WHEREAS, Robert
N. Wilentz, born in Perth Amboy in 1927, devoted more than twenty
years of his life in public service to the people of the State of
New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, in
1965, he was elected to the General Assembly and served for two
terms; and
WHEREAS, he
was appointed Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court by Governor
Brendan Byrne in 1979 and subsequently provided leadership of the
highest order until his retirement; and
WHEREAS, through
his keen administrative judgment and his dedication to the independence
of the judiciary, Chief Justice Wilentz was the primary force in
making the New Jersey State court system the envy of the nation;
and
WHEREAS, the
extensive jurisprudence of the Wilentz Court, including opinions
that upheld mandatory prison terms for persons convicted of crimes
that involve the use of guns, recognized 'battered women's syndrome'
as a defense for women charged in homicides, mandated that a municipality
has an obligation to provide its fair share of low-income housing,
banned surrogate-motherhood contracts, concluded that the State's
school-aid formula was unconstitutional and upheld the registration
and community notification requirements contained in 'Megan's Law'
helped significantly to shape New Jersey's public policy for nearly
two decades; and
WHEREAS, he
brought pride to our State by drawing national recognition for his
profound intellectual and administrative abilities during his remarkable
tenure as the leader of the State's courts; and
WHEREAS, he
was devoted to his wife and family and was considerate and compassionate
to his friends and colleagues; and
WHEREAS, it
is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of Chief Justice Wilentz
and extend our sincere sympathies to his family and friends; and
WHEREAS, it
is fitting and appropriate for the State of New Jersey to mourn
the passing of Chief Justice Wilentz and to honor his distinguished
career in public service to our State;
NOW, THEREFORE,
I, CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN, 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 beginning
on Friday, July 26, 1996 and through and including Friday, August
2, 1996 in recognition and mourning of the passing of Chief Justice
Robert N. Wilentz.
2. This Order
shall take effect immediately.
GIVEN,
under my hand and seal this 25th day of July in the Year
of Our Lord, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety Six, and
of the Independence of the United States, the Two Hundred
and Twenty-First.
/s/
Christine Todd Whitman
Governor
Attest:
/s/ Michael
P. Torpey
Chief Counsel to the Governor
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