Former Municipal Court Judge Stephen Ritz, husband of longtime veteran W+H teacher Ellen Ritz and parent of W+H alumni Emily ’89 and Heidi ’90, came in to speak to Mrs. Dorri Ramati's eighth grade English class after the students finished reading 12 Angry Men. Mr. Ritz talked about the process of being selected as a juror and also explained the importance of it within our judicial system. Students were eager to ask him questions about jury deliberations and how to avoid bringing bias into the jury room. It was a wonderful way for the students to make real world connections between the play, civics and even within Wardlaw+Hartridge.
Judge Ritz is a graduate of Lafayette College and Rutgers Law School in Newark, NJ. After graduation, he served as law clerk for two Superior Court Judges in the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. He has been in private practice since his admission to the NJ Bar. He has 20 years of experience serving as the Municipal Court Judge in the towns of Madison and Piscataway.