New Superior Court Judge Named In Somerset County

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — A new Superior Court Judge presiding over Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren counties has been announced.

Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced that Superior Court Judge Michael V. Cresitello Jr. will lead the area effective May 30. Cresitello succeeds Judge Kevin Shanahan, who is retiring after more than 10 years on the bench.

"Through his strong leadership skills and commitment to excellence, Judge Shanahan ably steered the vicinage through challenging times during his tenure as assignment judge. His successor, Judge Cresitello, has earned the respect of colleagues and the Bar as a critical thinker and capable leader. I have every confidence that Judge Cresitello will continue to uphold the high standards of the vicinage and the Judiciary as he assumes his new role," Rabner said.

Cresitello has served on the bench for more than 10 years in the Middlesex Vicinage’s civil division since 2016, and as the presiding judge of that division since 2021.

He began his judicial career in the civil division in the Essex Vicinage. He was later assigned to the family division in the Mercer Vicinage, where he served as chair of the Mercer County Domestic Violence Working Group.

Cresitello serves as chair of the Conference of Civil Presiding Judges and the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Model Civil Jury Charges. He also serves as co-chair of the Civil-General Equity Joint Education Conference.

"I am truly humbled by Chief Justice Rabner’s confidence in my ability to further the work of the exceptional assignment judges who have preceded me in the Somerset/Hunterdon/Warren Vicinage. I look forward to drawing on my experiences from three vicinages to work with the outstanding staff and judges in Vicinage 13, as well as with members of the bar, the various stakeholders, and the residents of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren counties. I am thankful to all my superiors and colleagues for their guidance, support, and friendship," Cresitello said.

Before being appointed to the bench, Cresitello was a partner at the firm DiFrancesco Bateman, where he spent 14 years concentrating on civil litigation matters, including commercial, construction, insurance, and personal injury.

In addition to his civil practice, Cresitello represented municipalities, land use boards, and private developers in the areas of municipal law and land use and zoning. He also served as a municipal prosecutor in several municipalities.

A graduate of the University of Scranton, Cresitello earned his law degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law. He began his law career as an associate with Morgan, Melhuish, Monaghan, Arvidson, Abrutyn & Lisowski in Livington, where he also clerked.