Appellate Judge Dorothea O'C. Wefing will fill the spot vacated by the previous temporary member Edwin Stern, who turned 70 today
Judge Dorothea O'C. Wefing, pictured in a 2008 file photo, has been appointed to temporarily fill a vacancy on the New Jersey Supreme Court.TRENTON — The state Supreme Court has a new temporary justice after the fill-in reached his mandatory retirement age today.
In an order signed this morning, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner assigned Appellate Judge Dorothea O’C. Wefing to fill the spot vacated by Judge Edwin Stern, who turned 70 today.
Stern was elevated temporarily to the state’s highest court in September after Gov. Chris Christie did not reappoint Justice John Wallace Jr. Senate President Stephen Sweeney refused to advance Christie’s nomination to replace Stern.
It is unclear how long Wefing will be assigned to the Supreme Court, but Sweeney has said he does not want anyone replacing Wallace until after he would have reached his mandatory retirement age next March 13.
Christie and Sweeney recently worked out a deal that nominates attorney Anne Patterson to fill the vacancy of Justice Roberto Rivera-Soto, who has said he will not seek renomination when his term expires Sept. 1. Patterson’s nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week and is expected to go to the full Senate later this month.
Wefing, 68, sits in Jersey City and has been in the Appellate Division since 1993. Her assignment makes her the fourth woman of the seven members currently sitting on the Supreme Court.
Previous coverage:
• N.J. Senate Judiciary Committee approves Anne Patterson for state Supreme Court
• A political fight provides N.J. Supreme Court with apolitical legal mind