Sohail Mohammed

Sohail Mohammed is an Indian-American Judge for the New Jersey Superior Court of Passaic County, New Jersey. Mohammed specialized in immigration law prior to his appointment in July 2011.

Early life and education Born in Hyderabad, India, Mohammed immigrated to New Jersey at the age of 17 where he was raised and naturalized. In 1988, he earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering cum laude from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He worked full-time as an electrical engineer while pursuing a degree at Seton Hall University School of Law. He received his Juris Doctor in 1993.

Career Mohammed played a pivotal role as a liaison between law enforcement authorities and New Jersey's Islamic community after the 9/11 attacks. He worked with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey and the FBI in building relations and providing outreach with the Muslim American community. He was involved in training over 7,000 members of the law enforcement community regarding Islamic culture and practices. He co-founded the American Muslim Union, an organization dedicated to cross-cultural understanding between Muslims and Americans. Although none of these individuals faced charges of terrorism, the increase in immigration crackdown was a product of 9/11.

In March 2014, Mohammed ruled on Plotnick v. DeLuccia, a precedential decision that "[has] never been litigated in New Jersey or the United States" prior to this case. The case involved a dispute between two unmarried biological parents over who can be present during the child's birth. The parents were estranged at the time of the delivery. The father filed for a preliminary injunction to be notified for when the mother would be in labor and to be present during the child's birth. No parties contended to the father's right to see the child after birth. Mohammed held that all patients, and pregnant women specifically, enjoy privacy protections that allow them to decide who can be at their hospital bedside.

In May 2015, Mohammed issued a decision concerning twins born to different fathers, the result of a rare scientific phenomenon known as heteropaternal superfecundation. Mohammed ruled that the defendant in the case fathered only one twin and therefore was only responsible for paying child support for that child.