State of New Jersey
Executive Order #149

Governor Jon S. Corzine
WHEREAS, Supreme Court Justice Sidney M. Schreiber faithfully served the people of New Jersey as a respected member of the State’s highest Court for nine years; and

WHEREAS, Justice Schreiber was a true son of New Jersey, born and raised in the City of Elizabeth, who was known for setting extremely high standards in writing opinions that provided clear direction to the bench, the bar, and the public in cases that touched virtually every area of the law; and

WHEREAS, Justice Schreiber graduated from Yale University and Yale Law School and served as attorney for the United States Railroad Retirement Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission before entering the United States Army in 1943; and

WHEREAS, while in the Army, Justice Schreiber directed the war crimes review section of the Judge Advocate General’s Office; and

WHEREAS, following his discharge from the Army, Justice Schreiber was an attorney in private practice, a delegate to the 1966 New Jersey Constitutional Convention, and a Commissioner for the Union County Parks Commission; and

WHEREAS, Governor William T. Cahill appointed Justice Schreiber to the Superior Court of New Jersey in October 1972; and

WHEREAS, Governor Brendan T. Byrne appointed Justice Schreiber to the New Jersey Supreme Court on January 8, 1975, the Senate confirmed this appointment on January 27, 1975, and Justice Schreiber was sworn in as an Associate Justice on February 28, 1975, following the retirement of Justice Nathan L. Jacobs; and

WHEREAS, during his tenure on the Supreme Court, Justice Schreiber authored many majority opinions as well as dissenting opinions, and was known for the depth of his analysis, excellent judgment, and scholarly approach to judicial decision-making; and

WHEREAS, Justice Schreiber was a respected jurist who worked tirelessly in forming his legal opinions, earning him the respect of his colleagues; and

WHEREAS, the many significant decisions for which Justice Schreiber is recognized include decisions expanding citizens access to public beaches, a ground-breaking product liability decision regarding drug side-effects, and several important decisions interpreting the State and federal Constitutions; and

WHEREAS, Justice Schreiber, during his near decade-long tenure on the Court, strengthened the administration of justice throughout the State, including through his service as Chairman of both the Supreme Court Committee on Civil Case Management and Procedures and the Committee on Budget and Procedure, as well as through his service on the Supreme Court Committees on the Tax Court and Civil Trial Court Support Systems;

WHEREAS, Justice Schreiber, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age in 1984, became counsel to the law firm Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland, and Perretti in Morristown; and

WHEREAS, since his retirement from the Supreme Court, Justice Schreiber continued his service to New Jersey as Chairman of the New Jersey Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct, Vice-chairman of the Editorial Board of the New Jersey Law Journal, and as a mentor to many attorneys throughout the State; and

WHEREAS, it is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of Justice Schreiber and extend our sincere sympathy to his wife, Ruth, his daughter, Florence Powers, his grandson, Jonathan Powers, and his many friends and colleagues; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and appropriate to honor the achievements, the character, the memory, and the passing of Justice Schreiber;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JON S. CORZINE, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

  1. The flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Tuesday, August 18, 2009, in recognition and mourning of the passing of Justice Sidney M. Schreiber.

  2. This Order shall take effect immediately.
GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 13th day of August
Two Thousand and Nine, and of the Independence of
the United States, the Two Hundred and Thirty-Fourth.

/s/ Jon S. Corzine

Governor

[seal]

 

Attest:

/s/ William J. Castner, Jr.

Chief Counsel to the Governor