FRED DE VESA, ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL OF NEW JERSEY; HON. MARIANNE ESPINOSA MURPHY, J.S.C.; JOHN H. ADLER, A MEMBER OF THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, AND WILBUR C. HANTEL, A CITIZEN OF NEW JERSEY, PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS, AND EDWARD T. O'CONNOR, JR., A MEMBER OF THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, PLAINTIFF,
v.
JOHN H. DORSEY, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS A MEMBER OF THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY; DONALD DI FRANCESCO, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS PRESIDENT AND MEMBER OF THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY; WILLIAM L. GORMLEY, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS CHAIR OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AND MEMBER OF THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY; AND THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE SEVERALLY AND INDIVIDUALLY; JOHN O. BENNETT, JAMES S. CAFIERO, JOHN E. DIMON, JOHN A. GIRGENTI, LOUIS F. KOSCO, ROBERT MARTIN, BRADFORD S. SMITH, AND RAYMOND J. ZANE (COLLECTIVELY THE "PRIMARY DEFENDANTS"), DEFENDANTS-RESPONDENTS, AND THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY SEVERALLY AND INDIVIDUALLY, C. LOUIS BASSANO, DR. GERALD CARDINALE, ANDREW R. CIESLA, RANDY CORMAN, JOHN H. EWING, C. WILLIAM HAINES, PETER A. INVERSO, JOSEPH M. KYRILLOS, JR., RICHARD J. LA ROSSA, ROBERT E. LITTELL, JOHN J. MATHEUSSEN, HENRY F. MC NAMARA, JOSEPH A. PALAIA, WILLIAM E. SCHLUTER, JOHN F. SCOTT, AND JACK G. SINAGRA (COLLECTIVELY THE "OTHER INTERESTED DEFENDANTS"), DEFENDANTS, AND RICHARD J. CODEY, THOMAS F. COWAN, MATTHEW FELDMAN, BERNARD F. KENNY JR., RAYMOND J. LESNIAK, WYNONA M. LIPMAN, JOHN A. LYNCH, WALTER RAND, AND RONALD L. RICE, DEFENDANTS-RESPONDENTS.
The Supreme Court of New Jersey.https://leagle.com/images/logo.png
Argued September 8, 1993.
Decided December 23, 1993.
Attorney(s) appearing for the Case
Jack M. Sabatino, Assistant Attorney General, argued the cause for appellant Fred De Vesa, Acting Attorney General of New Jersey (Fred De Vesa, Acting Attorney General, attorney; Mr. Sabatino, Joseph L. Yannotti and Mark J. Fleming, Assistant Attorneys General, of counsel; Mr. Sabatino and Donald M. Palombi, Deputy Attorney General, on the briefs).
James A. Plaisted argued the cause for appellant Hon. Marianne Espinosa Murphy, J.S.C. (Walder, Sondak, Berkeley & Brogan, attorneys).
Thomas S. Higgins argued the cause for appellant John H. Adler (Higgins, Slachetka & Long, attorneys).
Edward J. Dauber argued the cause for appellant Wilbur C. Hantel, a citizen of New Jersey (Greenberg, Dauber & Epstein, attorneys).
Edward N. FitzPatrick argued the cause for respondents Donald Di Francesco, individually and as President and member of the Senate of the State of New Jersey; William L. Gormley, individually and as Chair of the Judiciary Committee and member of the Senate of the State of New Jersey; and the following members of the Senate Judiciary Committee severally and individually, John O. Bennett, James S. Cafiero, John E. Dimon, John A. Girgenti, Louis F. Kosco, Robert Martin, Bradford S. Smith and Raymond J. Zane (Clapp & Eisenberg, attorneys; Mr. FitzPatrick, Agnes I. Rymer, Adam N. Saravay, and Robert J. Beacham, on the briefs).
John H. Dorsey argued the cause pro se.
Gerald Krovatin argued the cause for amicus curiae Coalition for an Independent Judiciary (Lowenstein, Sandler, Kohl, Fisher & Boylan, attorneys).
Thomas R. Curtin, President, argued the cause for amicus curiae New Jersey State Bar Association.
Leon J. Sokol, Senate Minority Counsel, submitted a letter in lieu of brief on behalf of respondents John A. Girgenti, Raymond J. Zane, Richard J. Codey, Thomas F. Cowan, Matthew Feldman, Bernard F. Kenny, Jr., Raymond J. Lesniak, Wynona Lipman, John A. Lynch, Walter Rand and Ronald L. Rice.
Joseph T. Wilkins submitted a brief on behalf of amici curiae Alan E. Kligerman and The Institute for Law and Justice, Inc.
Bruce Eden submitted a letter in lieu of brief on behalf of amicus curiae pro se.
Robin Vinik submitted a letter in lieu of brief on behalf of amicus curiae pro se.
The Supreme Court of New Jersey.
PER CURIAM.
The judgment of the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Mercer County, is affirmed. The members of the Court being equally divided on the grounds for affirmance, the Court has filed no majority opinion.
POLLOCK, J., concurring.
This is an appeal from the dismissal of a complaint challenging the constitutionality of the exercise of "senatorial courtesy" on judicial nominations. Because of the exercise of senatorial courtesy, the New Jersey...
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