BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
EDISON — In the next couple of weeks, it is expected that State Sen. Peter Barnes III (D-Middlesex) will be nominated to be a Superior Court judge.
On April 12, Barnes said he received word from Gov. Chris Christie’s office that a notice of intent to make his nomination was filed in Trenton.
“I’m very blessed,” said Barnes of the nomination.
He said the opportunity alone to serve in the capacity of a Superior Court judge is gratifying and brings an air of excitement.
“It’s a position any lawyer has in the back of their mind,” said Barnes, who said he practiced law for 30 years.
Barnes, of Edison, is a former township councilman, having served for 12 years from 1996 to 2007. He served twice as council president.
He said while on the council, he led efforts with then fellow Councilman Charles Tomaro, who is now a Middlesex County freeholder, to protect open space.
Barnes served for seven years in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2007 to 2013 before serving as a New Jersey State senator for the past three years.
Currently he is the vice-chairman of the Law and Public Safety Committee, a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee and the State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation committee.
He noted significant bills that he has sponsored, including the two percent budget cap for property tax relief; and the requirement of school districts, nonpublic schools, and institutions of higher education to report allegations of sexual assault to law enforcement and institutions of higher education to post information on sexual assaults on their website and provide the information to prospective students.
Most recently, Barnes has pushed legislation to establish a pilot program in Edison Township requiring the Attorney General to perform police internal affairs functions.
Last month, the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee cleared the legislation and it is set to be vetted in the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
Barnes received his bachelor of arts degree in political science from Gettysburg College, received his MBA in management from Fairleigh Dickinson and received his law degree from Widener University School of Law.