Retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge Savio ‘Blows The Whistle’

The Honorable James Savio retired yesterday from The New Jersey Superior Court after 13 years.

Today, Judge Savio loudly and with a velvet, highly professional touch, “Blew The Whistle” on the New Jersey judiciary.

Savio served in Vicinage 1, in Atlantic and Cape May Counties.

All told, Judge Savio served for the past 27 years as a Municipal/Superior Court Judge.

Savio has also taught new judges assigned to the New Jersey Superior Court Civil Division for the past 10 years.

Today, he appeared with us on-air on during his very first hours as a retired civilian. Judge Savio didn’t hold back. Savio is concerned about several potential significant changes that could adversely affect the New Jersey judiciary.

This is kind of interview that you almost never can land. A sitting judge can’t grant such an interview and retired judges rarely do them, either.

But, we’ll come back to that later.

Make sure that you read this article to the end, as there are current proposals, which if ever implemented would radically alter the jury system in New Jersey as we know it.

First, we want to share a bit about Judge Savio’s personal life and distinguished career … in order to properly illustrate that the concerns that will be thoroughly outlined later in this article come from a serious, thoughtful, distinguished jurist.

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Personal Information:

Born:​ ​March 6, 1952-Atlantic City Hospital, Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Married: ​Carol A. (McElroy) Savio.

Children: ​Samantha, Catherine and James M.

Residence: ​​Margate City, New Jersey.

Citizenship: Dual - United States and Italian.

Professional Licenses:

All Courts of State of New Jersey, December 8, 1977; US District Court, District of New Jersey, December 8, 1977; U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, October 25, 1982; U.S. Supreme Court, May 18, 1992.

Formal Education:

Blessed Sacrament Elementary School, Margate, NJ, June 17, 1966; Holy Spirit High School, Absecon, NJ, June 11, 1970; Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, B.A., (History), May 17, 1974; Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ, J.D., June 5, 1977.

Pre-Legal Employment History:

Prior to his careers as a lawyer and judge, Savio appears to have held every modest and hard-working profession ever known, including:

Paperboy, Atlantic City Press, Margate, NJ, 1964-1966; Dishwasher/Busboy, Arnie’s Restaurant, Margate, NJ, 1966-1968; Delivery/Cleanup, Jacob’s Drug Store, Margate, NJ, 1967-1968; Landscaper, Margate City, NJ, 1965-1967; Produce Clerk/Cashier, Food Fair, Atlantic City, NJ, 1967; Beach Chair/Umbrella, New York Avenue Beach Chairs, Atlantic City, NJ, 1968; Busboy, Inn  on the Bay Restaurant, Margate, NJ, 1968; Usher, Ice Capades/Professional Wrestling & Roller Derby, Atlantic City Convention Hall, Atlantic City, NJ, 1969-1976; Amusement Ride Operator, Astroslide, Central Pier, Atlantic City, NJ, 1969; Frameman, NJ Bell, 1969-1972; Coin Collector, NJ Bell, 1973-1976; Liquor Delivery, Maplewood Liquors, Maplewood, NJ,1972-1973; Security Guard, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, 1971-1974; Assistant Librarian, Seton Hall Law School, Newark, NJ, 1975-1977; Security Guard, Giant’s Stadium 1975.

Legal Employment History:

Owner- Law Offices of James P. Savio, Margate, NJ & Atlantic City, NJ, February 2, 1999-July 2, 2009; Managing Partner- Savio, Reynolds & Drake, Absecon, NJ, July 15, 1987-February 2, 1999; Managing Partner- Gormley & Savio, Absecon, NJ, October 1, 1980-July 15, 1987; Associate - Lloyd, Megargee, Steedle & Connor-December 8, 1977-October 1, 1980; Law Clerk, Lloyd, Megargee, Steedle & Connor, Egg Harbor Township, NJ, June 1976 – December 7, 1977.

Appointments & Professional Associations:

Judicial (Superior Court): Judge, Superior Court of New Jersey, July 2, 2009, tenured 2016, assigned-Law Division, Civil Part, September 4, 2012-present, Chancery Division, Family Part, July 2, 2009-September 3, 2012; New Jersey Supreme Court Committee, Rules of Evidence, 2010-2016; Atlantic County Court Security/Safety Committee, January 2012-present; Judge, Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition, 2003-present.

Judicial (Municipal Court): Judge, Municipal Court, Margate City, 1980-1985 & 2002-2009; Vice President, Atlantic County Municipal Court Judges Association, 1982-1985; Liaison Municipal Court Judge to all Municipal Courts, Atlantic & Cape May Counties, 1981-1985; Conflicts Municipal Judge Atlantic City, Ventnor, Longport, Somers Point, Galloway Township, Northfield, Pleasantville, Absecon and Egg Harbor Township, 2002-2009; Instructor, annual mandatory conference of New Jersey Municipal Court Judges, 1982-1985.

Attorney: Certified by Supreme Court of New Jersey, Board of Trial Certification, Certified Civil Trial Attorney, 1988, re-certified 1994, 2002 & 2007 through 2012; Lexis Nexis Martindale-Hubbell Peer rated “A” (pre-eminent) legal ability & “V” (very high) adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, 1982-2016; Chairman, Atlantic County Bar Association Judicial & Prosecutorial Selection & Appointments Committee, 1990-1995; Member, Atlantic County Bar Association Judicial & Prosecutorial Selection & Appointments Committee, 1982-1995; Barrister, Vincent S. Haneman Inns of Court, 1994-1999 & 2009-present; Presenter, Cape/Atlantic Medical Society Convention, Ludlum, (Pico Peak), Vermont, 1992-2002; New Jersey State & American Bar Associations; Instructor, Institute for Continuing Legal Education; New Jersey Defense Association; Defense Research Institute; Arbitrator, American Arbitration, 1990-2009; Trustee, Atlantic County Bar Association, 1981-1991; Arbitrator in automobile negligence cases Atlantic County, 1985-2009; Panelist in non-automobile panels Atlantic County, 1980-2009; Solicitor, City of Port Republic, 1980-1984; Municipal Prosecutor, Margate, Somers Point & Northfield, 1978-1981.

Civic: School Superintendent & Principal Screening Committee, Margate City, 2008; Margate City Citizens’ Long Term Planning Committee, 2005-2006; Substitute Teacher, Margate School System, 1996-2008; Recipient of Atlantic City Police Department, Canine Corps, Special Recognition, 1990 & 1992; Legal Counsel, Greater Atlantic City Jaycees, 1981-1984.

This is an overview of Savio’s distinguished past. Now, on to today’s never before (publicly) discussed topics:

POTENTIAL NEW JERSEY JURY SYSTEM CHANGES:

• The possibility exists that a convicted felon may be able to serve on a jury, regardless of the seriousness of his/her offense(s). Eligibility could occur, even while still on parole.
• There actually were earlier discussions to allow convicted felons in jail to be able to serve on juries while in prison. This is beyond woke and radical.
• There are serious proposals at this time to require all New Jersey Superior Court Judges to instruct jurors that each is implicitly biased and each juror will be instructed that they have to set aside his/her implicit bias when deciding a case.
• There are also discussions about allowing illegal immigrants to serve as jurors in New Jersey.

NEW JERSEY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES TRAINING:

• New Jersey Superior Court Judges are required to regularly attend hyper-woke, sensitivity training programs.

Until now, no one has publicly addressed these radical proposals and issues.

Before anything like this should even be considered, there must be a thorough, open public discussion about these proposals.

And, that’s exactly what we’ve done today on-air and here digitally.