this week courts in six of the state's counties entered into an unprecedented territory suspending almost all civil and matrimonial trials because there just aren't enough judges to preside over the cases lawmakers today met to begin chipping away at the problem but attorneys say it's too little too late the judicial vacancies are denying residents their day in court Ted Goldberg reports no matter how they phrase it New Jersey's lawyers are Furious about the state's judicial vacancies this is an epidemic that is an embarrassment for our state to have that happen and the legislature and the executive branch should be ashamed the state has 69 vacancies on the Superior Court stopping civil trials in several counties around the state attorneys like Corey rothfort Say the state government is leaving their clients in a bind by not nominating and confirming more judges in a timely manner many of these individuals may not be able to work they may not have the income because of the injuries that they suffered they may have significant um outstanding medical bills this affects litigants across the state of New Jersey for example in in the matrimonial field sometimes parties can't get divorced that's exactly what's happening to Rakesh Malhotra his divorce in Somerset County began in April of 2021 and he's still waiting on a trial date it's absolutely frustrating right because I have to handle my job he has been paying support for going on two years of a four-year marriage by the time this case may be paying for support more than they were married malhotra's lawyer says this divorce should have taken six months to a year since there are no children or significant assets at stake we're dealing with somebody on the other side that has absolutely no incentive to settle I was expecting that this would be resolved quickly Lisa Crystal retired from the Superior Court last year and her spot hasn't been filled retired judges like her can offer a temporary solution there are many retired Superior Court judges such as myself that are now doing mediations and arbitrations I can work with the parties I'm predicting what might happen if they went to court and try to bring the parties together to a solution that they can live with we don't want to see you can't go through certain types of procedures because we don't have enough capacity Governor Phil Murphy says he's working on it like other state leaders he says the state's vetting process is partly to blame for the delay in getting judges nominated and confirmed you've got to go out and work with folks to get the names they have to be vetted they have to be nominated and then they have to go through the Senate process we have an outstanding relationship with the Senate but we've nominated a a goodly amount I think they try to be as thorough as possible but the governor's office and the committee and I think that's tied into it I think covert over the years not using covet as an excuse I think is also taught in today the state Senate Judiciary Committee finally heard from new nominees and judges who could be reappointed to the superior court I thank God because there were days during the last six and a half years especially during the pandemic when I did not think that this day would come so I am grateful I am thankful and I'm honored to be here the last six and a half years have been the most rewarding time in my life Senator Brian stack says the full Senate will give them a hearing on Monday and he expects to fill about eight of the 69 vacancies on the state's Superior Court a small step on the path of getting New Jersey's pending cases back on the docket in Trenton I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight news [Music]