MORRIS COUNTY — More than 750 law enforcement officials from all 21 New Jersey counties recently met in Atlantic City to stay abreast of ongoing issues and to continue their legal education.
The three-day training program at the Borgata Hotel & Casino was part of the 2017 Annual College of the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey and included an appearance by State Attorney General Christopher Porrino.
The college took place on November 18-20. The college included the installation of Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp as Association president.
Previously, he had been First Vice President. Knapp replaces Warren County Prosecutor Richard T. Burke as President. The new First Vice President will be Sussex County Prosecutor Francis A. Koch. The Second Vice President will be Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri. The secretary will be Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez, the treasurer will be Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni and National District Attorneys Association delegate is Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes.
Prosecutor Knapp said, “I am honored and humbled to be elected as president of the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey. Serving as the head of this Association is a great responsibility, which I welcome enthusiastically.” Over three days, the state’s 21 county prosecutors, 700 assistant prosecutors, detectives and members of the state Attorney General’s Office took part in an array of breakout sessions focusing on varying legal issues. Topics included such things as “The Prosecutor’s Paradox: Understanding How Unconscious Bias Can Affect Behavior,” “Managing the Opioid Crisis in Your Jurisdiction: A Sample Approach,” “Taking a Byte Out of Crime: Using Technology to Find and Prosecute Crime,” and “Recanting Witness: Friend or Foe.” Ten hours of continuing legal education programs were presented for attendees. There were also general meetings involving the 21 County Prosecutors, First Assistant Prosecutors, Chiefs of Detectives, Forensic Nurses, Victim Witness Coordinators and the Narcotics Commanders Association of New Jersey.
A highlight of the college were awards given to three individuals, including Catherine Broderick, a Supervising Assistant Prosecutor in Morris County who was honored for Outstanding Advocacy Over a Career. A graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law, Broderick has prosecuted many different crimes, but has spent much of her career handling cases involving the most vulnerable of victims.
When Megan’s Law was enacted, Broderick created a unit to fully comply with the law, including the prosecution of offenders and community notification upon their release. Broderick most recently has served as the Supervising Assistant Prosecutor in charge of the Specialized Services Unit, which includes Megan’s Law, Missing Persons, Weapons Returns and several other office functions. In 2016, she was selected by the Morris County Bar Association as the Association’s Professional Lawyer of the Year.
Also honored were Brian C. Matthews, an Essex County Assistant Prosecutor who most recently helped secure a conviction in a case involving a murder and a carjacking at the Mall at Short Hills. He was honored for Outstanding Advocacy in a Single Case. A third honoree was Daniel Bornstein, who was cited for Outstanding Advocacy Over a Career in a Non-Trial Position. Bornstein has been a Deputy Attorney General in the Division of Criminal Justice since 1995, and he has served as Chief of the Division’s Appellate Bureau since September 2014. During his career as an appellate prosecutor, he has handled dozens of high-profile cases in the New Jersey Supreme Court and Appellate Division. Bornstein currently supervises 20 Deputy Attorneys General, one attorney assistant, and five administrative assistants in the Appellate Bureau, and he regularly provides trial assistance to trial prosecutors and appellate prosecutors across the state.
