Francis Hodgson Jr..

Professional career

• Francis R. Hodgson, Jr. serves as Presiding Judge of the General Equity Division since 2015 and, as of February 1, 2023, became Assignment Judge for the Ocean Vicinage, the top judicial position in Ocean County
• Francis R. Hodgson, Jr. is the Presiding Judge of the General Equity Division and Assignment Judge for the Ocean Vicinage in New Jersey’s Superior Court, appointed in 2007 and now leading the Ocean County court system
• Before joining the judiciary, Hodgson worked for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office from 1997, rising to supervising assignment prosecutor in the Trial Section.
• He also held the role of a law clerk to Civil Presiding Judge Frank R. Buczynski and practiced law privately for a year
• Judge Hodgson’s work reflects a career spanning prosecution, private practice, and judicial leadership, with a focus on upholding the integrity and efficiency of the Ocean County court system

Education

Additional information

• Leadership: Elected Assignment Judge in 2023, succeeding Marlene Lynch Ford, who retired after over 24 years on the bench
• Promotion: Named Presiding Judge of the General Equity Division in 2015
• He handled a wide range of criminal cases, including violent crimes, narcotics offenses, and weapons charges.
• In this role, he oversees the Ocean County Superior Court’s operations, including family, criminal, and equity matters, and presides over significant cases in the jurisdiction