Superior Court Judge John McDonald nominated for Somerset County prosecutor
TRENTON – Superior Court Judge John P. McDonald has been nominated to become the next Somerset County prosecutor.
The nomination, made by Gov. Phil Murphy on June 9, was forwarded to the Senate Judiciary Committee which, if approved, will go to the full Senate for a confirmation vote.
McDonald became a Superior Court judge in July 2017 and has served in the Family Division. He faced mandatory retirement in 2024 at age 70.
A Watchung resident, McDonald is a graduate of Seton Hall Law School and served in private practice in Somerville with fellow Superior Court Judge Michael Rogers.
If confirmed to the five-year term, McDonald would replace Michael Robertson who resigned near the end of his term in late January to become a partner in an Essex County law firm.
Annmarie Taggart, the deputy director of the Division of Criminal Justice in the Attorney General's Office, has been serving as the acting Somerset County prosecutor.
McDonald was previously nominated by former Gov. Jon Corzine for the post in March 2009 to replace Wayne Forrest who had served as prosecutor for a dozen years.
But retired Sen. Kip Bateman used his privilege of senatorial courtesy to block the nomination.
Earlier: Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson quietly resigns. What's next?
When Corzine was defeated for reelection, former Gov. Chris Christie nominated Geoffrey Soriano for the job. However, Christie did not nominate Soriano for another term and Soriano served in the Attorney General’s Office before becoming executive director of the Somerset County Park Commission.
McDonald is the second judge sitting in Somerset County to be nominated by Murphy for prosecutor. Former Assignment Judge Yolanda Ciccone was nominated in 2020 and became Middlesex County prosecutor.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Judge John McDonald nominated for Somerset County prosecutor
