Courts in N.J. county to be led by Black woman judge, a first for state’s largest vicinage Updated Dec 17, 2020; Posted Dec 17, 2020 Hudson County Superior Court Judge Sheila Venable, seen presiding over a hearing, has been appointed the assignment judge for Essex County Superior Court, the first Black to hold the position. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal Facebook Share A Superior Court judge who once presided over the criminal division in Hudson County has been chosen to lead the courts in the Essex Vicinage. New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner on Wednesday tapped Superior Court Judge Sheila A. Venable to be Essex vicinage’s next assignment judge, effective Feb. 1, 2021. She is the first Black assignment judge in the Essex vicinage, the largest of New Jersey’s 15 court vicinages with 811 employees.