TRENTON — Acting Governor Way signed Executive Order No. 363 today, mandating that U.S. and New Jersey flags be flown at half-staff from Friday, August 23 through Sunday, August 25. This period coincides with services commemorating the life of former New Jersey Supreme Court Associate Justice James H. Coleman, Jr.
Justice Coleman passed away on Friday, August 2, leaving behind his wife, Sophia, and two children, Kairon and James. He was the first Black Justice to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1994 to 2003. Before joining the Supreme Court, Justice Coleman held various positions within the state judiciary, including historic roles as the first Black workers’ compensation judge and as the first Black jurist on the Appellate Division. Prior to his judicial career, he practiced privately and served in the U.S. Army Reserve.
“Justice Coleman was a trailblazer within the New Jersey judiciary,” said Acting Governor Way. “Born as the son of a Black sharecropper in racially segregated Virginia, Justice Coleman’s life embodies the intertwined history of inequality and progress in our country. His historic appointment to the New Jersey Supreme Court broke down racial barriers by demonstrating that communities of color could be represented at the highest levels of our judiciary. We extend our condolences to his loved ones and will forever be grateful for his extraordinary life of service.”
For a copy of Executive Order No. 363, click here.
