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Worst Family Court Judge in New Jersey

by About FACE Staff, April 2000

The votes in FACE’s Worst Family Court Judge in New Jersey contest are in, and the Number 1 Worst Judge is Robert W. Page of Camden County. Page received almost as many nominations as all the other judges combined.

Comments about Judge Page included: "Does not listen to reason when it comes to fathers." "Not doing anything to mothers who stop visitation." "Did not know how to calculate the amount of child support."

"Won’t let [a relative] see his daughters since 1994." "Not once since Page got involved in [the] case have we even seen [my nieces]." From the boyfriend of the daughter of a divorced father: "[She] is afraid of Judge Page even though she never met him." From a paternal grandmother: "Judge Page needs to be in a mental hospital for what he did."

From a former police chief: "Page was soft on young criminals and always let dangerous kids back on the street." From a Camden city resident: "He puts the wrong kids in jail. Most times the drug dealers are let go back on the street. The good kids go to the shelter."

"Page is a friend of drug dealers and baby killers because he does not punish them and lets them back on the street." "Killers and drug dealers go free." "I read in the newspaper how Judge Page said he would be proud of a daughter who killed her baby. This judge must be crazy."

"Unprepared, confused, and had a difficult time focusing on the matters in [the] case." "Does nothing to lawyers who lie." "A disgrace to the entire legal system and to the judiciary." "Deserves to be voted the worst judge in the United States."

"Not a nice man to anybody." "Page didn’t care."

These comments don’t surprise FACE. According to a May, 1998 New Jersey Monthly magazine article, Page’s parents divorced in the 1950s when he was eleven years old, and he was raised in a matriarchy. He doesn’t recognize the value of fathers to children because, at this crucial time in his own life, he didn’t have one. He thinks ‘I grew up okay without a father, and your kids can too.’

Marie White Bell of Burlington County took second place. Some comments about Judge Bell:

"I flew [my family] here for [a hearing]. The first day the judge heard ... the mother and ... [maternal grand]mother, both of whom live in Burlington County. I was not allowed to say anything, nor any of my witnesses, who came from [distant places]. And the second day was canceled. Then it took another year to get a hearing scheduled for custody."

"Would you believe the last day of my custody trial was [six months ago] and Judge

Bell has still not made a decision. Does anyone have any idea what I can do to force Judge Bell to make a decision?"

"I presented evidence against my ex-wife interfering with my custodial time and that she was inflicting Parental Alienation Syndrome on my child ... Evidence of contempt of court by ex-wife was ignored."

From a long list supplied by a paternal grandmother: "Makes decisions that are biased by gender." "Does not allow the father nor the father’s attorney to have an equal say in court." "Is very disrespectful to attorneys. She even told one to ‘sit down and shut up.’" "Requests [expensive psychiatric] reports of paternal [grand]parents, but does not use them." "Supported the mother’s denial of parenting time ..." "[Accepted] mother’s false accusations of domestic violence, [when] she was the perpetrator -- [mother] put a ... gun to father’s neck." Edward V. Torak of Bergen County came in third. Comments about Judge Torak:

"Too much subjectivity and not enough objectivity." "Cheapens the law itself." "Gender biased, politically correct." "Disrespectful to the defendant and his attorney."

Diane B. Cohen of Cumberland County is fourth. One respondent said "Gives everything to the mothers and doesn’t practice what she preaches about not turning the children against Dad."

It comes as no surprise that Diane Cohen made the "Top 10 Worst Judges" list even though she sits in remote little Cumberland County following her recent transfer from even smaller Salem County, the most sparsely populated county in the state. Prior to becoming a judge, Diane Cohen had a very lucrative matrimonial law practice in Camden County. She couldn’t become a judge there because her former law partner, state Senator John Adler, used "Senatorial courtesy" to block her nomination. Instead, she lied about her residence, claiming that she lived in Mauricetown, a sleepy little village on the Delaware Bay, far from her Haddonfield law practice. Another matrimonial lawyer and her buddy in the next county, Senator Ray Zane, nominated her for a judgeship.

The Senate Judiciary Committee learned of her deceit, and refused to confirm her appointment (even though Zane is a ember of the committee). Zane then called in all his political I.O.U.s, and got her approved on the senate floor on the last day of the legislative session in January, 1998. By a remarkable coincidence, Cohen was sworn in as a judge on her sixtieth birthday, the last day that she could still qualify for a full pension at the mandatory retirement age of seventy.

Because the difference in the number of nominations for each of them is statistically insignificant, there is a six way tie for fifth place: Robert E. Francis of Gloucester County, James P. Hurley and James F. Mulvihill of Middlesex County, Joseph M. Nardi, Jr. of Camden County, Vincent D. Segal of Atlantic County, and John Tomasello of Gloucester County. Comments on each of them include:

Francis: "Lacks basic knowledge; no backbone; Mommy’s boy."

Hurley: "Gives fathers very little time [with their children]"

Mulvihill: "His inconsistent decisions ... wreak havoc on ... innocent and very vulnerable children." "[Because of his actions in a case, he was] ordered to attend anger management classes."

Nardi: "Failed to rule on a motion still pending since 1998."

Segal: "Makes snap decisions, then spends the rest of the time looking for ways to justify them, ignoring all opposing evidence."

Tomasello: "Hates women who don’t have custody."

Fortunately for the people of New Jersey, almost half of the "Top 10 Worst Judges" are not yet tenured. We will have an opportunity to testify against their reappointments at Senate Judiciary Committee hearings at the end of their initial seven year terms.