Justice Coleman passed away on Friday, August 2, leaving behind his wife, Sophia, and two children, Kairon and James. Justice Coleman was the first Black Justice to sit on the New Jersey Supreme Court, serving from 1994 to 2003. Prior to joining the Court, Justice Coleman served at nearly every level of the state judiciary, including historic appointments as the first Black workers’ compensation judge and as the first Black jurist to sit on the Appellate Division. Before his judicial career, Justice Coleman was in private practice and also 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.