to exitfrom the area. Obviously, onlyone vehicle can claim the vacantslot, so oftentimes a shoutingmatch ensues that has thepotential to turn violent.

Improved Search

Information on the InfoNet is noweasier to find thanks to a faster andmore powerful search engine thatlocates both text and PDF documents.

The new Google search enginemay be found at the top of theInfoNet home page.

Engine on InfoNet

Have a safe and happy winter. More tocome in the spring!

Judiciary Times 7.

Tech-KNOWLEDGE-yAn Appetizing Menu: “Spam & Regs”

by Janet Bastien, Project Manager, Information Technology

Upon returning home from vacation recently, I found my e-mailaccount cluttered with correspondence from unfamiliarsources offering solutions to every kind of problemimaginable; offers for mortgage reductions, weight reduction,pain relief and several offers for services which woulddefinitely be of no interest to a respectable married woman likeme.

There were also several indecipherable messages like“noluntu kukiopportunity” from senders I was sure I hadnever met at any stage of my life. What is all this nonsensechoking my inbox? A phenomenon started over a generationago that has become known as “spam,” unsolicited junk e-mailusually sent to multiple addresses simultaneously.

Like the Vikings in that Monty Python film singing “Spam,spam, spam, spam” until somebody yells “SHUT UP!”spammers on the Internet can drive you nuts. Even moreannoying, it costs the incessant spammer virtually nothing tosend e-mail, so once they obtain your e-mail address, they canspam you again and again and again.

How do they find you? One source is chat rooms andnewsgroups; they even have special software to extract youraddress from these sites. Spammers also create search enginesthat spider the Web searching for e-mail addresses.

Have you entered any online contests enticing you to wina million bucks or a vacation in Tahiti just by typing in your e-mail address? Chances are you didn’t win that prize, but thespamming community hit the jackpot by obtaining thousandsof addresses from hopeful contenders like you. Selling e-mailaddresses from such sources is big business.

Since many Americans have said “we’re not gonna takeit” to the imposition of spamming, many are petitioninglawmakers to pass legislation regulating spam. There is a pushfor a national “Do Not Spam” list much like the National DoNot Call Registry recently enacted.

However, cynics feel that spammers are so devious theywould set up servers in foreign countries and harvest freshaddresses from the list. The 106th, 107th and 108th sessions ofCongress have considered a number of bills aiming to bringthe spam machinery to a grinding halt.

These include protection for seniors, requirements foropt-out options, labeling of unsolicited commercial e-mailmessages, etc. Good ideas, but at the bottom of each session’slist it reads, “none of these were enacted.” With an 86 percentmajority of e-mail users saying they favor this legislation(according to a report in the September 2003 issue of NewJersey Tech News), why isn’t it passed?

A strong marketing lobby may be the reason. On Nov. 11,USA Today reported, “Congress has been trying for at leastthree years to pass an anti-spam bill. Prospects are muchbrighter now that groups such as the Direct Marketing

Association (DMA) have dropped their opposition tolegislation. Growing public disgust with spam and recent movesby state legislatures to pass a patchwork of anti-spam laws helpexplain the change in attitude.”

Also, regulating spam is tricky business. One man’s spamcan be another’s filet mignon. That is, you may welcomeinformation on a particular cause or party platform, while yourfriend may like to hear about a new company’s business orservices. At the same time, I may view all such correspondenceas an intrusion.

First Amendment rights can be compromised by over-regulation or the wrong regulation. Before passing legislation tocontrol spam, Congress must sift through issues balancingprivacy rights and an individual or organization’s right to freespeech and free enterprise.

So until Congress provides regulations for spammers,following these Ten Commandments can reduce your chance ofbeing whacked by what one critic has called “the organized crimeof the Internet”:

Thou shalt not open or reply to junk e-mails (even to “opt-out” as this just confirms to spamster that they’ve hit atarget)

Thou shalt not post your e-mail address in a public forum

Thou shalt review a Web site’s privacy policy before doingbusiness online

Thou shalt refrain from forwarding chain e-mail

Thou shalt install filtering software to help detect and stopspam (go to spam.abuse.net for more info)

Thou shalt avoid the temptation to enter contests requestingyour e-mail address

Thou shalt report persistent spammers to the FTC [email protected]. The FTC will pursue law enforcement actionsagainst people who send deceptive spam e-mail

Thou shalt not compile lists of e-mail addresses; if you do,don’t e-mail the list.

Thou shalt use a unique e-mail address (one that doesn’t looklike a name)

Thou shalt stay informed. Check out sites such as theFederal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov andwww.cauce.org (the Coalition Against Unsolicited CommercialE-mail) to learn how to protect yourself and stay current onregulations.

Judiciary Times8.

Morris/Sussex Vicinage Works with VolunteersHelping Young People in Transition

by Kim Daniels Walsh, Ombudsman and EEO/AA Officer, Morris/Sussex Vicinage

Division Judge Thomas J. Critchley. Irene deGrandpré,founder and board of trustee member, explained that theorganization provides housing, mentoring, access to healthcare, educational and employment assistance. Individualswho are accepted into the program are provided withtransitional support for two years.

Elaine Condon, a retired graphic designer, mentors a19-year-old woman in the program. She recounted howlonely the young women felt when she left the security of afoster family. As a mentor, Condon seeks to fill that void.

The two women meet regularly for meals as well as todiscuss future educational plans (the 19-year-old isattending Morris County College, but has hopes to pursuea bachelor’s degree at the Fashion Institute of Technologyin New York).

“Whether it’s car trouble or stocking the refrigerator, Itry to be there for this young woman,” said Condon.

Board Member Pat Witt, who is pursuing a master ofsocial work degree at Kean University, noted, “The need isgreat, but the potential for these kids is incredible.”

She added that this program “is a terrific vehicle forkids to realize their dreams.”

As a result of Roots & Wings, young people likeRosalyn can leave the child welfare system with a networkof support and help getting a place to live, go to schooland work. As one participant put it, “I would have beenhomeless except for this program.”

Rosalyn (not her real name) had been in the state childwelfare system all her life. She had lived in foster homessince she was two, and all her shelter, food and medicalneeds were met by the state.

On her 19th birthday, however, everything stopped. Shehad nowhere to live, no source of income, no educationalprospects. Rosalyn was a prime candidate for descent intoa life of homelessness, drugs, crime and even prostitution.

Fortunately, this scenario was interrupted beforeRosalyn turned 19 by a Morris County non-profit programcalled Roots & Wings.

Roots & Wings provides personal support andpractical life skills for teenagers who have “aged-out” ofthe child welfare system. The organization acceptsreferrals from the court as well as various public andprivate organizations including the Division of Youth andFamily Services (DYFS) and Catholic Charities.

This fall, Morris/Sussex Vicinage judges and staffjoined volunteers and professionals to help young peopletransition from the child welcare system to a world of self-actualization.

On Oct. 17, Presiding Judge Barbara Zucker-Zarett,Morris/Sussex Vicinage Family Division, administered theoath of office to seven volunteer members of the Roots &Wings Foundation.

During the event, board members, caseworkers andmentors engaged in an informal question and answersession with Judge Zucker-Zarett and fellow Family

Helping Youth in Transition--Judges and volunteers gathered recently in the Morris/Sussex Vicinage todiscuss the Roots & Wings program. Attending were: Presiding Judge Barbara Zucker-Zarett (third from right,front row), Judge Thomas J. Critchley (third from right, back row); Edith Larsen (second from left), family divisionmanager; Malik Gray (second from right, back row), vicinage support staff; and volunteers (not in order) Joan deVriis, Diane Turner, Cathy Dougherty, Carol Rufener, Irene deGrandpré, Neisa Maute, Stephanie Roth, Elaine J.Condon, Patricia Witt.

Judiciary Times 9.

Hudson Vicinage and Jersey City Public SchoolsHold Teen Dating Violence Education Forum

by Kyle Warren, Intern, Hudson Vicinage

These activities were especially appealing to thestudents as there were student actors playing the roles ofplaintiff, defendant and witness. In addition, jurors of themock trial were randomly selected from among the studentparticipants. Peer participation made it much more engag-ing for the students and showed the audience how a trial ofthis type is adjudicated before a judge. The matter beingtried also allowed the students to see how violence affectsthe lives of so many young people.

What’s Love Got To Do With It? was a huge success.The work put in by all involved was clearly apparent as theevents of the day unfolded. The students left with thetools necessary to identify and aid their peers involved inviolent dating situations.

Made available to other schoolsAlthough the courtroom could accommodate select

students from seven different high schools, students fromJersey City’s Snyder High School videotaped the entireforum to make it available to students throughout thecounty. The program will be shown on closed-circuit cabletelevision for high school students and will also run on themunicipal access channel for the community of Jersey City.

The Hudson Vicinage Advisory Committee onMinority Concerns, which is currently chaired by JerseyCity Municipal Court Judge Sheila A. Venable, plans toimplement additional education forums for various seg-ments of the community in 2004.

Teen dating violence is a growing problem thoughout thecountry, affecting many students at the high-school level.

Many times violence that occurs during teen datinggoes unreported because the victims feel at fault or feel theneed to protect the offeder. It is a terrible situation that, inmany cases, leaves the victims feeling vulnerable andguilty.

It is absolutely important for young people to knowhow to recognize when a relationship is abuse and to knowexactly how to react and where to get help.

For the past two years, the Hudson Vicinage and localschools have recognized teen dating violence as a problemand are working together to provide solutions.

An example of this cooperation took place Oct. 24when the Hudson Vicinage Advisory Committee onMinority Concerns held its second annual forum on teendating violence. More than 120 high school studentsattended the forum titled, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?The Problem of Violence in Teen Dating Relationships.

Video, mock trial and panelStudents from seven local high schools filled the

historic, second-floor courtroom in the Justice William J.Brennan, Jr. Courthouse to participate in the forum. Duringthe course of the day, students watched an informationalvideotape on the subject matter, participated in a mock trialand asked questions to a diverse panel of professionals.

Chief

Chinese Law Professionals Learn about New Jersey JudiciaryA delegation of the Beijing Legal Professionals TrainingGroup visited the New Jersey Judiciary on Dec. 16 and 17.

The visit included some 20 legal professionals fromthe People’s Republic of China, accompanied by KarenMorelli, director of the Center for Corporate and WorkforceTraining at Atlantic Cape Community College.

The group met Chief Justice Deborah T. Poritz; JudgeRichard J. Williams, administrative director of the courts;visited with Appellate judges and met with other AOCofficials.

During their visit, the law professionals observed theAppellate Division in session and had the opportunity toask questions about the judicial process. The visitors included a civil presiding judge, assistantjudges with Beijing’s High People’s Courts, as well asprosecutors, chiefs and other law officials.Chief Justice Deborah T. Poritz (right) described New

Jersey’s independent Judiciary to visiting Chinese lawprofessionals. (Photo by L. Holt)

Judiciary Times10.

Continued from page 1

ACS) support unit in the municipaldivision in 1999.

This fall his career hit a high notewith his promotion to assistantdirector of the Judiciary’s municipalcourt services division. He succeededDennis L. Bliss, who retired and isnow chair of the Municipal CourtAdministrator Certification Board.

Great mentors“Middlesex was a great place to

learn about the court system,” Smithreflected, seated in his seventh-flooroffice in the Richard J. Hughes JusticeComplex in Trenton. “I had some ofthe best mentors in MiddlesexCounty.”

Technology was one of the areasthat most appealed to Smith as he waslearning court operations inMiddlesex.

“The potential for accessing caseinformation through the web andoffering online payment services wasenormous,” he said. Today, Smith iscredited for leading the team thatimplemented NJMCdirect, theJudiciary’s online e-payment system.The site is linked from the Judiciaryhome page, www.njcourtsonline.com.A fast, secure and convenient way toaccess traffic ticket information online,NJMCdirect was one of the mostsignificant customer-service initiativesof the past year.

35,000 payments a month“With 35,000 payments a month,

the system is very successful,” saidSmith. “This wouldn’t have happenedwithout the vision of the director andthe expertise of the project teamassembled by Jim Rebo. And, I haveto admit, I get a lot of credit for thehard work done by ITO and our ATS/ACS Support Unit!” he added with asmile.

In addition to NJMCdirect, Smithwas involved in the development andimplementation of the original ParkingAuthority Ticketing System (PATS).

The PATS system is an automatedticketing system that uses radio-frequency (wireless) communication withthe Judiciary ATS/ACS. The Judiciaryprovides handheld devices to parkingauthority officers to be used for violationentry, inquiry and ticket printing. Onceinformation is entered into the hand-helddevices, the ticket is printed and allinformation is simultaneously transmittedto ATS/ACS through a wireless commu-nications technology. This summonsinformation is then immediately availableto municipal courts and law enforcementofficers statewide.

“With the two systems, cases areelectronically filed, managed anddisposed of without municipal court staffhandling any paper or even touching akeyboard,” Smith said.

New Jersey is truly on the leadingedge in building and maintainingstatewide systems. “I was at a techconference in Kansas City last year and Istill haven’t come across another statethat is so unified in this area,” he said.“The credit truly belongs with ITO.”

A common threadLooking ahead, Smith sees an even

greater convergence of procedural andcomputer environments in the next fiveto 10 years. “Computers are the onecommon thread among all our initia-tives,” he noted. “The vision of ourpresiding judges and division managersis to make continual improvement in theservices provided to the public. Tech-

nology will continue to be at theforefront of that effort.”

For most citizens, contact withmunicipal courts is their first contactwith the state’s judicial system. “Thefeedback we receive from the municipalcourts is of paramount importance,” hesaid. “The municipal courts let usknow what is important and we makeevery effort to be responsive to theirneeds. It’s a forum that has reallyworked well for us.”

Now a resident of SouthBrunswick, Smith and his wife, Judi,are the parents of Allyson, age 3-1/2.When not working and spending timewith his family, Smith admits to being a“huge fan” of Rutgers’ basketball andfootball games.

Professionally, Smith hopes tocontinue the strides in municipal courtservices made under the leadership ofDennis Bliss. “The municipal courtsystem has been dramatically im-proved under Dennis’ leadership - Ihope to continue that tradition,” hesaid.

Addressing a recent conference ofthe state’s municipal court administra-tors, Smith told these court profession-als not what the AOC wanted fromthem, but what the AOC was going todo for them. His plans were greetedwith rousing applause.

It was an auspicious beginning.

—Linda Brown Holt

Robert W. Smith Named Municipal Assistant Director

Lawrence Haman Named OutstandingProbation Supervisor of the YearThe Probation Association of NewJersey (PANJ) selected Principal Proba-tion Officer Lawrence Haman of theUnion Vicinage as the OutstandingProbation Supervisor of the Year for2003. The award was made during thePANJ conference in Atlantic City inNovember.

Haman was honored for his “leader-ship, understanding, compassion and

exemplary character” and forsignificant contributions to hisfellow employees as a practicingprofessional. A probation officer inUnion since 1973, Haman special-izes in juvenile supervision. Theprobation officers in his unitnominated him, with the support ofthe administration.

Judiciary Times 11.

Views of the Staff College 2003

This year’s staff college offeredJudiciary employees from through-out the state a chance to improvetheir skills, ponder issues, listen tomotivational speakers and interactwith each other across divisionaland geographic lines. Presented bythe Judiciary OrganizationalDevelopment and Training Unit, thetwo-day event was held at two sitesto accommodate the largestnumber of staff. (Photos by L. Holtand W. Mecca)

Sheriffs’ Staff and CEP Share Information at ConferenceThe annual meeting of the Sheriffs’Labor Assistance Program (SLAP)and the Enforced Community Service(ECS) program took place Oct. 31,2003, in the Hughes Justice Complexin Trenton. Dennis R. Martin, chief of theComprehensive EnforcementProgram (CEP) in Probation Services,welcomed attendees from through-out the state. Following “brag time” in whichparticipants spoke about positiveactivities in their community, WilliamFreeman (shown at left), director ofcommunity assistance programs inthe Department of Corrections, gavethe keynote address. The program included a discus-sion of warrants and drug courts andthe introduction of John Pizarro, thenew chief of adult supervision.William Freeman of the Department of Corrections addresses the SLAP/

CEP meeting in Trenton.

Judiciary Times12.

The New Jersey Judiciary’s IntensiveSupervision Program (ISP) observedits 20th anniversary this fall with anevening of presentations and a paneldiscussion. ISP gives certain carefullyselected offenders, who were origi-nally sentenced to state prison, theopportunity to become responsibleand productive citizens while underclose supervision.

The evening program wasattended by judges, probationdivision staff, ISP graduates andrepresentatives from the New JerseyDepartment of Corrections.

“You have helped people begin torealize the dignity and potentialinherent in each human being,” saidJudge Richard J. Williams, administra-tive director of the courts, in hisopening remarks.

ISP was designed to test whetheran intermediate form of punishment,one that would be less costly thanprison, but more onerous and restric-tive than traditional probation, wouldachieve the criminal justice objectiveof deterrence and rehabilitation.

Low Reconviction RateCurrently the re-conviction rate of

program graduates is 8 percent,compared to a 47 percent reconvictionrate for prisoners released directlyfrom prison. In addition, the programhas reduced prison overcrowding byproviding an alternative to continuedincarceration.

At a cost of approximately $8,100per offender, it has resulted in costsavings to New Jersey taxpayers ofmore than $110 million since itsinception. The average cost for anincarcerated prisoner is $34,000 peryear.

The program has been recognizedboth for its success and its cost

effectiveness, having achieved anaverage 95 percent employment rateover its twenty years of operation.Participants have earned almost$140,000,000 during the past twentyyears in gross wages, on whichappropriate federal and state incometaxes were paid.

They also paid more than $15million in court-ordered fees andrestoration and performed more than2.3 million hours of communityservice.

Development of a work ethic is afocal point of ISP. All participantsmust be employed full-time, unlessphysically disabled. Additionalmandates include adherence to anightly curfew, submission to frequentalcohol and drug testing, performanceof 16 hours of community service eachmonth, verified attendance at treat-ment meetings, and other restrictions.

“This is a program that saveslives. It is a program that wasdesigned to ensure compliance withthe law but it has become much more,”said Judge Williams.

The anniversary observationincluded a presentation on the historyof ISP.

A panel discussion, led by JudgeFrederic G. Weber, covered theremarkable expansion of the programfrom its inception as a way to reduceprison overcrowding to its current andfuture mission of helping offendersfind ways to improve their lives andcontribute to their communities.Judge Norman Telsey also partici-pated in the panel.Both judges served on ISP panelsafter their retirement from SuperiorCourt. Other panel members includedscreening board members and an ISPgraduate.

ISP 20th Anniversary—Participating in a panel at the fall celebration are (left toright): Lynch Hunt, ISP graduate; Nick Fagioli, ISP officer; Dr. Michael Nittoli,ISP screening board citizen member; Judge Norman Telsey (Salem), ISPresentencing panel; Judge Frederick C. Weber, retired, ISP resentencing panel.Speaking is Richard Talty, retired, former ISP manager, now screening boardcitizen member.

by Tamara KendigCommunications SpecialistOffice of Communications

Intensive Supervision Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Judiciary Times 13.

Stanley Grabowski Celebrates Half a CenturyIn the Probation Division of the Hudson Vicinageby Christoph Stanecki, Assistant Vicinage Chief Probation Officer, Hudson Vicinage

Do you recall January 4, 1954? Many,if not most judicial employees, werenot even born, and few of us thatwere can remember 1954.

In January 1954 Dwight D.Eisenhower was President of theUnited States, Elvis Presley recordeda 10-minute demo record in Nashville,the most popular soap opera was ABrighter Day, and the Nautilusnuclear submarine was launched.

But something else significanthappened on this date. Newlyappointed Probation Officer StanleyGrabowski reported to work.Stanley was first assigned to a branchoffice in supervision where heremained until September 1960.During this time he was appointed tothe position of senior probationofficer. In 1960 he was transferred tothe Family Relations Division and inMarch 1970 provisionally appointed aprincipal probation officer I.

He was permanently appointed tothis position in September 1972. Othersupervisory assignments included theAdult Supervision and CriminalInvestigation Divisions. As he beginshis 50th year of service PPO IGrabowski continues to providevaluable service to the Judiciary.

In recognition of this milestone,Judge Richard J. Williams,Administrative Director of the Courts,wrote to Stanley on behalf of ChiefJustice Poritz and himself. Thankinghim for his service, Judge Williamsnoted that while the Judiciary haschanged over the past 50 years, theconstant was the commitment ofpersons like Stanley.

Acknowledging this momentousevent, Assignment Judge Arthur N.D’Italia added his voice to the chorusof those noting Stanley’sextraordinary dedication to theimportant work of probation. JudgeD’Italia stated “He (Stanley) has, I

know, seen it all over the years,having performed in virtually everybranch of probation service and hiscommitment remains as strong asever.”

Asked to share her thoughts,Family Division Presiding JudgePatricia Costello added a verypersonal perspective. Judge Costellohas had the pleasure of knowingStanley Grabowski for more than 40years, meeting him when she was inkindergarten and Stan and her fatherwere office mates.

Judge Costello noted that beforethe days of sentencing guidelines,sentencing by the numbers, pleacutoffs and business casual, Stan wasat his desk or in the courtroom or inthe field aiding the court or helping aprobationer in his starched white shirt,red tie and formal suit.

colleagues is a tremendous testimony tothe quality of Stan’s professional life.We all congratulate him and lookforward to sharing many more yearstogether.”

Retiree Bill McDonough, a man ofmany words, recalled Stanley as beingextremely intelligent, ambitious and theconsummate professional, “someonewho thought ‘outside the box’ before itwas a popular management concept.”Principal Probation Officer II JackO’Brien recalls starting in thedepartment some 30 years ago, howStanley took him “under his wing” andmentored him during those early days,and how over the years he discoveredhow respected Stanley was throughoutthe Judiciary. Jack concluded hiscomments saying, “Stanley was notonly my mentor and supervisor, butmore importantly he became a friend.Meeting and working with StanleyGrabowski is one of the highlights ofmy career.”

Performance appraisals conductedby past supervisors reflect acommitment to the service of the public.Words that described his work effortwere “complete professional,” “aprodigious quality of work,” “punctualand cooperates with all agencies andfellow workers.” On several occasionshis knowledge of the Polish languageand willingness to use this skill wasnoted. In 1963 (not 2003) his ability tomanage a large caseload, a “sound andeffective worker, organized alert thinkerand cooperative” was acknowledged.

To this day Stan continues to trekfrom his hometown of Harrison,commuting on the PATH to JournalSquare and then the short walk to theAdministration Building. He maintainsthe high level of professionalismmentioned by Judge Costello…” athrowback in the best sense of theword.”

“No matter how the trends infashion or probation change, Stanremains a constant model of what isgood and honorable about hisprofession. Stan is a throwback in thebest sense of the word,” JudgeCostello stated.

During recent conversationscurrent and past coworkers reflected onStanley’s career and their associations.Court Administrator Joseph Davis, whobegan his judicial career as a ProbationInvestigator 25 years ago, recallsStanley’s willingness to break-in the“rookies” and pass on what he hadlearned over the years.

“He was and is a true role modelfor all who have had the fortune ofcrossing his path,” Anthony Casale,vicinage chief probation officer, added,“Stanley has given 50 years of hisprofessional life to serving the citizensof Hudson County and the state. Hehas shown that perseverance anddiligence can overcome many of theobstacles put in your way. To serve forso long, to be admired by your

Judiciary Times14.

Middlesex Courthouse Renovations Result in Customer-Friendly Environment

Continued on page 15

by George StahanovichMunicipal Division ManagerMiddlesex Vicinage

It has taken six years, $33 milliondollars, multiple office moves and theinvolvement ofhundreds of people,but the renovationof the mainMiddlesex CountyCourthouse isalmost complete.

The majorburden of theundertaking restedon Wayne Fiorino’sshoulders. He is thevicinage assistanttrial court adminis-trator in charge ofoperations, andoperate he did.

Trial Court Administrator GregoryEdwards gave him the task, not onlybecause of his management abilities,but because the TCA knew that thislong-term project would require thepatience of a saint.

Accomplishing this task requiredextensive juggling. Wayne had to tryto please all the parties, from thejudges involved in the layout ofcourtrooms and benches, to the unionrepresentatives who would inquireabout every change in the conditionof the air in the courthouse.

It was not an easy task.The original west wing was built

in 1960 with the east wing added in1976. Each wing had a differentdesign, yet their combination pro-vided the courts with sufficient spacefor all court activities until the 1990s.

In 1997 Assignment Judge RobertA. Longhi and TCA Edwards formed atask force to oversee the renovationand restoration of the courthouse.

At that time it was decided tobuild a new family courthouse twoblocks away in order to alleviate the

congestion caused by an ever-increasing workload. The familycourthouse completion was just thefirst step in a master plan to provideadequate facilities for the next 20years.

The decision wasmade by the Board ofFreeholders to havethe New BrunswickDevelopment Corpora-tion (DEVCO), aprivate/governmentcooperative groupformed to developgovernment facilities,oversee the guttingand refurbishing ofthat building whilecreating space forcourt activities onthree of the floors ofthat building.

Renovation of the courthouseand the old administration buildingbegan about the same time. Here’swhere good planning became crucial.If a new building goes up, you justmove in when the inspection iscompleted and the furniture deliv-ered. Not so in this case.

We had to allow for a floor-by-floor renovation without disruptingfunctions of the rest of the court-

house. The juggling of space, thefrequent relocation of offices andfunctions was mind-boggling.

Through it all, Wayne Fiorino andthe task force came through with abalanced plan that minimized physicalmoves and caused little disruption tothe on-going court activities.

Sure, some broken pipes here orthere, lots of machine-generatedracket, and the occasional “un-friendly” odors caused all of usconcern, but the problems seemed todiminish as the work progressed.

This fall, the last of the renova-tions were completed on the first floorand the basement.

Some radical changes to the floorplan have occurred, including movingthe jury room, providing an additionalentrance and adding five more

courtrooms. Allthe othercourtroomswere totallyredone, withnew benchesproviding thejudges andcourtroom staffadditionalworkspace.Every court-room wasprovidedmultiplecomputer linesfor future use.

One “high-tech” courtroom wascreated and outfitted with multipleflat-screen monitors, the latest incomputer access and facilitation formodern audio-visuals.

The auto arbitration section ofthe civil division was installed on thefirst floor near one entrance toaccommodate the large volume oftraffic it creates. The computer serverwas moved from the basement to an

Judiciary Times 15.

Continued from page 5

of Schools, the Burlington CountyProsecutor’s Office and the BurlingtonVicinage Superior Court. Charles B.Castillo, Esq., the vicinage EEO/AAOfficer, coordinated the Law Dayprogram and emphasized that “most ofthe credit for the success of Law Dayshould go to the numerous volun-teers.”

The 2003 Law Day programconsisted of several events including“Be a Juror for a Day,” a Law Daystudent forum focusing on the Bill ofRights in post-9/11 America, the LawDay Information Fair, and student artand essay contests.

Day materials. In addition, thevicinage’s winning entry will beprominently featured in the ABA’splanning guide and Web site for LawDay 2004.

Other winners of the 2003 awardswere: Connecticut Judicial Branch,Hartford, Conn.; Cumberland County(North Carolina) Bar Association,Fayette, N.C.; Dallas (Texas) BarAssociation; and the J.K. Mullen HighSchool, Denver, Colo.

Click here for more materials onBurlington’s Law Day.

According to ABA, the awardsprogram showcases effective andinnovative Law Day activities andpromotes sharing of these modelswith others throughout the country. Inselecting the winning entries, ABAjudges looked for outstanding LawDay activities that expand the public’sunderstanding of the rule of law andappreciation of the role law plays insociety.

At the awards ceremony inFebruary, the Burlington Vicinage willreceive an inscribed plaque and creditof $100 toward the purchase of Law

interior room on the second floor, toprovide greater security. Finally, threefloors in the old administrationbuilding were allotted for civil recordsand the appellate division.

In addition to the drive of JudgeLonghi and TCA Edwards, DEVCOwas a major force in the success of therenovation. This is their fourth majorundertaking in New Brunswick.

Architectural firm Ford, Fairwell,Mills and Gatch received a designaward for their other work on CivicSquare. We can hope their work onthe courthouse renovation will beequally recognized.

“It took a lot of cooperation andhard work by so many people, but thejustice community will be pleased withthe results,” said the TCA as JudgeLonghi and he recently discussedproject progress.

Judge Longhi added, “Coopera-tion between the courts, the countyand DEVCO is what made this projectpossible.”

The long-awaited dedicationceremony was held on Dec. 13.

Continued from page 14

MiddlesexRenovations

“High Tech”--The new “high-tech”courtroom (above) in Middlesexoffers a drop-down screen, flatmonitors and the capacity formultiple computer hookups forattorneys. Standing together in arenovated courtroom are keyplayers behind the renovations (leftto right): Wayne Fiorino, assistanttrial court administrator; GregoryEdwards, trial court administrator;and Assignment Judge Robert A.Longhi.

ABA Selects Burlington Vicinage Law Day

Ocean Vicinage Municipal AdministratorsEnjoy a “Career Makeover” at Fall Conferenceby Tina LaLena, Administrative Specialist , Ocean Vicinage

After a long summer dealing with a heavy caseload andstaffing challenges, the Ocean Municipal Team decidedthat their annual conference needed to be more thanbusiness as usual. In previous years, the division held itsfall conference to review statistics and discuss currenttopics. This year, however, the focus was on revitalizingthe administrators themselves with the theme, New Year,New You.

Kicking off the conference were Acting PresidingJudge Peter J. Giovine and Eric R. Muniz, municipaldivision manager. Burlington County Presiding JudgeBonnie Goldman energized the group with her poem for theoccasion. She observed that no matter how many times werepeat our actions, we should remember it is the first timefor the defendant, using the analogy of an actor in aBroadway play performing every night. She then led thegroup in a rousing chorus of “There’s no business likecourt business!”

Phyllis Petrino-Ferone and Colleen Farley-Kocsis ofthe technical assistance unit presented Less is More,

outlining the benefits of decluttering workplaces, closetsand homes. Sharon Poinsett, an administrative specialist,discussed the power of a positive attitude and how to holdon to it in a sea of negativity.

After lunch, a panel of certified court administrators—Eve Shapiro of East Brunswick, Gerry Harvey of PittsgroveTownship and Kim Fullerton of Evesham Township—discussed why they still love their jobs in Keeping thePassion.

“Image is everything” was the focus of the Dress forSuccess segment presented by Tina LaLena, anadministrative specialist. To hit the point home, fourvolunteers participated in a professional dressdemonstration, modeling both a professional and business/casual outfit.

The day ended with administrators going to roundtables for nutrition, massage, relaxation, exercise, andmakeup and hair advice for the professional.

Administrators left the conference full of energy andready to tackle the challenging year ahead!

On the Way to Toms River

You must all listen well—an exceptional skill—To many individuals who may feel ill will.You can never take sides or think of rolling your eyesDespite being faced with occasional lies.

You work “24/7,” as the expression now goes,And you stand at your counters hearing all sorts of woes.You must exercise patience and lots of restraint.Let’s face it: There are times you must act like a saint!

Be the consummate professional, that is surely your goal,By serving the public in your independent neutral role.A respectful demeanor will always carry the dayCausing the nastiest person to start bending your way!

So keep up the good work and return with a smile.No matter: come Monday, your desk is under a pile.Stay focused on doing the very best you can doAnd the rewards that you realize will come shining through.

Bonnie Goldman, P.J.M.C. - 9/03

While driving my car to Toms RiverConcerned about the speech I’d deliver,I thought about all that I might sayTo enliven this group and to brighten your day.

I said to myself, “Keep it short, they’ll be antsy.Express simple thoughts; nothing deep, nothing fancy.”So I start by commending you for taking the timeTo expand your horizons and to listen to my rhyme.

I thought about the things that you routinely doAnd of the varied challenges you all must rise to.As the court system’s “reps” you must always stand tall.Despite personal problems, you cannot drop the ball,

Interacting with people from all walks of life(A little old lady, a husband who beats his wife).You are challenged each day to be pleasant and calmAnd many of you also moonlight as a mom!

Editor’s note: The following light verse was presented by Burlington’s Presiding Municipal Judge Bonnie Goldmanat the Ocean Municipal Administrators’ Conference.

Judiciary Times16.

Joseph Bolles, assistant civildivision manager, assisted by RupertHaller, team leader, and Hector Garcia,JC 3, knows how to project in land-lord/tenant court. After all, theyperform this opera-like productionfour days a week. His voice rings clearthrough a bustling courtroom packedjust under the legal room-capacitylimit. Six rows of benches fill upquickly with some 100 concernedcitizens just before the 9 a.m. calendarcall.

It’s Thursday morning in theHudson Vicinage’s landlord/tenantcourt

“Beatrice! Wilson! O’Neill….”The names roll on as Bolles and Garciasift through papers and politelyanswer questions from newcomers.They adjust the TV set where the“Harris Announcement” tape byJudge Hector R. Velazquez informslitigants of their rights in both Englishand Spanish.

Once the call begins, conversa-tions drop from a roar to a low hum,and men, women, even children settleinto their seats or find a place besidethe wall.

“….Wallace, Geiger, Barton-Smith…”

Reflecting the population of oneof America’s most diverse counties,the participants are the face ofHudson. A man with thin hair, a well-groomed mustache and a faded denimjacket sits beside a little girl with darkeyes. Chin cupped in hand, a youngman in black leather looks out the fifthfloor window at the neighboringBrennan Courthouse. A pale woman ina red suit reads a book. Oblivious tothe whispers of lawyers with shinyshoes and sharp eyes, an older man inan embroidered cap rests his arm on afolded wheelchair and smiles.

The crowd’s low hum is hushedwhen Judge Carmen Messano enters

Landlord/tenant court--Judge CarmenMessano (above) explains the day’sschedule. Joseph Bolles (left, standing)and Hector Garcia (seated) help alitigant. Visitors (left, below) await theirturn during calendar call (photo reducedto protect identities). (Photos by L. Holt)

the courtroom and welcomes thevisitors and describes the next stepsin the process. (“A great judge, a greatjudge,” murmurs an attorney waitingon the sidelines. “Do y’know why? Hewas a lawyer for 25 years before hebecame a judge!”)

Forthright talk to litigantsJudge Messano speaks in a

direct, respectful style as he makeseye contact with those in the court-room.

“If your case is about nonpay-ment of rent, I just want to go over afew things with you about my role asthe judge,” he says. “The only issue Ican decide under the law is theamount of rent due and owing. Once Ihave decided the amount due, thelandlord has the right to have all ofthat rent paid today. If you don’t payit today, then your landlord is entitledunder the law to a judgment ofpossession.

“Now sometimes tenants saythey withhold the rent because ofconditions in the apartment,” he

continues. “If the conditions are so badas to make it uninhabitable, then youmay be entitled to a rebate of rent. If thisis the case, then you may bring it up atthe time of the trial…”

After Judge Messano’s comments,Bolles directs litigants and attorneys tothe next step in the process.

“Ready cases will be heard in Room904,” he announces as the crowd breaksup with as much lively movement andchatter as it did when it assembled. In afew minutes, Judge Messano will be onthe ninth floor in a different courtroomhearing the 25 to 30 cases that make up20 percent of the day’s calendar (thebalance of the calendar is composed of70 percent defaults—cases where oneparty does not show up—and 10 percentof cases dismissed by landlords becausethe tenants paid their rent).

“Our judges have a lot of stamina,”said Bolles in an interview later. “Theytake turns at landlord/tenant court andstill have all their regular civil work todo.” In Hudson, all civil judges are in amonthly rotation to handle landlord/tenant cases, with the exception of CivilPresiding Judge Maurice J. Gallipoli, whomanages the major lawsuits on themaster civil calendars.

A Day in the Life of Civil and Special Civil Part:How the Hudson Vicinage Meets the Challenge

Judiciary Times 17.

Continued from page 1

Continued on page 18

As the landlord/tenant litigants disperse, Hudson’sspecial civil services continue on the seventh and fifthfloors of the nine-story Administration Building and downthe street at the Brennan Courthouse. The atmosphere ischarged with excitement, with crowded elevators andbustling corridors.

“You’ve got mail…”Twice a day in the Administration Building, Michelle

Sopata, a finance division staff member, sorts through theincoming mail for civil and special civil.

On a recent Thursday morning—considered a “light”time for mail by insiders—two overflowing carts of mail are

wheeled in. Another delivery in the afternoon will result insome 500-plus pieces of correspondence, half of which ispayments and fee-related questions. The mail comes in tothe finance division, which separates payments which aredeposited at the end of each day.

“The civil division and finance division work veryclosely together,” says Jeanne Myers, the vicinage financedivision manager. “More than half of our staff in this areaof finance originally worked in the civil division.” There’s alot of cross training, she noted.

Hudson landlord/tenant court takes place in the 1960s’high-rise at 595 Newark Ave. But that is only one small partof the civil division’s caseload. The big civil suits of thecivil law division are heard in Hudson’s other—magnifi-cent—courthouse a block away: the William J. Brennan Jr.Courthouse.

The Brennan Courthouse was placed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places in 1970 and was selected by theVictorian Society of America as the winner of its 1988preservation award.

Beneath the granite, copper and bronze exterior of thisremarkable artifact beats the caring heart of a state justicesystem where the latest technologies serve today’s courtcustomers. One way of resolving important lawsuitsquickly and efficiently is through New Jersey’s mandatorycivil arbitration program.

Arbitration delivers“Mr. Farynak? You may go in now,” says Vanessa

Augusto from her computer station in the lobby. In theshadow of Victorian-style marble columns, her fingers tapon the keys of a laptop computer while she speaks into aheadset as she directs attorneys and litigants that are therefor auto arbitration.

Edward Farynak, an attorney, crosses the room, beeperin hand and is politely directed to a hearing room.

“The beeper system is similar to the one used whilewaiting for a table at the Olive Garden!” said AntoinetteOutwater, civil division manager, showing a visitor thesystem for paging attorneys for auto arbitration hearings.

“Attorneys and litigants love the system,” said CherylD’Anna, Complementary Dispute Resolution (CDR) teamleader, who stopped by. “We’re really pleased to have thissystem with the help of the civil division in Trenton. Thankyou, Michelle Perone!” she said with a smile, referring tothe AOC’s chief of civil court programs.

Civil case management teams docket complaints,schedule motions—they process all pleadings and set upall court events with the exception of trials and most CDRevents. The teams are in the Brennan Courthouse, namedfor the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. BrennanJr. The schedule, handled by the CDR team, is well orga-nized, with contract cases on Mondays, personal injury onWednesdays and auto cases every Thursday.

Behind Vanessa’s workstation, the mail recently sortedin the Administration Building makes its way through thedoor. Hudson’s civil and special civil divisions handle more

Attorney EdwardFarynak returnsa beeper toVanessaAugusto in thelobby of theBrennan Court-house.

Bins of mail(foreground) awaitprocessing byMichelle Sopata(background).

A Day in the Life of Civil and Special Civil Part...Judiciary Times18.

continued from page 17

Continued on page 19

than 50,000 complaints a year. And while there is plenty ofhard work to be done according to strict timelines, there isroom for fun, too. Inspired by the experience of the MercerVicinage, Hudson held its first Customer Service Week inOctober with coffee, cake and candy for litigants andlawyers, whimsical giveaways and “smile” cards for thebest service rendered.

Back to landlord/tenantThe energy of Hudson civil circulates back and forth

between the two buildings each day. Later in the morning,Antoinette Outwater, fairly flying down the marble stair-cases at Brennan, escorts a visitor back to the Administra-tion Building to see a landlord-tenant hearing in process.Presiding once again is Judge Messano.

“I’m stressed out,” laments a tenant, his shoulders

slumping, as he stands before the judge in Room 904. “Iworked hard. I’m a senior citizen. I got no income. Theythrew me out!”

“That may be the case,” says the judge, listeningintently, “but the point is: what does the law say? Youworked for the landlord. A landlord does have a right toterminate employment. Landlords can also terminatetenancy. And short-term notice is allowed.

“I know it sounds harsh, but it’s what the law pro-vides,” he continues. “I have to grant them judgment ofpossession.”

“But I have all my personal stuff in the basement…”“You won’t be locked out immediately,” the judge

responds. “From tomorrow, there are three business daysto warrant, then three more business days before you willbe locked out. Come back to court if you need to. You’renot evicted yet. Good luck!”

Another landlord and tenant are called in the quietcourtroom, but outside the door, another wave of peopleseeking to resolve conflicts, solve problems and seek

justice noisily snakes through the hallway. There are smiles aswell as grimaces, familiar greetings, laughter and shy requestsfor directions.

Hundreds of letters, countless e-files, a cross section ofone of New Jersey’s most diverse counties.

Lawyers with beepers, a hundred-year-old mural depictingPeter Stuyvesant with Native Americans, a judge making eyecontacts with dozens of litigants and explaining the law in clear,unambiguous words.

People from every walk of life. Diverse ages, diversecultures and diverse attitudes.

People are the subject of these snapshots in the dailyjournal of one of the New Jersey Judiciary’s busiest vicinages.Serving people is the reason it’s another day in the life ofHudson civil. —by Linda Brown Holt

An Important Role for Xena

Judge Messano applies the rule of law to a landlord/tenant case.

How the Hudson Vicinage Meets the ChallengeJudiciary Times 19.

Continued from page 18

This is Xena with her handler Sgt. Debra Faiello.Xena and her partner Caesar are members of theNew Jersey State Police Canine Unit. They helpprotect the people who work in and visit the HughesJustice Complex in Trenton. (Photo by L. Holt)

Judiciary Times20.

Mission Statement of the New Jersey Court System

We are an independent branch of government constitutionally entrusted withthe fair and just resolution of disputes in order to preserve the rule of lawand to protect the rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution andlaws of the United States and this State.

Photo courtesy of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

Essex Probation Youth Get Lesson from the Seaby Andy Kafel, Master Probation Officer, Essex Vicinage

With a mighty “Heave! Haul!” 24 young people fromEssex County proved the power of teamwork anddetermination by hoisting into place the one-and-a-half tonmainsail of the Hudson River sloop, “Clearwater,” on ablustery Oct. 23. Theactivity wasorganized by theJudiciary’s JuvenileIntensiveSupervision Program(JISP). The programwas funded by agrant that theClearwaterorganization receivedfrom the VictoriaFoundation. .

The huge canvassail quickly caughtthe wind andpropelled the ship, itsnewly made youngsailors and crewacross the choppywaters of the mightyHudson River on athree-hour voyage ofhistorical andenvironmental discovery.

The young people participated in the Clearwater“Classroom of the Waves.” They were accompanied bytwo JISP officers, John Thomas and Sonja Asante and sixEssex probation officers (Jessica Perez, recreationcoordinator, and Melissa Edwards, Chris Igus,Frank Belasic, Kevin Matthews and Andy Kafel) andAssistant Chief William Carr, who said, “In a year thatincluded a trip to the Liberty Science Center and a thirdplace trophy at the Probation Olympics, this constitutesthe highlight of a very rewarding and productive year forthe juvenile probationers and staff.”

The Clearwater is a replica of the traditional sleek,shallow-draft sailing ship that plied the waters of theHudson in the 1800s. It was built by folksinger, Pete Seeger,in 1966 as a project to educate young people about the

Hudson River and inspirethem to protect theenvironment. Since then,it has engaged over500,000 young people inits unique program.

On this day, as theClearwater pulled out ofthe tiny dock at Alpine,N.J., and slipped beneaththe majestic cliffs of thePalisades, the youngpeople helped to toss outand haul in the seine(fishing net) and examinethe catch.

They received acrash course in handlingthe lazyjacks and halyards(ship’s rigging) and weretold to “mind the gaff”(the 500-pound beam whichswings back and forthabove their heads and

Captain J.C. Parker gave each one in turn a hand at thetiller (rudder) and told them to hold a steady course to apoint on the horizon. The hands-on learning experience,facilitated by the crew, was carried out at learning stationsset up around the deck. The young peoplelearned to read navigational charts, examined Hudson Riveraquatic life such as plants, fish and even an octopus andtook a look at water life through microscopes.

There was even an impromptu fiddle song played by amember of the crew as the ship returned to dock to closeout this most rewarding experience.

holds the sail).