The Sexual Assault and Rape Analysis (SARA) Unit is one of the oldest investigative units in the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. It originated in the 1970's after the Newark Police Department became one of the first police departments in the nation to establish a sex crimes unit. The SARA Unit was developed to provide legal guidance and investigative support for all municipal police departments within Essex Country.

The SARA Unit originally handled all cases of sexual abuse within the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. As the field of sex crime investigation became more specialized in the early 1980's, a separate Child Abuse Unit was developed. The Child Abuse unit handles all cases of abuse involving children under the age of 13. By 2001, after the opening of the County's new Wynona M. Lipman Child Advocacy Center, all cases involving juvenile victims of abuse (under the age of 18) were solely handled by the Child Abuse Unit.

Today, the SARA Unit exclusively handles cases involving adult victims of sex crime. The legal staff consists of an Assistant Prosecutor / Director and Assistant Prosecutor, and its daily operation is overseen by a Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor. Three sex crimes Investigators are assigned to the Unit, and are supervised by an investigative Captain. The Unit is also staffed by a Principal Clerk Stenographer, and draws upon the expertise of a registered nurse serving as the County Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Coordinator (see SANE / SART program).

Members of the legal and investigative staff are available 24 hours a day to assist local law enforcement in their investigations. The SARA Unit has also adopted a vertical prosecution approach, whereby prosecutors assigned to a case will handle it from its inception through trial. This allows for a more victim-centered approach. A victim will be given the stability of having to deal with a single investigative and prosecution team, thereby sparing the victim the need to endlessly repeat the details of the sexually abusive act to countless people. This approach protects the victim from the need to continually relive the abusive act.

The SARA Unit was involved in many cutting-edge legal issues, including the use of DNA evidence and Internet related crimes. With the establishment of a national DNA Data bank by the FBI, Essex County was the first county prosecutor's office in the State of New Jersey to have a positive match on a previously unidentified offender, as well as the first prosecutor's office in the state to have a positive match on multiple cases committed by a serial sex offender.

2008 - 2009 Achievements:

In the year 2008, the SARA Unit investigated 176 cases of alleged sexual assault. 54 cases were presented to the Essex Grand Jury, resulting in 42 indictments. Eighteen cases resulted in pre-indictment pleas and 11 cases were downgraded and returned to the municipal court. There were 5 jury trials and 32 post indictment pleas. Six cases were resolved through Pre-Trial Intervention.

In 2009, the SARA Unit received 216 cases which included 103 original investigations. Forty-three cases were presented to the Grand Jury. Thirty-three cases were billed (i.e., indicted).

Important cases in the SARA unit include:

State v. Marion Sanders - The defendant, Marion Sanders, posed as a Fugitive Warrant Officer and used that status to gain access to the victim, requiring the victim to perform oral sex on him. Male DNA was recovered from evidence seized at the scene. Currently we are awaiting comparative DNA analysis. The defendant is awaiting trial in Passaic County based upon similar allegations.

State v. Nelson Keenan - Defendant was charged with first degree kidnapping; numerous counts of 1st degree sexual assault; and 2nd degree aggravated assault. On November 16, 2007 a 53 year old woman was forced at knifepoint into her home where she was sexually assaulted by the defendant. During a struggle with the defendant, the victim suffered a serious injury to her hand that resulted in permanent damage to her hand. At trial in October, 2009, the defendant was convicted of all counts. The defendant is scheduled for sentencing in January 2010.