Gov. Phil Murphy's nominee to lead NJ Public Defender's Office advances
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Lawmakers advanced Gov. Phil Murphy’s nominee to lead the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender during a state Senate Judiciary Committee meeting Thursday morning.
Murphy nominated Jennifer Sellitti, a resident of Monmouth County, last month. She will succeed Public Defender Joe Krakora, who is set to retire at the end of January. Her nomination will also be submitted to the state Senate for a full five-year term.
What does the state public defender do?
The office is responsible for fulfilling the constitutional right to an attorney for residents seeking criminal defense. The public defender also creates overall policy and directs administration of all programs.
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What did state senators say?
State senators from both sides of the aisle in Sellitti’s home county — Vin Gopal and Declan O’Scanlon — introduced Sellitti to the committee and spoke highly of her experiences and ability.
“She is a woman of extraordinarily strong conviction when she comes to the table, doing her homework without the self-righteousness or the obnoxiousness that we’ve come to expect in politics and policy debates these days,” O’Scanlon said.
Who is Jennifer Sellitti?
Sellitti is director of training in the Office of the Public Defender. Her duties include assisting the public defender on special projects, leading statewide initiatives, managing training programs for staff and pool attorneys, and representing clients in criminal cases. She joined the office in November 2006 as an assistant deputy public defender in the Essex County Adult Region. She was later promoted to deputy public defender in the Middlesex Trial Region, where she managed a regional office of 20 attorneys, eight investigators and 10 support staff members and represented adult and juvenile defendants in Middlesex County.
She holds a bachelor of science degree from Boston University and a Juris Doctor degree from Suffolk University Law School.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ public defender nominee Jennifer Sellitti advances
