The Seething Underbelly of Morris County: Corruption, Collusion, and the Judiciary’s War on Women
By Investigative Journalist: Nikki Isaac
February 13th 2025
Morris County, New Jersey, has long been a political powerhouse of the Garden State, home to influential figures and deep-seated networks of power. But beneath its outward affluence lies a judicial system rife with corruption, where political allegiance trumps justice, and those who dare to challenge the establishment find themselves at the mercy of a court system weaponized against them.
At the center of this tangled web of judicial misconduct is Judge Peter Bogaard, a product of the political backroom deals that have defined Morris County’s governance for decades. Appointed by former Governor Chris Christie—himself a figure of political scandal—Bogaard’s tenure on the bench has been marred by accusations of bias, judicial overreach, and a blatant disregard for due process. Alongside his close allies, Judges Stuart Minkowitz and James DeMarzo, Bogaard has transformed the Morris County family courts into a playground for cronyism, where justice is a privilege afforded only to the well-connected.
A Pattern of Judicial Abuse
Since at least 2022, multiple women in Morris County have come forward with harrowing accounts of mistreatment at the hands of this judicial cartel. One woman, a challenger to the Morris GOP’s handpicked surrogate candidate, now finds herself in a nightmarish divorce battle, facing systematic obstruction and retaliation in her efforts to secure a fair settlement. Another, the wife of a Mendham councilman, uncovered bid-rigging and municipal corruption, only to be stonewalled by a court system determined to silence her. And then there is the woman who simply refused to be intimidated—one who spoke out relentlessly about the abuses inflicted upon her and her children, despite facing repeated threats, arrests, and state-sponsored terrorization.
Her crime? Quoting Judge Bogaard on social media.
For that, she now faces 33 years in prison.
The Judiciary’s Message: Stay in Line, or Else
The aggressive persecution of these women appears to be more than just a collection of isolated cases. Rather, it sends a chilling warning to any mother, wife, or citizen who dares to challenge the iron grip of the Morris County courts. Judges like Bogaard, Minkowitz, and DeMarzo wield their positions not in service of justice, but as enforcers of a political machine that punishes dissent and rewards obedience.
Bogaard’s path to the bench was not paved with legal excellence, but political maneuvering. After an undistinguished stint as the president of the Morris-Chester Republican Club, he secured a spot on Christie’s transition team—an arrangement that led directly to his judicial appointment. His wife, Laurie Bogaard, a legal lightweight in her own right, quickly ascended in the local GOP ranks before repeatedly failing to hold onto elected office. Fortunately for her, she has a husband well-positioned to ensure that any of her political adversaries find themselves at a distinct legal disadvantage should they ever enter a Morris County courtroom.
The Machine’s Inner Workings: Real Estate, Law Firms, and Political Favors
The corruption within Morris County’s judiciary is not limited to family court cases. Bogaard and his wife have spent over 30 years embedded in the county’s legal ecosystem, with their law firm at the center of numerous questionable real estate transactions and civil suits. Their proximity to Christie, whose consultancy firm sits mere steps from the Morris County courthouse, only further illustrates the collusion between the political and judicial elite.
This confluence of power—politicians, judges, lawyers, and law enforcement—creates an impenetrable barrier for those who seek justice. Family court litigants, many of whom are women fighting for custody and protection from abusive spouses, often find themselves on the losing end of a system designed to shield the powerful. The so-called “justice” system here functions as a well-oiled machine of favoritism, where rulings are dictated not by law but by relationships.
The Toll on Women and Children
One of the most damning aspects of this corruption is the effect it has on children. Protective mothers who report abuse are often labeled as mentally unstable and punished for seeking safeguards. Fathers with connections to law enforcement and political networks leverage these relationships to discredit and even criminalize their former spouses. In the process, children are left in the custody of alleged abusers, while the mothers who fight for their safety are subjected to legal harassment and incarceration.
It is a sickening reality: in Morris County, women who speak out about abuse—whether their own or their children’s—are silenced not by chance, but by design.
Time for Exposure, Time for Change
Morris County’s deep-seated corruption is no longer just whispered about among those who have suffered its wrath—it is now a matter of public record. The network of judicial enforcers, led by the likes of Judge Bogaard and his allies, can no longer operate under the guise of legitimacy.
The time has come for federal investigations into the county’s judiciary, its political entanglements, and the systematic weaponization of family courts against women. New Jersey’s highest offices must be held accountable for the judges they appoint, and the state’s legal institutions must be scrutinized for their role in facilitating these abuses.
Until then, the message from the Morris County judiciary remains clear: Challenge us, and we will ruin you. But the voices of the victims will not be silenced. The fight against judicial corruption in Morris County has only just begun.
