Judge Villanueva, who sat in the Appellate Division from 1992 through 1996, when he reached the mandatory retirement age, died earlier this week. He was appointed to the Superior Court, Essex County, in 1979, where he sat in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions. After his mandatory retirement, Judge Villanueva served on recall in the Law Division, Morris County, with a special assignment to handle automobile insurance fraud cases.
Among Judge Villanueva’s oft-cited opinions for the Appellate Division are Monaghan v. Holy Trinity Church, 275 N.J. Super. 594 (App. Div. 1994) (application of the Charitable Immunity Act), Khoudary v. Salem Cty. Bd. of Social Services, 281 N.J. Super. 571 (App. Div. 1995) (attorneys’ fee award, using the Appellate Division’s original jurisdiction), Sellitto v. Borough of Spring Lake Heights, 284 N.J. Super. 277 (App. Div. 1995) (competitive bidding under Local Lands and Buildings Law), and Interchange State Bank v. Rinaldi, 303 N.J. Super. 239 (App. Div. 1997) (issues arising out of guaranty, as well as attorneys’ fees, pre-judgment interest, and right to amend pleadings). Judge Villanueva had an important impact on the law, an impact that extends beyond his own lifetime.