The board and staff of Equal Justice USA mourn the passing of Judge John J. Gibbons, a towering figure in the legal profession, a fierce defender of civil rights, and a critical ally and supporter of Equal Justice USA and its work to transform the criminal justice system, namely through the abolition of the death penalty.
“I will always hold the deepest admiration for Judge Gibbons, who made a conscious choice to use his great influence and exercise his leadership to take on the death penalty,” said Shari Silberstein, executive director of Equal Justice USA. “His role in making New Jersey, in 2007, the first state in four decades to abolish the death penalty cannot be overstated.”
Judge Gibbons served on the executive committee for New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NJADP), which led the repeal effort locally, in partnership with Equal Justice USA. “Thanks to Judge Gibbons, New Jersey set in motion a national movement to right the terrible injustice of the death penalty,” said Celeste Fitzgerald, former director of NJADP and current director of partnerships for Equal Justice USA. “I am honored to have worked with him closely and to have witnessed how he took his moral conviction, shared by so many, and enacted change that will endure.”
In 2017, Judge Gibbons and his family established the Judge John J. Gibbons Fund for Justice at Equal Justice USA, designed to carry on his commitment to the rule of law in service to the protection of respect and dignity for all. “We are honored to play a part in ensuring that Judge Gibbons’ legacy shines through transformational work to end the death penalty across the nation,” said Silberstein.
Learn more about the Judge John J. Gibbons Fund for Justice at Equal Justice USA.
