David F. Bauman

David F. Bauman is a retired New Jersey Superior Court judge for Vicinage 9 Criminal Court sitting in Freehold, the county seat of Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.{{cite web | title = MONMOUTH VICINAGE DIRECTORY OF JUDGES SEPT 2015-2016 TERM | publisher = New Jersey Judiciary | date = | url = http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/monmouth/judges_dir.pdf | accessdate = 5 March 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160306172756/http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/monmouth/judges_dir.pdf | archive-date = March 6, 2016 | url-status = dead }}{{cite web|url=http://judges.njlj.law.com/profile/Superior_Court,_Civil_Division,_Monmouth_County/David_Bauman/David_Bauman-260.xml|title=New Jersey Law Journal - Judges Profiles - David_Bauman|publisher=|access-date=29 February 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://tcms.njsba.com/PersonifyEbusiness/Default.aspx?TabID=4144|title=Minority Judge's Award Recipient|publisher=|accessdate=5 March 2016}}

Background and education

Bauman is of Japanese American descent.{{cite press release | title = AABANY APPLAUDS THE NOMINATION OF JUDGE DAVID F. BAUMAN TO THE NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT | publisher = Asian American Bar Association of New York | date = January 18, 2013 | url = http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.aabany.org/resource/resmgr/imported/PR%20David%20Bauman%201-18-13.pdf | accessdate = 5 March 2015}} He attended Columbia University (1981) and Boston College Law School (1986) and served as a lawyer in the United States Marine Corps. He joined New Jersey–based Bressler, Amery & Ross in 1991 and became partner in 1998.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=12484663&privcapId=2377567&previousCapId=2377567&previousTitle=Bressler,%20Amery%20&%20Ross,%20P.C.|title=David F. Bauman|work=Businessweek.com|accessdate=5 March 2016}} Bauman and his wife, a lawyer, live in Holmdel Township.{{cite web|url=http://www.njlawjournal.com/id=1202751043394/Ranking-Senator-Vows-to-Block-Christies-High-Court-Nominee?mcode=1202615653063&slreturn=20160206040034|title=Ranking Senator Vows to Block Christie's High Court Nominee|author=David Gialanella|date=1 March 2016|work=New Jersey Law Journal|accessdate=6 March 2016}}

New Jersey state court

=Appointment=

Bauman was nominated to the Superior Court by New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and confirmed by the New Jersey Senate in 2008. He was confirmed for life tenure in May 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/christie-challenges-democrats-with-state-supreme-court-nomination-1.1519888|title=Christie challenges Democrats with state Supreme Court nomination|author=Dustin Racioppi|work=NorthJersey.com|access-date=March 6, 2016}} (In New Jersey mandatory retirement age is seventy.{{cite web|url=http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/14/06/02/explainer-how-judges-make-it-to-the-bench-in-new-jersey/#|title=Explainer: How Do Our Judges Make It to the Bench in New Jersey? - NJ Spotlight|author=|date=June 3, 2014|website=www.NJSpotlight.com|access-date=September 13, 2017}})

=Pledge of Allegiance ruling=

In 2015, Bauman dismissed a case against the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District brought by a student of the district and the American Humanist Association that argued that the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance created a climate of discrimination because it promoted religion, making non-believers “second-class citizens”. He said the student could choose to skip the pledge, but upheld a New Jersey law that says pupils must recite the pledge unless they have “conscientious scruples” that do not allow it.{{cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/hearing-under-god-in-pledge-of-allegiance-does-not-violate-rights-of-atheist-students-nj-judge-rules-1.1332137|title=Hearing 'Under God' in Pledge of Allegiance does not violate rights of atheist students, NJ judge rules|author=Salvador Rizzo|work=NorthJersey.com|access-date=February 29, 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/maureensullivan/2015/02/07/judge-refuses-to-kick-god-out-of-public-schools/#11e06914435f|title=Judge Refuses To Kick God Out Of Public Schools|date=February 7, 2015|work=Forbes|access-date=February 29, 2016}} He noted; “As a matter of historical tradition, the words ‘under God’ can no more be expunged from the national consciousness than the words ‘In God We Trust’ from every coin in the land, than the words ‘so help me God’ from every presidential oath since 1789, or than the prayer that has opened every congressional session of legislative business since 1787.”

=Supreme Court nominations=

Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie nominated Bauman and Robert Hanna to the Supreme Court of New Jersey in December 2012.{{cite news|title="Diversity" and its definition at issue in Christie's picks for high court|author=Matt Katz|url=http://articles.philly.com/2013-01-03/news/36113611_1_latino-action-network-high-court-diverse-nominees|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113051331/http://articles.philly.com/2013-01-03/news/36113611_1_latino-action-network-high-court-diverse-nominees|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 13, 2013|publisher=Interstate General Media, LLC|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=January 2, 2012|access-date=January 7, 2013}}{{cite news|title=Christie introduces 2 new nominees for N.J. Supreme Court|author=Jenna Portney|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/12/christie_press_conference.html|publisher=NJ.com|date=December 11, 2012|access-date=January 7, 2014}}{{cite news | last = Campisi | first = Anthony | title = Supreme Court nominee praised for efforts to reduce backlog | publisher = The Record | date = January 7, 2013 | url = http://www.northjersey.com/news/supreme-court-nominee-praised-for-efforts-to-reduce-backlog-1.420880 | access-date = May 2, 2014}} Neither received a confirmation hearing and the nominations were withdrawn.{{cite news | last = Rizzo | first = Salvador | title = Chris Christie, facing resistance, drops N.J. Supreme Court nominee | newspaper = The Star-Ledger | date = January 3, 2014 | url = http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/christie_facing_resistance_drops_nj_supreme_court_nominee.html | access-date = May 2, 2014}} Christie again nominated Bauman in February 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/02/christie_names_nj_supreme_court_nominee_wont_take.html#incart_2box_nj-homepage-featured|title=Christie names N.J. Supreme Court nominee for a second time|work=NJ.com|access-date=February 29, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/christie-nominates-judge-to-fill-supreme-court-vacancy-1.1519888|title=Christie nominates judge to fill Supreme Court vacancy|author=Dustin Racioppi|work=NorthJersey.com|access-date=February 29, 2016}} The nomination is controversial, re-igniting an ongoing debate about the political composition of the Supreme Court,{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/03/sweeney_christie_absolutely_broke_deal_on_nj_supre.html#incart_most-read_politics_article|title=Sweeney: Christie 'absolutely' broke deal on N.J. Supreme Court|work=NJ.com|date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=March 5, 2016}}{{cite press release |url=http://nj.gov/governor/news/news/552016/approved/20160229d.html |title=Governor Christie Nominates Judge David F. Bauman for Supreme Court |publisher= Office of the Governor |date = February 29, 2016 |access-date=March 6, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/16/03/01/sweeney-stands-firm-no-hearing-on-governor-s-supreme-court-nominee/|title=Sweeney Stands Firm: No Hearing on Governor's Supreme Court Nominee|date=March 2, 2016 |publisher=|access-date=March 6, 2016}} which began when Christie chose not to re-nominate sitting Supreme Court Justice John E. Wallace, Jr. for life tenure.{{cite web|url=http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/13/08/13/christie-s-judicial-shuffle-escalates-supreme-court-battle/?p=3|title=Christie's Judicial Shuffle Escalates Supreme Court Battle|date=August 13, 2013 |publisher=|access-date=March 6, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.njlawjournal.com/id=1202751214745/Is-Christie-Picking-a-Local-Fight-to-Garner-National-Attention?mcode=1202615653063&curindex=0&curpage=ALL|title=Is Christie Picking a Local Fight to Garner National Attention|author=Michael Booth|date=March 2, 2016|work=New Jersey Law Journal|access-date=March 6, 2016}} Christie said there would be "ramifications" but did not specify what they were.{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/03/will_christie-sweeney_battle_over_nj_supreme_court.html#incart_river_home|title=Will Christie-Sweeney fight over N.J. Supreme Court spark 'chaos'?|author=|date=March 9, 2016|website=NJ.com|access-date=September 13, 2017}}

In April 2016, Christie nominated Walter F. Timpone.{{cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/stile-state-supreme-court-announcement-comes-wrapped-in-a-white-flag-1.1542726|title=NorthJersey.com|author=|date=|website=NorthJersey.com|access-date=September 13, 2017}}