Mayor Hawkins appoints Sybil Elias as new Chief Judge of Orange Municipal Court..,.  says Court is critical to making city safer

On Wednesday, April 20th, Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. swore in experienced Municipal Court Judge Sybil Elias as the Chief Judge of the Orange Municipal Court. The ceremony was held at the Orange Courthouse. Judge Elias fills the vacancy created by the retirement of former Chief Judge Eric Pennington. Ms. Elias has served since 2003 as a municipal court judge in East Orange, as a municipal court judge in Irvington from 2005 to 2009, and has served as Visiting Judge in Newark since 2005.

The appointment, made under Orange’s Call to Service initiative, came after 15 candidates were considered and interviewed by a screening committee consisting of Mayor Hawkins, City Attorney Marvin Braker, Business Administrator John Mason, and Police Captain Kevin Sooy. For more than two months, the committee reviewed the operations of the court and considered the candidates. Marvin Braker wrote the committee’s report. The report stated that Judfge Elias had a “clear and cogent plan on how to enhance and develop our court. Her awareness of the problems facing our city, her sensitivity to people and her clear understanding of where our Court needs to be as it moves into the future are exceptional.”

In addition to her judicial service, Judge Elias is an attorney with a private practice in Newark. Prior to becoming a judge, Ms. Elias served as an Assistant Prosecutor in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. She also served as a Law Clerk in the Superior Court Family and Criminal parts. She holds a Jurist Doctorate from George Washington University Law School and a B.A. from Rutgers University where she graduated with honors. While in law school, she received a Certification in International Human Rights Law from Oxford University in England.

Statement by Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr.
“Our screening committee searched for a new Chief Judge who would be experienced and excellent as a judge, fair, and tough on crime and criminals. Judge Sybil Elias, best met those criteria. Our municipal court is a critical partner with the Orange Police Department and the citizens of Orange in working to make our city safer. Many people have pointed out to me that when criminals are arrested and convicted, they too often are back on our streets in short order. I also get complaints that our courts are not serious enough about quality of life crimes such as prostitution, loitering, and graffiti. Judge Elias represents the judicial excellence that the people of Orange expect.”