Ronald Horan was a Highlands native, the son of Frank and Vi Horan, an attorney, and a municipal court judge for more than 20 years, serving not only his native Highlands as municipal judge, but surrounding towns as well, including Middletown, Hazlet, Keansburg and Sea Bright. He was known to be tough, fair and yet somehow also compassionate. More than once he was criticized perhaps because he cared too much for his home town, or knew too many of the stories behind the stories that brought people to court.
But he also ruled with a sense of humor.
There was the time in 1976 when a lady from Waterwitch Avenue was angered by a lady from Marine Place. Seems the Marine Place lady had struck the Waterwitch lady’s seven year old son earlier that day, and the Mom grew angrier and angrier when she thought about it. So she went over to the Marine Place home around dinner time, barged in the house where the homeowner was preparing port chops, and her brother was also visiting from Keansburg.
The Waterwitch lady berated the pork chop cooking lady for hitting her son. A feud erupted between the two women, the brother intervened, and lots of assault charges were signed against each other.
When the matter came before Judge Horan, everybody got to tell their stories of what happened and who was to blame, including testimony in municipal court from the seven year old. He admitted he did not go home right after the ‘assault’ but did tell his mom about it later.
The judge decided the feud was really between the two ladies, dismissed the charges between the one involving the visiting brother, and chided the ladies in open court. He pointed out nobody had called the Police during the altercations, everybody waiting until it was all over and then filing complaints. Then he told the ladies they were in Highlands, “this is not the Wild West and we don’t carry six guns. You can’t take the law into your own hands.”
So both ladies were found guilty of assault, each was fined $25 and assessed another $10 in court fees.
The judge wrapped up the proceedings with the notation …
“ Seems there was some pork grease spilled…the ladies will have to stew in their own juice.”
