Roberto A. Rivera-Soto
Encyclopedia
Roberto A. Rivera-Soto is a former associate justice
on the Supreme Court
of the U.S. state
of New Jersey
. His seven-year term expired on August 31, 2011, and he was not nominated to another term.
, Rivera-Soto graduated with high honors from the Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
in 1970. He graduated from Haverford College
as the Jose Pad in Scholar of in 1974. At Cornell University School of Law
, Rivera-Soto was a Charles K. Burdick Scholar and a member of the Moot Court
Board. He received his J.D. from Cornell in 1977.
", a member of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Development Authority for Small Businesses, Minorities and Women's Enterprises, an alternate member of the Southern Nevada Disciplinary Board of the State Bar of Nevada, and a former Instructor in Trial Advocacy at Rutgers School of Law—Newark
.
He had previously served as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Caesars World, and was also vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Greate Bay Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City
. From 1980 to 1983, he was a litigation associate at Fox Rothschild
.
From 1978 to 1980, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
. In 1977, Justice Rivera-Soto was an intern in the Office of the District Attorney of Delaware County, Pennsylvania
. Justice Rivera-Soto is currently a Certified Mediator in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, member and the current chair of the District VII Ethics Committee of the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Rivera-Soto's work as an Assistant United States Attorney was recognized by the Attorney General of the United States in 1980 when he received the United States Department of Justice
's "Director's Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant United States Attorney". He also received commendations from the Federal Bureau of Investigation
, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
of the United States Treasury Department and the United States Customs Service
.
When he was nominated, Justice Rivera-Soto was a partner at Fox Rothschild
, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey
and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
Justice Rivera-Soto was nominated by Governor James E. McGreevey on April 20, 2004 to serve on the Supreme Court. He was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate
on June 10, 2004, and was sworn in as an Associate Justice by Justice Virginia Long
on September 1, 2004 in a private ceremony. On September 14, 2004, he reaffirmed the oath of office in a public ceremony at the Trenton War Memorial.
, with Justice Rivera-Soto not participating, accepted the report and recommendation of the Advisory Committee and censured the Justice. The censure, which is the second time the Court has censured a sitting member in more than thirty years, carried no suspension or reduction in pay, and ended the ethics matter.
On December 10, 2010, Rivera-Soto stated in an "abstaining opinion" in an otherwise non-controversial case that he will be abstaining from all Supreme Court decisions for an indefinite period due to his belief that the current Court membership violates the state constitution. A majority of the Court responded in a concurring opinion that the makeup of the Court is constitutional. The dispute centers around the decision of Chief Justice Stuart Rabner in September to temporarily assign an Appellate Division judge to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court, which has been a routine practice since Chief Justices were empowered to do so when "necessary" by the 1947 Constitution of New Jersey. Rivera-Soto's position is that the temporary appointment is not "necessary" and therefore unconstitutional. The vacancy, being temporarily filled by Judge Edwin Stern, arises from the ongoing stalemate between Republican Governor Chris Christie and the Democratic-controlled state Senate over Christie's choice to fill the vacancy permanently. The president of the Senate has called on Rivera-Soto to resign due to his announced intention to refrain from participating in Court decisions, as has the New York Times, saying that Rivera-Soto's move "appears to be driven by politics, not principle."
On January 3, 2011, Rivera-Soto sent a letter to Governor Christie indicating that he does not wish to be reappointed when his initial seven-year term on the Court expires in September 2011. On January 12, 2011, Rivera-Soto did participate in a decision of the Court and wrote an opinion indicating that he has reconsidered his position and will participate in future cases where Judge Stern's vote does not affect the outcome of the case.
On September 1, 2011, Anne M. Patterson
was sworn to the seat on the court formerly held by Rivera-Soto.
.
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
on the Supreme Court
New Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. His seven-year term expired on August 31, 2011, and he was not nominated to another term.
Early life
Born in New York City but raised in Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Rivera-Soto graduated with high honors from the Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
Río Piedras is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Founded in 1714, it has been the home of the University of Puerto Rico's main campus since 1903, earning the town the popular name of Ciudad Universitaria...
in 1970. He graduated from Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
as the Jose Pad in Scholar of in 1974. At Cornell University School of Law
Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School, located in Ithaca, New York, is a graduate school of Cornell University and one of the five Ivy League law schools. The school confers three law degrees...
, Rivera-Soto was a Charles K. Burdick Scholar and a member of the Moot Court
Moot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
Board. He received his J.D. from Cornell in 1977.
Business and legal activities
Rivera-Soto was a member of the Board of Directors of the "Please Touch MuseumPlease Touch Museum
The Please Touch Museum is a children's museum located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The museum focuses on teaching children through interactive exhibits and special events, mostly aimed at children seven years old and younger.-History:...
", a member of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Development Authority for Small Businesses, Minorities and Women's Enterprises, an alternate member of the Southern Nevada Disciplinary Board of the State Bar of Nevada, and a former Instructor in Trial Advocacy at Rutgers School of Law—Newark
Rutgers School of Law—Newark
Rutgers School of Law–Newark is the oldest of three law schools in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located at the S.I. Newhouse Center for Law and Justice, at 123 Washington Street, in downtown Newark...
.
He had previously served as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Caesars World, and was also vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Greate Bay Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
. From 1980 to 1983, he was a litigation associate at Fox Rothschild
Fox Rothschild
Fox Rothschild LLP is a national law firm with more than 500 attorneys practicing in 16 offices coast to coast. Lawyers at the firm provide a full range of legal services to public and private business entities, charitable, medical and educational institutions and individuals throughout the...
.
From 1978 to 1980, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is one of the original 13 federal judiciary districts created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
. In 1977, Justice Rivera-Soto was an intern in the Office of the District Attorney of Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
. Justice Rivera-Soto is currently a Certified Mediator in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, member and the current chair of the District VII Ethics Committee of the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Rivera-Soto's work as an Assistant United States Attorney was recognized by the Attorney General of the United States in 1980 when he received the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
's "Director's Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant United States Attorney". He also received commendations from the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...
of the United States Treasury Department and the United States Customs Service
United States Customs Service
Until March 2003, the United States Customs Service was an agency of the U.S. federal government that collected import tariffs and performed other selected border security duties.Before it was rolled into form part of the U.S...
.
When he was nominated, Justice Rivera-Soto was a partner at Fox Rothschild
Fox Rothschild
Fox Rothschild LLP is a national law firm with more than 500 attorneys practicing in 16 offices coast to coast. Lawyers at the firm provide a full range of legal services to public and private business entities, charitable, medical and educational institutions and individuals throughout the...
, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
.
Justice Rivera-Soto was nominated by Governor James E. McGreevey on April 20, 2004 to serve on the Supreme Court. He was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
on June 10, 2004, and was sworn in as an Associate Justice by Justice Virginia Long
Virginia Long
Virginia Long is a justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.- Biography :Virginia Long graduated from Dunbarton College of the Holy Cross in 1963 and Rutgers School of Law—Newark in 1966. She has served as a Deputy Attorney General and was the Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer...
on September 1, 2004 in a private ceremony. On September 14, 2004, he reaffirmed the oath of office in a public ceremony at the Trenton War Memorial.
Supreme Court service
The New Jersey Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct filed a complaint against Justice Rivera-Soto, only the second time in its 33-year history that the Committee filed against a Justice of the Supreme Court. The complaint alleged Rivera-Soto used his influence as member of the Supreme Court to benefit his son in a dispute with his son and a classmate that escalated into a legal matter. Justice Rivera-Soto did not fight the complaint, and the Advisory Committee recommended that the Supreme Court censure the Justice for his actions. The New Jersey Supreme CourtNew Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
, with Justice Rivera-Soto not participating, accepted the report and recommendation of the Advisory Committee and censured the Justice. The censure, which is the second time the Court has censured a sitting member in more than thirty years, carried no suspension or reduction in pay, and ended the ethics matter.
On December 10, 2010, Rivera-Soto stated in an "abstaining opinion" in an otherwise non-controversial case that he will be abstaining from all Supreme Court decisions for an indefinite period due to his belief that the current Court membership violates the state constitution. A majority of the Court responded in a concurring opinion that the makeup of the Court is constitutional. The dispute centers around the decision of Chief Justice Stuart Rabner in September to temporarily assign an Appellate Division judge to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court, which has been a routine practice since Chief Justices were empowered to do so when "necessary" by the 1947 Constitution of New Jersey. Rivera-Soto's position is that the temporary appointment is not "necessary" and therefore unconstitutional. The vacancy, being temporarily filled by Judge Edwin Stern, arises from the ongoing stalemate between Republican Governor Chris Christie and the Democratic-controlled state Senate over Christie's choice to fill the vacancy permanently. The president of the Senate has called on Rivera-Soto to resign due to his announced intention to refrain from participating in Court decisions, as has the New York Times, saying that Rivera-Soto's move "appears to be driven by politics, not principle."
On January 3, 2011, Rivera-Soto sent a letter to Governor Christie indicating that he does not wish to be reappointed when his initial seven-year term on the Court expires in September 2011. On January 12, 2011, Rivera-Soto did participate in a decision of the Court and wrote an opinion indicating that he has reconsidered his position and will participate in future cases where Judge Stern's vote does not affect the outcome of the case.
On September 1, 2011, Anne M. Patterson
Anne M. Patterson
Anne M. Patterson an Associate Justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court. She was sworn in on September 1, 2011, replacing former Justice Roberto Rivera-Soto.-External links:*, New Jersey Supreme Court...
was sworn to the seat on the court formerly held by Rivera-Soto.
Personal life
Rivera-Soto is married to the former Mary Catherine Mullaney; they have three sons, Adam, Christian and Nathan. They live in Haddonfield, New JerseyHaddonfield, New Jersey
Haddonfield is a borough located in Camden County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a total population of 11,593....
.
2008-09 term
- Jen Electric, Inc. v. County of Essex
- Livsey v. Mercury Insurance Group
- McKesson Corp. v. Hackensack Medical Imaging
- Penn National Insurance Co. v. Costa
- Polzo v. County of Essex
- Real v. Radir Wheels, Inc.
- State v. Cassady
- State v. Kuchera
2007-08 term
- IMO the Liquidation of Integrity Insurance Co.
- In re Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
- McMahon v. City of Newark
- Richard A. Pulaski Construction Co., Inc. v. Air Frame Hangars, Inc.
- Romagnola v. Gillespie, Inc.
- Sciarrotta v. Global Spectrum
- State v. Allegro
- State v. Buda
- State v. Dorman
- State v. Ingram
- State v. Kemp
- State v. Lykes
- State v. Nero
- State v. Ortiz
- State v. Sweet
- U.S. v. Scurry
2006-07 term
- Carmona v. Resorts International Hotel, Inc.
- Daidone v. Buterick Bulkheading
- IMO Wilbur H. Mathesius, Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey
- In re Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion No. 697
- Raspa v. Office of the Sheriff of the County of Gloucester
- R.M. v. Supreme Court of New Jersey
- Soto v. Scaringelli
- State v. Francis
- State v. Wakefield
2005-06 term
- Aqua Beach Condominium Ass'n v. Department of Community Affairs
- Fitzgerald v. Tom Coddington Stables
- Infinity Broadcasting Corp. v. N.J. Meadowlands Commission
- Olivieri v. Y.M.F. Carpet, Inc.
- Ramapo River Reserve Homeowners Ass'n, Inc. v. Borough of Oakland
- State v. Bealor
- State v. Birkenmeier
- State v. Figueroa
- State v. G.C.
- State v. Mahoney
- State v. Molina
2004-05 term
- Cherry Hill Manor Associates v. Faugno
- Coyne v. N.J. Department of Transportation
- DelaCruz v. Borough of Hillsdale
- IMO the Estate of Elizabeth Hull Vayda
- Municipal Council of the City of Newark v. James
- Shah v. Shah
- State v. Cummings
- State v. Hill
- State v. R.B.
- Steneken v. Steneken
- Szalontai v. Yazbo's Sports Cafe