April 2015 MCBA NEWSLETTER - Mercer County Bar Association

M e r c e r
April-May 2015
C o u n t y
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
Inside This Issue
Page
3. Foundation Wine Tasting News
4. The Colonial Trials of West
Jersey
6. Upcoming Bench Bar Meetings
8. Bench Bar Luncheon Photos
12. U.S. Bankruptcy Judgeship
13. Members on the Move
14. Welcome New Members
16. Members in the News
18. Calendar
20. Catching Up with the Honorable
Joseph Bocchini, Jr.
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Volume 34, Issue 2
From the
President’s Desk…
I often ask myself what is the secret to
success? What strategies do effective
people in our field employ? Is there a
common approach that lawyers who
enjoy respect in our vocation and realize their professional potential employ? I know that I am not alone in
contemplating how to greater realize
my potential in my legal specialty, in
my case litigation, and as a member
of the bar. I endeavored to answer
these questions when I attended two
luncheons that were part of the
speaker series sponsored by the
Women Lawyers committee of the
MCBA which is co-chaired by
Melissa Chimbangu of Szaferman
Lakind and Corrine Cooke of Stark
and Stark. In February at Drinker
Biddle and Reath we gathered to hear
from retired Chief Justice Deborah
Poritz. She spoke to us about her long
and distinguished career as an attorney and Justice and how she represented Governor Christie Todd Whitman for a period of time. She discussed the balance of work and life
and her willingness to take professional risks to further her career. She
spoke about the roads she took as well
as those she passed up. She left us
with the advice to challenge ourselves, to be passionate about our calling and to be industrious. Chief Justice Poritz explained that many of her
“breaks” were not only as a result of
hard work but also attributable to her
maintaining her professional relation-
Michelle Gasparian
ships through her many positions
throughout her legal career. It was
retaining those ties which bore
much professional fruit.
In March Pepper Hamilton,
Stephanie Jonaitis hosted members
of the bar to hear from the Honorable Anne Thompson of the US
District Court in New Jersey
Judge Thompson focused on what
she considered one of the highlights of her career; her time as
Mercer County Prosecutor. She
described her nomination by Governor Brendan Byrne as a seminal
point in her professional life. Then
Prosecutor Thompson was the first
African-American woman in the
State to hold this position. She
spoke to us about being a trailblazer in her field and how the concepts of justice and fairness guided
her decision making process.
Judge Thompson was nominated
the position of District Court Judge
by Senator Bill Bradley. When I
asked her how she got on the
“radar screen” for the position she
told the group that she was chosen
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
Page 2
April-May 2015
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
M e r c e r
April-May 2015
Officers
Michelle S. Gasparian
President
C o u n t y
Volume 34, Issue 2
609-989-6350
Colleen M. Crocker
President—Elect
609-890-0050
Robert E. Lytle
Vice President
609-275-0400
Angelo J. Onofri
Treasurer
609-989-6307
Brian J. Duff
Secretary
609-585-2443
Trustees
2015
John Carbonara
Robin E. Echevarria
John S. Eory
Kimberly Gandy Jinks
Brian W. Shea
609-989-6350
609-799-9222
609-896-9060
609-803-3100
609-586-9000
2016
Robert F. Casey
T. Sandberg Durst
Michael Kahme
Thomas Onder
Tanya L. Phillips
609-896-2000
609-436-9079
609-924-0808
609-896-9060
609-771-8611
2017
Joseph P. Blaney
Margaret A. Chipowsky
Jeffrey M. Gradone
Frank P. Spada, Jr.
Monica Wahba
215-205-6828
609-896-2404
609-580-3700
609-452-0808
609-716-6500
Dorothy E. Bolinsky
Immediate Past President
609-716-6500
Craig Hubert, Esq.
NJSBA Representative
609-275-0400
MCBA Office
609-585-6200
The MERCER COUNTY LAWYER is published six times
per year; February, April, June, October, and December.
Advertisements appearing in the MERCER COUNTY
LAWYER are the viewpoints of the contributors and are not
necessarily endorsed by the Mercer County Bar Association
or its members. The MCBA does not vouch for the accuracy
of any legal analysis, citations, or opinions expressed in any
articles contained herein. Individuals who are interested in
joining the Association, placing advertising, or contributing
articles should contact the Bar Association office at 609-585
-6200, fax 609-585-5537 or e-mail [email protected]. The newsletter deadline is the last
Wednesday of the month preceding the publication month.
to serve on a committee to vet candidates for several openings
on the District Court. Her colleagues on that committee, unbeknownst to her, then put her name forward as someone who has
the character and credentials for the position herself. Her advice was to be engaged with the community. Seek out opportunities to meet people whether it be through politics, professional networking or attending professional social events. She
told us to be confident, be personable and be professional.
Chief Justice Poritz (ret.) and Judge Thompson both stressed
the importance of the professional relationships that they built
during their careers. These relationships have been the gateway
to many of the positions that they have held during their respective careers.
The MCBA most recently held the annual bench bar ethics
luncheon on March 25, where over 175 members got the opportunity to build or build on friendships and earn valuable ethics
credits while enjoying a tasty meal. The panel was comprised
of Justice Anne Patterson, Hon. Thomas Sumners, J.A.D., Hon.
Robert Billmeier, J.S.C., Paula Granuzzo, Esq., David Dugan,
Esq., and moderated by yours truly. The judiciary of Mercer
County came out in force with 14 current and retired judges
attending the event. We learned about ethical pitfalls, emerging
traps, and other professional dilemmas and viewed skits focused in ethics in a digital age.
There are still many exciting learning and networking opportunities in store for our members coming in the near future. We
are very excited for our May 5 General Membership Meeting
where we will be honoring Hon. Jane Grall, J.A.D., Hon. Anthony Parrillo, J.A.D., Hon. Paulette Sapp Peterson, J.A.D.,
Hon. Mark J. Fleming, J.S.C., Hon. F. Patrick McManimon,
J.S.C., and Hon. Joseph Bocchini, Prosecutor. On May 21, the
Women Lawyers will host a wine tasting and ethics panel at
Rat’s. Of course, on May 29, our annual Foundation fundraiser
will take place at the Stone Terrace – more winetasting! Of
course, it’s never too early to save the date for Xtreme CLE.
We will be back at Mercer County College on November 17.
The Mercer County Bar Association is here to provide you with
the tools for success. We provide programming, social networking and community support for those most in need. Be an
active part of the bar and see you on May 5th!
Thanks to our Platinum Sponsor
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
Page 3
April-May 2015
Dear Friends and Members:
Although the cold air still has some fight left in her, the beginning of 60-plus-degree days and
the flowering of trees and plants are welcome indicators that winter’s retreat and defeat are, at
least for the time being, inevitable. We hope everyone has begun to feel the rejuvenating spirit
ushered in by Spring. As warm air continues to develop, so too does MCBF’s continued hard
work and planning towards its philanthropic goals to help support both our Association and our
community. For those of you who have contributed in the past, on behalf of the Foundation,
we’d like to thank you for your support. The ability to offer assistance to Dress For Success,
T.A.S.K and Meals on Wheels, to provide financial aid to law students in need, and to finance
anti-bullying programs through KITES could not exist without the support and contributions of
the Association Members and their Board Members.
The traditional Annual Dinner Dance, which historically had been MCBF’s largest fund raiser
of the year, has given way to a more lighthearted and casual wine tasting. We are happy to
report that last year’s event, held at the Stone Terrace was a huge success with over 15 distributors and a fabulous silent auction. It’s our intent to include all our members – that includes
Beer and Wine Lovers - and have added a beer tasting to this year’s event.
Please mark your calendars for this year’s Wine Tasting which will be held on Friday, May 29
from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Stone Terrace restaurant in Hamilton. We hope to see more people
and less rain.
Please help us make this year’s event even better by your support and contributions to our Silent Auction. No items are too small, and definitely none are too large. Please consider donating items such as a bottle of wine, a gift certificate, jewelry, a gift basket, a golf foursome,
timeshare vacation property, sports equipment/memorabilia, electronics, or anything else you
desire.
As professionals, we all have favorite restaurants or shops that we patronize. We’ve found that
most businesses are usually thrilled to make a small donation of goods or services, not only for
marketing purposes but for the good things accomplished by the MCBF. Everything is appreciated, including cash donations. You may make a donation on behalf of your firm, or a group
of members, or on your own behalf.
Your commitment to donate something may be made by sending an email to [email protected] and [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.
Warm regards,
Denise Mariani, Esq.
Mark H. Renzi
MCBF Trustees and Silent Auction Co-Chair
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
April-May 2015
Page 4
The Colonial Courts of West Jersey
Franklin
Flacks,
Esq. Esq.
By Franklin
L. Flacks,
On July 1, 1676, a legal document known as
the Quintipartite Deed was executed which
split the Province of New Jersey into the Provinces of West Jersey and East Jersey from 1676
until 1702. Disputes over the exact dividing
points between the two provinces continued
until a final dividing line was adopted in 1743.
Remnants of the dividing line include Province
Line Road in Mercer County.
What is now Mercer County was part of the
Province of West Jersey. Mercer County was
not formed until February 22, 1838, by an act
of the Legislature, from portions of Burlington
and Hunterdon Counties.
Under the proprietary government of West Jersey, there only existed one court for the trial of
smalls causes, held by a single justice of the
peace, with a right to appeal to the county
court. County courts or courts of sessions, as
they were called, were first established in 1682.
They were to be held four times per year by the
justices of the peace in each county.
In 1693, a Supreme Court of Appeals was created consisting of one or more of the justices of
each County and one or more of the Governor’s Council. Initially, the court was strictly
an appellate tribunal but in 1699 it was
changed and call the Provincial Court and composed of three judges to be chosen by the
House of Representatives and one or more of
the justices of each County. It was to have both
original and appellate jurisdiction.
In any matter amounting to more than twenty
pounds, there was an appeal from the judgment
to the General Assembly,.
In 1693, a court of Cyer and Terminer (of hearing and determining) was established for the
trial of capital crimes to be composed of a
judge to be appointed by the Governor and
Council, assisted by two or more justices of the
County where the crime was committed.
However, at this time, there were no capital
offenses in West Jersey for which the punishA Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
ment of death was prescribed. If a person was
convicted of murder or
treason, the sentence
and manner of execution was left to the
General Assembly.
Queen Anne of England appointed her
cousin, Lord Cornbury,
as the first royal governor of the Provinces of
New Jersey and, in
1704, he created a Supreme Court of the Judicature, to be held alternatively in Burlington and in Perth Amboy and
to have jurisdiction in all pleas, civil and criminal.
The same ordinances provided that every justice
of the peace, residing within any town or
County was fully empowered to have jurisdiction over all causes of debt or trespass having a
value of forty shillings or less. They also provided for a Court of Common Pleas in each
County with the power to hear and try all actions at common law, with an appeal, where the
judgment was up to ten pounds.
All judges of these courts had the power to
make all rules and order for practicing and proceeding as any judge could do in the English
courts. Furthermore, no person’s right of property should be determined unless found by a
verdict of twelve “men of the neighborhood.”
In 1705, Lord Cornbury passed an ordinance
establishing the High Court of Chancery for the
Province of New Jersey. The Court was comprised of the Lieutenant-Governor and three
Council members and could hear and determine
all causes that, by custom and usage, could be
heard by the High Court of Chancery of England.
These were the Courts whose jurisdiction extended over the Province of West Jersey
Page 5
April-May 2015
(including Trenton) and later in the United
Province of New Jersey and were in operation
when the Province became a State in 1776.
Little Legal Learning in Colonial Times
According to Walker and Traver’s, A History
of Trenton 1679-1929, Princeton Univ. Press,
1929, there were “very few among those who
practiced in the courts or sat on the Bench that
made any pretense to legal learning.” There
was no requirement of special training to practice law.
The leading men of the Colony were farmers
and Quaker preachers and the practice of law
was not then a sought after profession in West
Jersey, from the Duke of York to John Lord
Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, stated that
no person should be compelled to “fee any attorney to plead his cause, but that all persons
should have free liberty to prosecute his own
cause if he chose.” Keasbey, Courts and Lawyers of New Jersey, Vol. I, p. 147
Capital Crimes in Colonial Times
At the time the Provinces of West and East Jersey were created, there was no capital crime,
except as the Assembly might adjudge, after
convictions in cases of treason and murder.
Between 1703 and 1776, the Legislature added
several penal statues denouncing crimes which
now might be punishable by death.
One especially notable crime which shows the
inhumanity and cruelty to criminals convicted
of certain crimes, involves counterfeiting gold
or civil coins or any foreign country used
within the Colony. If convicted, such criminals
should be whipped, burned with the letter “R”
on the left thumb, by an iron hot enough to
make a lasting mark, fined, pilloried or having
one’s ear clipped, or one or more of these punishments in the discretion of the court.
If such a person was convicted before, in any
of the neighboring Colonies, that person shall
be adjudged guilty of a felony and be put to
death without the benefit of clergy!
Continued on page 20
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
April-May 2015
Page 6
s
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s
Clas
ADVERTISING in the
Mercer County Lawyer BRINGS RESULTS!
If you have anything to sell, rent, or lease, let the MCL spread the word.
Call 609-585-6200 for rate information. Discount rates for members.
LAW OFFICE RENTAL Center City Office Park, Hamilton. One or two offices with or without
secretarial area. Rent Negotiable. 609-585-5151.
ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY -BARNABA & MARCONI, a Mercer County-Hamilton Township
based civil litigation firm (specializing in defense) seeks an associate attorney with 4 – 6 years experience. The candidate should already be admitted to the NJ & PA Bars and have a strong interest
in obtaining trial and pre-trial experience. Computer and good writing skills are required. Some
Workers’ Compensation experience would be considered a plus. Please email resume & salary requirements to: [email protected]
FLORIDA LEGAL SERVICES OR ASSISTANCE – Florida probate, trust, estate administration,
real property and domicile assistance. Call T. Robert Zochowski, Esq., LLM (Tax) (member Florida
and New Jersey Bar), 1001 North US 1, Suite 400, Jupiter, Florida. Call (609) 799-2111, (561) 7441175 or email [email protected].
Upcoming
Bench Bar Meetings
May 6th: Domestic Violence Working
Group; Judge Cresitello’s
Courtroom; 3:30 p.m.
May 21st: Family Bench Bar Meeting
Judge Fitzpatrick’s Courtroom:
3:30 p.m.
June 18th: Municipal Bench Bar Meeting
Ewing Municipal Court;
3:30 p.m.
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
April-May 2015
Page 7
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
Page 8
April-May 2015
15th Annual
Bench Bar Meeting
And Ethics Seminar
The War Memorial
March 25, 2015
Over 175 members and our distinguished panel including Justice
Anne Patterson, Hon. Thomas Sumners, Jr., Hon. Robert Billmeier,
Paula Granuzzo, David Dugan and Michelle Gasparian reviewed
taped vignettes and discussed the ethical pitfalls, emerging traps
and other professional dilemmas at our Annual Bench Bar
Luncheon.
A warm thanks to our Video and Gold Sponsor, Guy J. Renzi & Associates and our talented actors and actresses who starred in our
skits.
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
Page 9
April-May 2015
Maeve Cannon, Joseph Priory, Paula Covello Sollami,
Justice Anne Patterson and
Hon. Robert Billmeier
Paula Granuzzo, Michelle Gasparian
and David Dugan
Maryann Pidgeon, Tom Pryor and
Richard Eland
MCBA President Michelle Gasparian
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
April-May 2015
Page 10
Hon. Thomas Sumners, Jr.
Tina Bernstein
Hon. Darlene Pereksta
Hon. Mary Jacobson, Hon. Thomas Brown, Craig Hubert,
Robert Morris and Thomas Manzo
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
April-May 2015
Page 11
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
Page 12
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
April-May 2015
Page 13
April-May 2015
Members On The Move
Geraldine R. Eure, Esq.
Law Offices of Geraldine R. Eure,
Esq.
624 Sanhican Drive
Trenton, NJ 08618
609-695-2586
Christina V. Harvey, Esq.
Lomurro, Munson, Comer, Brown &
Schottland LLC.
100 Willow Brook Road, Suite 150
Freehold, NJ 07728
732-414-0300
Michael W. Landis, Esq.
Spear, Greenfield & Richman, P.C.
10,000 Lincoln Drive East
One Greentree Centre, Suite 201
Marlton, NJ 08053
Need a member’s
215-985-2424
Brian Shea, Esq.
Kalavruzos Mumola Hartman and Lento
2681 Quakerbridge Road
Hamilton NJ 08619
Tel. 609-586-9000
Fax: 609-586-9404
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kmhlawyers.com
FIRMS ON THE MOVE
Hill Wallack, L.L.P
21 Roszel Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 5226
Princeton, NJ 08543-5226
email or phone number ?
Find it quickly
through the member portal at
www.mercerbar.com
Altman, Legband & Mayrides
is pleased to announce that
KATHLEEN L. WOOD, ESQUIRE
has become a partner of the firm
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
April-May 2015
Page 14
Welcome New Members
Justin Calta, Esq.
Szaferman Lakind
101 Grovers Mill Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
609-275-0400
609-275-4511 (fax)
Jennifer DelMedico, Esq.
Jones Day
222 East 41st Street
New York, New York 10017
212-326-3658
James L. Felix, Esq.
Stark & Stark
993 Lenox Drive
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
609-945-7628
609-896-0629 (fax)
Aleksandra Gontaryuk, Esq.
AG Law Group, LLC
P.O. Box 244
Metuchen, NJ 08840
908-336-7550
Patrick Kenney, Esq.
Biggins, Lacy, Shapiro
47 Hulfish Street
Princeton, NJ 08550
609-613-4262
Dina Khmelnitsky, Esq.
New Jersey Economic
Development Authority
36 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08628
609-968-3446
Bradley L. Mitchell, Esq.
Stevens & Lee
100 Lenox Drive
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
609-243-9111
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
Sandra S. Moran, Esq.
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, PC
700 Alexander Park
Suite 300
Princeton, NJ 08540
Robert N. Paessler, Esq.
McMahon, Martine & Gallagher, LLP
404 Market Street
Trenton, NJ 08611
609-396-2999
609-396-2254 (fax)
April-May 2015
Page 15
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
Page 16
April-May 2015
Members In the News
Bryan M. Roberts, Esq., an Associate in Stark
& Stark’s Accident and Personal Injury Group,
was elected to the Board of Directors of One
S i m p l e
W i s h .
“To me, there is nothing
greater than giving an innocent child hope, help
and happiness,” Mr. Roberts said of his appointment. “One Simple Wish
is an extraordinary organization that has given hope,
help and happiness to the
most vulnerable members
of our local, state and naBryan Roberts
tional communities. I am
very proud to join One Simple Wish and further
t h e i r
m i s s i o n . ”
One Simple Wish started in Trenton, New Jersey, and is now active in 48 states. The not-forprofit organization provides small wishes to children who are in foster care or have been abused,
neglected or abandoned. To date, One Simple
Wish has granted over 12,500 wishes. For more
information,
please
visit
w w w . o n e s i m p l e w i s h . o r g .
Stark & Stark is the Presenting Sponsor of the
Mercer County Park’s Spring Food Truck Fiesta
benefiting One Simple Wish which takes place
on Saturday April 18, 2015 from 11am- 7pm at
the
Mercer
County
Park.
Bryan M. Roberts focuses his practice in the areas of wrongful death and catastrophic personal
injuries from truck, motorcycle and automobile
accidents to product and premises liability
claims. As a licensed commercial truck and motorcycle operator, Mr. Roberts has unique insight
into crashes involving these vehicles. He resides
in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania.
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
Pellettieri Rabstein & Altman attorneys
Kendall Medway and Jennifer R. Haythorn have been selected to the 2015 New
Jersey Rising Stars list. Rising Stars is a
division of Super Lawyers dedicated to
recognizing the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state who are 40 years old and
younger or who have been practicing for
10 years or less. No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.
Mr. Medway is an
associate in the
firm’s Workers’
Compensation
department. Pellettieri Rabstein &
Altman has one of
the largest Workers’ Compensation practices in
New Jersey. Most
of the departKendall Medway
ment’s attorneys
have been certified as Workers’ Compensation Trial Lawyers by The New Jersey
Supreme Court.
Ms. Haythorn is
an associate in
the Family Law
d e p a r t ment.
With
one of the largest family law
departments in
Mercer County,
PR&A has established
a
statewide repuJennifer Haythorn
tation for excellence in addressing the host of emotional,
Page 17
April-May 2015
financial, and legal issues that comprise family
and marital matters.
Pellettieri Rabstein & Altman announced that
attorneys Gary Adams, Bruce Miller, Jeffrey
Monaghan and Edward Slaughter have been
selected to the 2015 New Jersey Super Lawy e r s
l i s t .
Jersey Super Lawyers, published by Thomson
Reuters.
Eckert Seamans recently announced it will be
relocating its Trenton operations to 2000 Lenox
Drive in Princeton, New Jersey, from its current location at 50 West State Street in Trenton.
Relocation is expected to be completed by
March 27, 2015.
Mr. Adams, Mr. Miller
& Mr. Monaghan are
members of the firm’s
Workers’ Compensation department. Pellettieri Rabstein & Altman
has one of the largest
Workers’ Compensation practices in New
Jersey. Most of the department’s attorneys
have been certified as
Workers’ Compensation Trial Lawyers by
The New Jersey Supreme Court.
Petrino, recognized 10 times by Super Lawyers
for his land use/zoning, environmental and real
estate work, focuses his practice on the acquisition, development and financing of real estate.
He represents national, regional and local
builders and developers before county, state
and federal agencies with respect to the development of fee-simple residential communities,
common interest communities and business
and industrial parks, including industrial parks
located within redevelopment areas and on
brownfield sites. Petrino has extensive litigation experience in the regulation of the use,
sale of interests, and environmental impact of
real estate development. In addition, he represents clients in complex commercial litigation.
Mr. Slaughter practices
in the field of personal
injury law. He represents persons injured in
motor vehicle accidents, construction accidents, people injured
by products, as a result
of medical and nursing
malpractice and from
falls or premises accidents. He has been a
Certified Civil Trial
Attorney since 1986.
Gary Adams
Bruce Miller
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC is
very pleased to announce that Members
(partners) Frank J. Petrino, Michael A.
Spero and Robert P. Zoller were recently selected for inclusion in the 2015 edition of New
Spero, recognized by Super Lawyers for the
tenth consecutive year in general and business
litigation and civil litigation defense, concentrates his practice in civil litigation and complex litigation matters. He is authorized by the
Supreme Court of New Jersey to be designated
as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney. Spero has
handled cases in every county of New Jersey
and also tried cases in all three Federal District
Courts in New Jersey involving a wide variety
of matters including corporate, commercial,
construction, employment, personal injury and
professional negligence, trying over 100 cases
to completion. In addition to his litigation and
trial practice, he has served as a Certified Arbitrator since 1985, a Certified Mediator since
1994 for the United States District Court for
the District of New Jersey and a designated
Mediator for the New Jersey Statewide Mediation Program since August 1995.
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
April-May 2015
Page 18
April
April 28, 2015
New Jersey Notary Training
CLE Seminar
MCBA Office
9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
May
May 5, 2015
Real Estate Luncheon
2.0 CLE Seminar
Disclosure
Requirements in Real
Estate Transactions
Greenacres Country
Club 11 a.m. to 2:p.m.
May 5, 2015
Trustees Meeting
MCBA Office
12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
May 5, 2015
May General
Membership Meeting
Mercer Oaks
5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
May 19, 2015
Real Estate Trustees
Meeting
MCBA Office
9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
May 21, 2015
Women Lawyers and
Wine Tasting
Rats
5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
May 14, 2015
Lawyers CARE
Mercer County
Connection
5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
May 29, 2015
Foundation Wine & Dine (+Beer)
Annual Fundraiser
Stone Terrace by John Henry
5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
June
June 2, 2015
Trustees Meeting
Marsillo’s Kitchen
5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
June 18, 2015
Municipal Bench Bar
Meeting
Ewing Municipal
Courthouse
3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
June 9, 2015
Bankruptcy and Real
Estate Transactions CLE
Luncheon Seminar
Greenacres Country
Club11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
June 11, 2015
Lawyers CARE
Mercer County
Connection
5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
June 11, 2015
Community Projects
Serve Lunch at
Trenton Area Soup
Kitchen
10:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
June 25, 2015
Annual Golf Outing
Mt. View Golf Club
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Visit us online at www.mercerbar.com/calendar_of_events.htm to see our complete
calendar of events, register online for an event or to download a registration flyer.
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
Page 19
April-May 2015
New Jersey
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800-24-NJLAP
www. njlap.org
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A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
April-May 2015
Page 20
Catching Up with the Honorable Joseph Bocchini, Jr.
Siobhan Mazzoni
When did you know you wanted to become an
attorney?
Joe Bocchini: I probably knew from the time
I was in grade school. Definitely by junior
high school… My mother was very active in
local politics. As a matter of fact, I remember
your grandfather, Coleman [Hon. Brennan].
He used to be a Democratic committee member and he would knock on our doors and remind us it was time to go out and vote. I had
the opportunity to be in the company of several lawyers when I was a youth.
Which judge did you clerk for?
JB: I clerked for Judge Bennett. And I had an
opportunity to review municipal court appeals
and prepare suggested opinions for the judge.
I also reviewed the motions with him and had
the opportunity to sit in the court room. He did
a lot of criminal work in front of some of the
best criminal trial attorneys at that time. Great
experience.
Can you recall your first case as a practicing
attorney?
JB: The first trial I had was when I went into
private practice for a small firm out in Hightstown, Slocken & Bentley. I had a municipal
court matter in Hightstown and Judge Essel
was the judge at the time and the municipal
court prosecutor was Harold Bogatz and I believe my client was charged with stealing oil
I was in front of the court and I was trying to
get something into evidence. The prosecutor
kept objecting and finally I looked at the judge
and said, “I know I can get this in? I just forgot how!” And the judge starts laughing and
he said let me ask him a couple questions and
I recall eventually I was able to get into evidence what I wanted. If you asked me what
the outcome of the case was I don’t remember.
How have things changed at the Prosecutor’s
Office since you were first appointed 11 and a
half years ago?
JB: The office has grown so exponentially to
the extent that the relationship between the
County Prosecutor’s Office and the local police
department is more interactive. We’ve also had
the establishment of the Police Academy which
was a benefit to all the police departments in
Mercer County.
Is there a phase or specific case that you will
always remember during your time as the
County Prosecutor?
JB: There were several tragedies, you never
forget those cases... The biggest case we had
was the Operation Weeping Willow. That was
the largest investigative seizure in the history
of the county. It had a retail value of about
$1,100,000 and we confiscated drugs, made 42
arrests and confiscated 42 motorcycles and 9
vehicles, In addition, we seized jewelry, over
$70,000 as well as 10 or 11 weapons. It was a
big operation. Thirty nine full time task force
members were involved and probably 21 law
enforcement agencies.
What do you feel was your greatest accomplishment?
JB: I have a difficult time saying what I ac-
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
Page 21
April-May 2015
complished because any accomplishments I
achieved was a result of the people I had around
me.
Let’s put it this way; I think the establishment of
the Police Academy was a great accomplishment.
When I took office, it was my feeling that there was
a lack of diversity in the office. You know, most of
the Mercer County Prosecutor’s office work revolves around Trenton. And keeping that in mind,
the proportion of minorities [in the office] wasn’t
efficient in my estimation. We had to make some
changes to the man power in the office.
Fortunately, we made significant improvements in
the promotion and hiring of minorities. When
you’re in the center of a community, you need to
have the office reflect that community as much as
possible and it’s something that I was very sensitive
to. And in addition, in my first year I was able to
get $6,000 raises across the board for each of my
assistant prosecutors which allowed us to obtain
some talented attorneys.
What do you hope to achieve at Kalavruzos Mumola Hartman & Lento? What is it that attracted
you to that firm?
JB: I’ve always been a local guy, so to speak.
They’re located in Hamilton, I live in Hamilton and
they’re considerably younger than me and very talented and I enjoy the atmosphere in their office. My
role there as counsel isn’t going to be so hard to the
extent that I won’t be working full time, I’ll make
my hours as I see fit and handle cases that I chose
to handle and work on cases that speak to me.
What advice do you have for aspiring and young
lawyers?
JB: It’s a wonderful profession. There are so many
areas of the law today and everybody seems to specialize in a different aspect it. It’s something that if
you want to do it, you need to be committed to it as
the cost of education today is extremely expensive
as compared to when I went to law school in the
late sixties, early seventies. I’ve seen assistant
prosecutors that we’ve hired out of law
school that have $140,000 in school loans
that have to be paid off. That’s almost a mortgage compared to the nominal amounts that I
paid in law school tuition. That’s an aspect of
it and you have to weigh that against what
you hope to accomplish in the future. Unless
you’re lucky enough to have parents to lift
the load for you.
If you didn’t become an attorney, what other
profession do you think you would have gone
into or tried?
JB: Actually I taught school for two years
before I went to law school. I taught in the
Hamilton school district, I taught 6th grade
my first year and my second year I taught 7th
and 8th grade math.
When I graduated from college I just wasn’t
certain, I didn’t think I could get into law
school and I needed a job and I couldn’t afford to go immediately so I got the teaching
job. After I taught for a year and going into
my second year I thought as much as I enjoyed it, it’s not something I wanted to do for
the rest of my life. So I said, “you gotta take
that shot and apply for law school and if you
get in great, and if you don’t, well you have a
job.” And the rest is history. I got in and I’ve
had many great experiences over the years as
a result of it. I had a lot of help. A lot of people were very kind to me along the way.
Thank you for speaking with me. I read that
you’re going to try to get some golf in now
that you’re not serving another term.
JB: As a matter of fact as I’m speaking to
you I’m in a car, I’m not driving, but I’m in a
car on my way to the Atlantic City Airport
where I’m going to Myrtle Beach with 7 of
my fellow members at Old York County Club
to play golf for six days.
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
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A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
April-May 2015
April-May 2015
Page 23
A Publication of the Mercer County Bar Association
Mercer County Bar Association
1245 Whitehorse Mercerville Road
Suite 420
Mercerville, NJ 08619
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TRENTON, NJ
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Save The Dates!
Mercer County Foundation
3rd Annual Wine and Dine
Friday, May 29, 2015
The Stone Terrace
Annual Golf Outing
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Mt. View Golf Club
Judges & Law Clerks Dinner
Thursday, September 24, 2015
The Hamilton Manor
The Holiday Party
December 15, 2015
Trenton Country Club