Re: Superseding Order Designating Alleged Ciba Geigy Environmental Contamination in Ocean County as a Mass Tort

SUPREME COURT OF NEW JERSEY
NOTICE TO THE BAR
Re: Superseding Order Designating Alleged Ciba Geigy Environmental Contamination in
Ocean County as a Mass Tort
Accompanying the publication of this Notice to the Bar is a copy of a Order dated February 6, 2001 signed by Chief
Justice Deborah T. Poritz. The Order supersedes an Order dated January 12, 2001 and clarifies that only the pending
and future litigation statewide against Ciba Geigy alleging environmental contamination in Ocean County is designated
as a mass tort. It also transfers the pretrial management of all such cases to Middlesex County to be handled on a
coordinated basis by the Honorable Marina Corodemus with the assistance of a special master previously appointed by
the Chief Justice.
Richard J. Williams, J.A.D.
Administrative Director of the Courts
Dated: February 14, 2001
SUPREME COURT OF NEW JERSEY
ORDER
It is hereby ORDERED that, in the matter of all pending and future litigation seeking damages or other relief arising out
of alleged environmental contamination in Ocean County by Ciba-Geigy, all complaints that have been filed in the
various counties and that are under case management or in discovery or awaiting case management and discovery are
transferred from the county of venue to Superior Court, Law Division, Middlesex County (Vicinage No. 8), and
assigned for management to the Honorable Marina Corodemus;
It is FURTHER ORDERED that venue in all existing such Ciba-Geigy litigation as specified above is transferred to
Middlesex County (Vicinage No. 8); and
It is FURTHER ORDERED that, pursuant to N.J. Const. (1947), Art.VI, sec.2, par.3, Rule 4:3-2 governing venue in the
Superior Court is supplemented and relaxed so that all future complaints seeking damages or other relief arising out of
alleged environmental contamination in Ocean County by Ciba-Geigy, no matter where they might be venued, shall be
filed in Middlesex County (Vicinage No. 8) and assigned for management to Judge Corodemus; and
It is FURTHER ORDERED that Judge Corodemus, with the assistance of a Special Master previously appointed with
approval of the Chief Justice, shall oversee all pretrial case management and discovery for such cases as are covered by
this Order and shall decide when such cases are ready for trial in a venue to be determined; and
It is FURTHER ORDERED that no such Ciba-Geigy cases as specified above shall be tried except on application to
Judge Corodemus for good cause shown;
The provisions of this Order supersede the Court’s Order of January 12, 2001 and are effective immediately and until
further Order of the Court.
For the Court

Deborah T. Poritz
Chief Justice
Dated: February 6, 2001