Gov. Names County Counsel to Superior Court Bench

TRENTON — John Porto, legal counsel for Cape May County, was nominated by Gov. Jon S. Corzine to a Superior Court judgeship.
Freeholder Director Daniel Beyel told the Herald that he was pleased that Porto had put his name up for the post and has now been selected.
“John has been an exemplary member of county government,” Beyel said. “We’re very proud of him and he’ll be missed. He’s been a big asset to the county.”
Beyel said it was the Republicans’ turn to put forward a name for appointment. The GOP chose Porto from several qualified candidates, Beyel added.
Porto was appointed county counsel when Vincent Lamanna left that post in June 2003. Prior to that, he was an assistant in the office since 1997. He also served as an assistant Atlantic County counsel’s office for three years. Before that post, he worked in a Pleasantville law firm for 18 months and clerked in the office of Superior Court Judge Albert J. Garofolo.
Porto received his law degree from the University of Akron in 1992 and an undergraduate degree in history from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) in 1986. He is a 1981 graduate of Wildwood High School.
If his judicial nomination is approved by the state Senate, Porto will get a substantial pay increase, from $122,720 with the county to $165,000 on the state bench. When Porto was first named counsel, his salary was $87,500.
Like Porto, the county counsel before Lamanna, Kyran Connor was appointed to the Superior Court in June 2000. Connor currently serves as a judge in the county’s Family Division.
If the county Board of Chosen Freeholders acts as it did in 2003, Porto’s assistant counsel James Arsenault likely would be his replacement.