District of New Jersey

District of New Jersey
United States Government · Public domain · source
Court name	United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Established	1789
Appealsto	United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Judges assigned	15
Chief judge	Mitchell S. Goldberg
Us attorney	Philip R. Sellinger
Us marshal	Martin J. DeLuca
Location	Newark, Trenton, Camden
Website	uscourts.gov/district/nj

Contents

District of New Jersey is a federal judicial district covering the state of New Jersey. Created by the Judiciary Act of 1789, the court sits in Newark, New Jersey, Trenton, New Jersey, and Camden, New Jersey and hears civil and criminal matters arising under federal statutes and the Constitution of the United States. Decisions from this court are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and have played roles in disputes involving corporations such as Johnson & Johnson, statutes like the Clean Air Act, and constitutional claims under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

History

The court was established by the Judiciary Act of 1789 alongside other federal districts including the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of Massachusetts. Early judges appointed by Presidents such as George Washington and John Adams heard Admiralty cases and disputes involving the United States Constitution and the Treaty of Paris (1783). During the Civil War era the court addressed matters related to the Confiscation Acts and maritime prize cases tied to the American Civil War, while in the Progressive Era it adjudicated antitrust suits invoking precedents from the Sherman Antitrust Act. In the 20th century, landmark enforcement actions under the Securities Act of 1933 involved parties headquartered in Newark, New Jersey and decisions that were cited by the United States Supreme Court of the United States. The court later decided high-profile matters tied to corporations such as AT&T, Pfizer, and Prudential Financial, and to federal statutes including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The district's jurisdiction aligns with the boundaries of New Jersey and encompasses counties from Bergen County, New Jersey to Cape May County, New Jersey. The court sits in the federal courthouses located in Newark, New Jersey, Trenton, New Jersey, and Camden, New Jersey, each of which lies within different judicial divisions analogous to divisions in neighboring districts such as the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of Delaware. Matters originating from ports like Port Newark or military installations such as Fort Monmouth have produced admiralty and federal-question filings. Appeals from bankruptcy matters proceed to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey and onward to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which also hears appeals from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of Delaware.

The court comprises a complement of authorized active judgeships set by Congress, with additional senior judges including jurists appointed by Presidents such as Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. The chief judge oversees administration in cooperation with the United States Marshals Service and the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, led by the U.S. Attorney appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. Chambers manage case assignments consistent with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and coordinate with magistrate judges appointed under 28 U.S.C. § 631. The court interacts with federal agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Justice on enforcement and regulatory litigation.

The District has handled heavy caseloads in complex civil litigation, multidistrict litigation, and criminal prosecutions, including matters involving pharmaceutical litigation against Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co., securities fraud suits involving firms like Lehman Brothers predecessors and Goldman Sachs, and RICO prosecutions involving organized crime figures linked to cases referenced by the Department of Justice. The court adjudicated prominent constitutional challenges invoking the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and set influential case law in patent disputes involving entities such as Eli Lilly and Company and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Class actions consolidated under multidistrict litigation procedures have included mass torts and consumer protection claims citing statutes like the Federal Trade Commission Act.

Notable judges who have served include appointees elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and to the United States Supreme Court of the United States consideration lists, with examples of service by jurists nominated by Presidents Abraham Lincoln through Joe Biden. Prominent U.S. Attorneys from the district have prosecuted public-corruption cases involving officials from Camden, New Jersey and Newark, New Jersey, and have coordinated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service on white-collar matters. Magistrate judges and court clerks maintain dockets in coordination with the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.

Courthouse facilities include the federal building in Newark, New Jersey near Penn Station (Newark) and the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton, New Jersey, as well as the Camden courthouse near the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Facilities house courtrooms, clerk's offices, and probation offices working with the United States Probation and Pretrial Services System. Security and prisoner transport are managed with the United States Marshals Service and local law enforcement agencies such as the New Jersey State Police. Administrative operations implement the Electronic Case Filing System used across the United States federal courts and comply with judiciary-wide policies promulgated by the Judicial Conference of the United States.

Category:United States district courts