FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2009
ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES PROPOSAL
TO NAME OPEN SPACE IN GOVERNMENT COMPLEX AS THE
“ESSEX COUNTY JUSTICE WILLIAM J. BRENNAN, JR. PARK”
IN HONOR OF LATE U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE
Born in Newark and a Graduate of Barringer High School, Brennan’s Decisions Shaped our Laws and Continue to Influence our Lives
Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced his proposal to name the park adjacent to the Historic Essex County Courthouse as the “Essex County Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Park” in honor of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Brennan graduated from Barringer High School in Newark, served on the U.S. Supreme Court for 34 years and is regarded as one of the most influential justices in the history of the high court.
“It is amazing to think that one of our longest serving and most influential justices on the U.S. Supreme Court has ties to Essex County and the City of Newark. Justice Brennan left a strong legacy as an advocate for individuals’ rights. It is important for us to remind future generations of his contributions in the development of our laws,” DiVincenzo said. “Having the park outside of our Historic Courthouse bear the name of Justice Brennan is an appropriate honor. It will be a place where lawyers, judges and courthouse visitors can find peace and solace, as well as inspiration for fairness and justice,” he added.
"It is fitting that we recognize the legal genius of Justice Brennan right here in Newark, where he was born and raised. His early roots and and down-to-earth upbringing provided the basis for the practicality and humanity that form the hallmark of his most important decisions. We thank the County Executive for this honor," said Assignment Judge Patricia Costello of the New Jersey Superior Court, Essex Vicinage.
The site to be named as the “Essex County Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Park” is located on the south side of the Historic Essex County Courthouse. While the Historic Courthouse was being renovated, 13th Avenue was closed to vehicular traffic and the park was created in 2004. Two memorials are located in the shaded, grassy area – a monument is dedicated for longtime Newark Historian and Newark Librarian Charles F. Cummings and a bronze plaque recognizes the numerous contributions by Mrs. Lena Donaldson Griffith to advance the cultural arts and Civil Rights movements in Newark and Essex County in the 1930s to the 1950s.
“I want to thank Joe DiVincenzo for bringing us here to recognize one of the stalwarts of our community who set the bar high and influenced us,” Freeholder Rufus Johnson said. “We are glad that Newark residents are getting their just recognition on projects like these. They should be recognized for the work that they did,” he added.
“This is a good day to recognize one of Newark’s finest citizens,” said Susan A. Feeney, First Vice President of the New Jersey State Bar Association. “Justice Brennan never forgot where he came from and each case he has was always about the individual,” she added.
“It’s an honor to be here to recognize someone from Newark who has had an impact on our lives,” said Yvette Gibbons, President of the Essex County Bar Association. “Our membership will be glad to support this campaign to raise money to properly recognize the contributions of Justice Brennan,” she added.
“What an amazing man we are honoring. He was the architect of the laws that we take advantage of today. He was the champion of civil liberties that we think are our natural rights but that years to be established,” Prosecutor Paula Dow said.
DiVincenzo is proposing an ornamental archway with the name of the park be erected at the entranceway from Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. In addition, a bust of Justice Brennan will be created and a monument will be erected in the park. The Executive announced that Frank Giantomasi of the Newark law firm of Giantomasi & Oliveira has agreed to chair an ad hoc committee to raise funds to develop the memorial. Justice Brennan's son, William J. Brennan III, moved for Giantomasi’s admission to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar Association and Justice Brennan himself swore in Giantomasi as a member ofthe group during a ceremony in Washington, DC.
Mr. Brennan’s parents, William Sr. and Agnes, emigrated from Ireland to Newark in the late 19th century. Mr. Brennan was born in Newark on April 25, 1906 and was the second oldest of eight children. He graduated from Barringer High School, the University of Pennsylvania in 1928 and Harvard Law School in 1931. Mr. Brennan practiced labor law in Newark from 1931 to 1949, except for four years of military service during World War II when he was an Army Judge Advocated General Officer. In 1949, he was appointed to the New Jersey Superior Court, within a year was elevated to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court and in 1952 joined the New Jersey Supreme Court. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower nominated Mr. Brennan to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mr. Brennan was a member of the Supreme Court for 34 years, which is one of the longest tenures served by a Supreme Court justice. He served during eight presidencies and 17 Congresses, and wrote over 1,300 opinions. Mr. Brennan had an affable personality, which was a great benefit for lobbying other justices to support his decisions. He is recognized as being one of the most powerful and influential justices, and the decisions made by the Supreme Court while he was serving have had profound influence in the development of the United States. In his first term, the Court decided 12 cases involving laws directed at the Communist menace, and in each case the rulings sided with the individuals instead of the government. Some noted cases included Miranda v. Arizona, which resulted in the creation of Miranda rights that require police to warn suspects of the legal consequences should they confess to a crime; Abington v. Schempp, which declared state-sponsored prayer as unconstitutional; Gideon v. Wainwright that concluded defendants were entitled to have attorney representation; and Roe v. Wade, which concluded that a women’s right to choose to have an abortion is within her privacy rights.
He married Marjorie Leonard in 1928 and they had three children. After her death in 1982, he married Mary Fowler in 1983. He retired from the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990 because of health reasons and was replaced by David Souter. Justice Brennan passed away in 1997 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
The County Executive noted that several buildings and open spaces in the Essex County Government Complex have been named after prominent people who have influenced the development of Essex County. “It is essential that we recognize the men and women who have made a profound difference in our lives and keep their memories alive so that future generations can understand the triumphs of our past,” DiVincenzo said. “My goal is to have our complex named after as many prominent figures so people can learn about and appreciate Essex County history when they come to our complex,” he added.
A plaza named for Civil Rights leader Rosa Parks is located in front of the Essex County Veterans Courthouse; the plaza behind the Veterans Courthouse is named for Congressman Donald M. Payne, who is the first African American Congressman in New Jersey; and the promenade on the south side of the Hall of Records is named for former New Jersey Governor and Essex County Prosecutor Brendan Byrne. The Veterans Courthouse and the Essex County Veterans Memorial Park being developed are named as a tribute to the men and women who have defended our country and freedoms while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. The former Essex County Jail is currently being renovated into a office building and is named the Essex County LeRoy F. Smith, Jr., Public Safety Building. Smith served as Deputy Director of Emergency Medical Services for the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey for 38 years before retiring in 2007.
An ordinance recommending the Park be named in honor of Justice Brennan will be reviewed by the Board of Chosen Freeholders and is listed on the Board’s August 12th agenda.
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