Edward M. Coleman, PJ.Ch. (Ret.)
Judge Coleman has had an extensive legal carrier spanning fifty years. He began in a
general practice firm, Broderick, Newmark, and Grather, in Morristown, NJ. He became
an Assistant Prosecutor for Somerset County in 1976. He was later appointed the Deputy
First Assistant Prosecutor for the Trial Division at that office until he became Superior
Court Judge. During his time in the Judiciary, he was appointed by the New Jersey
Supreme Court to the Model Criminal Charges Committee, the Committee on Jury
Selection for Civil and Criminal Trials, and the Committee on Model Civil Jury Charges.
Judge Coleman was appointed to the New Jersey Superior Court in July 1989. He was
assigned to the Criminal Division and was later appointed the Presiding Judge in that
Division for Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties. During his tenure in the
Criminal Division, he presided over noteworthy trials including State vs. Jason
Williams.
In 2002, he was assigned to the Civil Division. He was later appointed Presiding Judge
for that Division. During his tenure, he dealt with Personal Injury, Contracts,
Employment, and Tort Claim Trials.
In 2012, he was assigned to the Chancery Division and later appointed the Presiding
Judge in that Division. During his tenure, he dealt with Restrictive Covenants, Probate,
Guardianships, Partnership Dissolution, and Corporate Disputes.
He retired in 2015, and immediately went on Recall Status until 2025. Throughout these
years, he dealt exclusively with Personal Injury Trials.