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Monmouth county's top judge, lisa p. thornton, dies at age 59, tributes pour in for state superior court assignment judge lisa p. thornton of the monmouth vicinage, first black woman named to that post..
Pat McDaniel , Patch Staff
FREEHOLD, NJ — The unexpected death of state Superior Court Assignment Judge Lisa P. Thornton has stunned judicial and other officials throughout the state, and they are paying tribute to her legacy.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office was "stunned and saddened" to announce on Saturday, May 27, that Thornton, age 59, had died.
Thornton, of Neptune, was assignment judge of the Monmouth vicinage and was the first Black woman in New Jersey named to that position.
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"She leaves behind a legacy of consistently sound jurisprudence, warm congeniality, a keen sense of humor, and resolute fairness, having served as a pioneering and steadying influence over our courts for the better part of a decade," the prosecutor's office said in a social media post on Saturday.
There were no immediate details available on funeral arrangements for the judge or other details regarding her unexpected death.
Appointed to the bench by Gov. Jon S. Corzine in 2008, Thornton made history in 2014 when she became the first Black woman ever to serve as a New Jersey Superior Court Assignment Judge. She had been the presiding judge of the Monmouth Superior Court's family division when she was named to replace retiring Judge Lawrence M. Lawson.
The prosecutor's office said Thornton "will be deeply missed, and on behalf of Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago and the entire office, we extend our sincerest sympathies to her friends, family, and loved ones, including Detective Kent Thornton, Judge Thornton's nephew, who she was proud to have sworn in personally last October." Kent Thornton is a detective in the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.
State Sen. Vin Gopal added his tribute to those coming from officials around the state:
"This is truly heartbreaking. Judge Thornton is singularly the reason why Monmouth has a full judiciary and the reputation of being the best in the state," Gopal said
"I will miss her greatly. She is a trailblazer and will go down in Monmouth County history as one of the greatest. I and so many others across Monmouth County loved her deeply. Her life and legacy will live on in so many she impacted each and every day," Gopal said.
New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner praised Thornton:
"Lisa Thornton was more than a gifted judge, inspiring trailblazer, and natural leader. She was brilliant and plain spoken, insightful and honest, direct and witty, and a selfless friend. Judge Thornton also cared deeply about making this a better world through her words and deeds. Her sudden passing is a loss to the Judiciary and to humanity,” Rabner said.
In 2006, Rabner, as state attorney general, appointed Thornton as his chief of staff at the Department of Law and Public Safety, according to the department's background information .
Gurpreet M. Singh is the Trial Court Administrator for the Monmouth vicinage, and expressed shock at Thornton's passing:
"We are heartbroken as we try to process and comprehend the sudden passing of our beloved Assignment Judge and dear friend, the Honorable Lisa P. Thornton," he said in a memorial tribute to her .
"She has been the motivation, drive, and dedication behind all that we have accomplished together as a vicinage. She inspired us to do what we may have thought was impossible because she believed in us. She generously shared her valuable time with all and was deeply committed to her family, our vicinage family, our county, the Judiciary, and especially to the people we serve.”
Glenn A. Grant, Administrative Director of the Courts, said "Judge Thornton was our leader, our colleague and most importantly our friend. I smile when I think about her life, her journey, and her connections to all of us," he said.
"Maya Angelou stated, 'People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.' Lisa Thornton made us feel special. She was a natural leader. Intelligent, honest, hardworking, personable, and funny. I will always remember her forthrightness, character, and charm. She touched many of us and we are better people because of it.”
Thornton, a 1986 graduate of Douglass College at Rutgers University, earned her law degree from Rutgers School of Law in Newark in 1992. She was the Neptune Township Municipal Court judge from 1999 to 2001. She worked for Prudential Financial as a claims analyst and attorney from 1986 through 2002, according to background from the Department of Law and Public Safety.
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