A motion from new justice: She praises her autistic son

[Guest guest]

A motion from new justice: She praises her autistic son

Helen Hoens takes heartfelt oath of office

Friday, December 01, 2006

BY KATE COSCARELLI

Star-Ledger Staff

On a day when the state's legal luminaries took turns praising her, the

newest justice of the state Supreme Court honored her son.

At her ceremonial swearing-in to the state's highest court yesterday,

Justice Helen Hoens said her autistic son, , is the one who " taught

me everything I really needed to know to become an associate justice. "

Hoens then took the oath of office, administered by a choked-up Chief

Justice Zazzali, with her hand placed on her son's Bible as he stood

by her side before a crowd of about 200 people at the Masonic Temple in

Trenton. They were joined by her husband, Schwaneberg, a reporter for

The Star-Ledger.

Hoens, a 52-year-old Republican from Basking Ridge, joined the Superior

Court bench in 1994 and sat in Somerville. She was appointed to the

Appellate Division four years ago. She joined the high court about a month

ago, after the Senate unanimously approved her nomination.

Wayne Positan, president of the New Jersey State Bar Association and a

former law partner of Hoens, said the day was " another chapter of excellence

in her distinguished life. ... It is a great day not only for Helen, it is a

great day for the justice system, for the court and for the people of New

Jersey. "

Several speakers said Hoens is smart and passionate about the law, but also

stressed her compassion. Gibbons, the retired chief judge of the U.S.

Third Circuit Court of Appeals, said as a young law clerk for him, Hoens

showed she could look beyond legal arguments and see that people were

involved in every case.

" She will become a great justice, " Gibbons said.

In an emotional and personal speech, Hoens said she wanted to thank her son

even though he didn't understand what she was saying. She said having an

autistic son was not what she planned, that he will never be independent or

take care of her in her old age.

Hoens said is one of the people " who lives in the shadows of life, "

and to be his parent " is to live in the shadows yourself. "

" But it's not all bad because you learn things in the shadows, " she said.

" All around us are people who reach out and touch lives for the better. "

Saying most people spend their life " in a hurry, " Hoens encouraged those in

the audience, when they next encounter someone like her son, to fight the

urge to brush past and instead to stop and think and " dig deep down into the

reservoir of compassion and kindness. "

When she concluded her remarks, Hoens asked her son to stand at his place in

the audience. The crowd rose to its feet and gave them both a standing

ovation.

Kate Coscarelli covers the Supreme Court and legal issues. She may be

reached at or

<http://us.f557.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=kcoscarellistarledger>

kcoscarelli@ starledger. com.

Jimmy Kilpatrick

Editor

EdNews.org <http://www.ednews.org/> http://www.EdNews.org

P.O. Box 17392, Sugar Land, Texas 77496-17392 Phone: 832 814-7463

[Guest guest]

>

>

> A motion from new justice: She praises her autistic son

>

>

> Helen Hoens takes heartfelt oath of office

>

> Friday, December 01, 2006

>

> BY KATE COSCARELLI

>

> Star-Ledger Staff

>

> On a day when the state's legal luminaries took turns praising her,

the

> newest justice of the state Supreme Court honored her son.

>

> At her ceremonial swearing-in to the state's highest court

yesterday,

> Justice Helen Hoens said her autistic son, , is the one

who " taught

> me everything I really needed to know to become an associate

justice. "

>

>

>

> Hoens then took the oath of office, administered by a choked-up

Chief

> Justice Zazzali, with her hand placed on her son's Bible as

he stood

> by her side before a crowd of about 200 people at the Masonic

Temple in

> Trenton. They were joined by her husband, Schwaneberg, a

reporter for

> The Star-Ledger.

>

> Hoens, a 52-year-old Republican from Basking Ridge, joined the

Superior

> Court bench in 1994 and sat in Somerville. She was appointed to the

> Appellate Division four years ago. She joined the high court about

a month

> ago, after the Senate unanimously approved her nomination.

>

>

>

> Wayne Positan, president of the New Jersey State Bar Association

and a

> former law partner of Hoens, said the day was " another chapter of

excellence

> in her distinguished life. ... It is a great day not only for

Helen, it is a

> great day for the justice system, for the court and for the people

of New

> Jersey. "

>

> Several speakers said Hoens is smart and passionate about the law,

but also

> stressed her compassion. Gibbons, the retired chief judge of

the U.S.

> Third Circuit Court of Appeals, said as a young law clerk for him,

Hoens

> showed she could look beyond legal arguments and see that people

were

> involved in every case.

>

> " She will become a great justice, " Gibbons said.

>

>

>

> In an emotional and personal speech, Hoens said she wanted to thank

her son

> even though he didn't understand what she was saying. She said

having an

> autistic son was not what she planned, that he will never be

independent or

> take care of her in her old age.

>

>

>

> Hoens said is one of the people " who lives in the shadows

of life, "

> and to be his parent " is to live in the shadows yourself. "

>

>

>

> " But it's not all bad because you learn things in the shadows, " she

said.

> " All around us are people who reach out and touch lives for the

better. "

>

>

>

> Saying most people spend their life " in a hurry, " Hoens encouraged

those in

> the audience, when they next encounter someone like her son, to

fight the

> urge to brush past and instead to stop and think and " dig deep down

into the

> reservoir of compassion and kindness. "

>

>

>

> When she concluded her remarks, Hoens asked her son to stand at his

place in

> the audience. The crowd rose to its feet and gave them both a

standing

> ovation.

>

> Kate Coscarelli covers the Supreme Court and legal issues. She may

be

> reached at or

> <http://us.f557.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=kcoscar>

> kcoscarelli@ starledger. com.

>

>

>

>

>

> Jimmy Kilpatrick

> Editor

> EdNews.org <http://www.ednews.org/> http://www.EdNews.org

>

> P.O. Box 17392, Sugar Land, Texas 77496-17392 Phone: 832 814-7463

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you for sending this article, I salute justice Hoens for having

the decency and courage to highlight her autistic son at her swearing

in cermenony. To me that is 'real class'! Now let's hope she

follows through and champions our kids if she gets any cases in court

involving their welfare.

Nagla

>

>

> A motion from new justice: She praises her autistic son

>

>

> Helen Hoens takes heartfelt oath of office

>

> Friday, December 01, 2006

>

> BY KATE COSCARELLI

>

> Star-Ledger Staff

>

> On a day when the state's legal luminaries took turns praising her,

the

> newest justice of the state Supreme Court honored her son.

>

> At her ceremonial swearing-in to the state's highest court

yesterday,

> Justice Helen Hoens said her autistic son, , is the one

who " taught

> me everything I really needed to know to become an associate

justice. "

>

>

>

> Hoens then took the oath of office, administered by a choked-up

Chief

> Justice Zazzali, with her hand placed on her son's Bible as

he stood

> by her side before a crowd of about 200 people at the Masonic

Temple in

> Trenton. They were joined by her husband, Schwaneberg, a

reporter for

> The Star-Ledger.

>

> Hoens, a 52-year-old Republican from Basking Ridge, joined the

Superior

> Court bench in 1994 and sat in Somerville. She was appointed to the

> Appellate Division four years ago. She joined the high court about

a month

> ago, after the Senate unanimously approved her nomination.

>

>

>

> Wayne Positan, president of the New Jersey State Bar Association

and a

> former law partner of Hoens, said the day was " another chapter of

excellence

> in her distinguished life. ... It is a great day not only for

Helen, it is a

> great day for the justice system, for the court and for the people

of New

> Jersey. "

>

> Several speakers said Hoens is smart and passionate about the law,

but also

> stressed her compassion. Gibbons, the retired chief judge of

the U.S.

> Third Circuit Court of Appeals, said as a young law clerk for him,

Hoens

> showed she could look beyond legal arguments and see that people

were

> involved in every case.

>

> " She will become a great justice, " Gibbons said.

>

>

>

> In an emotional and personal speech, Hoens said she wanted to thank

her son

> even though he didn't understand what she was saying. She said

having an

> autistic son was not what she planned, that he will never be

independent or

> take care of her in her old age.

>

>

>

> Hoens said is one of the people " who lives in the shadows

of life, "

> and to be his parent " is to live in the shadows yourself. "

>

>

>

> " But it's not all bad because you learn things in the shadows, " she

said.

> " All around us are people who reach out and touch lives for the

better. "

>

>

>

> Saying most people spend their life " in a hurry, " Hoens encouraged

those in

> the audience, when they next encounter someone like her son, to

fight the

> urge to brush past and instead to stop and think and " dig deep down

into the

> reservoir of compassion and kindness. "

>

>

>

> When she concluded her remarks, Hoens asked her son to stand at his

place in

> the audience. The crowd rose to its feet and gave them both a

standing

> ovation.

>

> Kate Coscarelli covers the Supreme Court and legal issues. She may

be

> reached at or

> <http://us.f557.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=kcoscar>

> kcoscarelli@ starledger. com.

>

>

>

>

>

> Jimmy Kilpatrick

> Editor

> EdNews.org <http://www.ednews.org/> http://www.EdNews.org

>

> P.O. Box 17392, Sugar Land, Texas 77496-17392 Phone: 832 814-7463

>

>

>

>

>

>