ROBERT LAURINO APPOINTED ACTING ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR: On January 20, 2010, the Acting Attorney General of the State of New Jersey, Paula T. Dow, announced the appointment of Robert D. Laurino as Acting Essex County Prosecutor. Laurino has worked for the Essex County Prosecutors Office for 30 years and has been a Chief Assistant Prosecutor since 2004,. Laurino replaces Dow, who served as Acting Essex County Prosecutor from 2003 and was sworn in as Prosecutor by Governor Richard Codey in June, 2005. Ms. Dow was recently appointed by Governor Christopher J. Christie as Acting Attorney General, pending confirmation by the State Senate.

"Bob Laurino is a career prosecutor who has handled more than 100 jury trials for the Essex County Prosecutors Office and who has served in supervisory roles for nearly all of his 30 years with the office" said Acting Attorney General Dow. "Having worked with Bob for the past seven years, I know the great skills and commitment he brings to this position. His proven leadership and experience make him a natural choice to lead the Prosecutor's Office at this time."

"I am honored that Acting Attorney General Dow has appointed me to lead the Essex County Prosecutors Office as acting prosecutor", Laurino said. "I pledge to do all I can to ensure that the talented staff and resources of this office are used to the best advantage to fulfill our mission of fighting crime and protecting the people of Essex County and the State of New Jersey. Acting Prosecutor Laurino began his career at ECPO as a general trial attorney in 1980. In 1985 he was appointed director of the Sexual Assault and Rape Analysis Unit, and assumed the additional responsibilities of directing the Child Abuse Unit in 1998. In 1999 he was appointed Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor, and in 2004, Chief Assistant Prosecutor.

Acting Prosecutor Laurino was most recently responsible for the Office's Special Victims Squads, overseeing a staff of over 70 people in the Child Abuse, S.A.R.A., Megan's Law, Juvenile, Cold Case, Professional Standards and Public Corruption Units. He has handled thousands of cases involving sexual violence. Acting Prosecutor Laurino was the subject of the book "Our Guys" by Bernard Lefkowitz, and the 1999 ABC television movie "Our Guys: Outrage in Glen Ridge" which were both based upon his successful trial of several high school athletes in Glen Ridge, NJ who were accused of sexually assaulting a young woman with mental retardation. A cum laude graduate of Villanova University, Laurino received a master's degree from Rutgers University. He graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law, where he was an editor of the Seton Hall Law Review.

2009 GUN BUY-BACK PROGRAM: In December, 2009, Essex County Prosecutor Paula T. Dow announced a new gun amnesty buyback program for the cities of East Orange and Irvington, in which residents could turn in all types of firearms to police officers at designated churches and receive up to $200 per weapon. In addition, Dow announced the extension of the City of Newark’s gun buyback program.

The Gun Amnesty Buyback Program, held on Dec. 17 and 18, 2009, paid up to $200 to persons who turned in rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, automatic handguns, or assault rifles. There was a three-gun maximum per person. The sum of $75,000, through forfeiture funding, was appropriated for the program. The source of forfeiture funds emanates from criminal enterprises. Three churches were selected as surrender sites for firearms. The program was recognized by local police and municipal officials as a success.

ECPO HOSTS 2008 PROESCUTORS CONFERENCE: The Essex County Prosecutor's Office (ECPO) served as host of the 2008 County Prosecutor's Association of New Jersey's annual conference from Sept 25 to Sept 27, 2008. The conference boasted 500 attendees from across the state and was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Jersey City. Essex County Prosecutor, Paula T. Dow was sworn in as president of the County Prosecutor's Association for the 2008-2009 term. Director / Assistant Prosecutor Janice Massaro and Assistant Prosecutor Linda Nevadomski were elected as association officers. Massaro served as chairperson of the conference. Chief Assistant Prosecutor, Robert Laurino was presented with the Outstanding Victim Advocacy Award.

Twenty attendees participated in the 5K Riverfront Fun Run which was held on Saturday morning. ECPO participants included Carolyn Murray, Andrea McCoy Johnson, Eileen O'Connor, Kim Acocella, Lawrence Bullard, Christine Fay, Roger Imhof, Mariana Trieschmann, James Johnston, Alissa Vinci and Brian Innis. Attendees participated in a series of workshops which ranged from Computer Forensics to Ethics for Prosecutors. Dr. John Butler, a noted DNA expert with the National Institute of Standards and Technology provided the keynote address. Dr. Butler discussed how popular television shows like CSI and Law & Order provide jurors with a glimpse of how crime investigations occur; he also noted that popular television shows may provide jurors with unrealistic expectations. Robert Laurino and Executive Assistant Prosecutor Hilary Brunell also presented workshops.

These workshops could be utilized as continuing legal education credit in the state of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Attendees donated money to the Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund, a charity that provides summer camp experiences for needy children.

NEW SPACE FOR HOMICIDE SQUAD: In September, 2008, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Squad moved into new office space on the fourth floor of the Essex County Veteran's Courthouse. The new space allows the Homicide Squad to be consolidated in one central location. The 7,500 square foot office space includes conference and interrogation rooms, a reception area and secure rooms to store evidence and records. New furniture, lighting, carpeting air conditioning and ventilation systems were installed to provide comfortable and clean working conditions.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie and Essex County Prosecutor Paula T. Dow celebrated the grand opening of the Homicide Squad's new and improved office space. Joyce Wilson Harley Esq., Essex County Administrator welcomed the audience to the dedication ceremony. "Today we have a fantastic opportunity to put Essex County first. We have the best Prosecutor in the state and our County Executive has given her the tools and support she needs to get the job done. You can't get today's job done with yesterday's tools," said Harley. "The opening of these offices is another step forward in our initiative to provide modern accommodations for our employees to perform their public duties. Essex County has the busiest prosecutor's office in the state and creating this space will address overcrowding and help the homicide squad conduct its investigations with more efficiency and effectiveness," DiVincenzo said. "We are pleased to work cooperatively with Prosecutor Dow and Assignment Judge Patricia Costello to transform our Essex County Complex into the best in the state," he continued.

"The dedicated staff of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office handles approximately one quarter of all criminal prosecutions in the state and deserves the best accommodations to perform their duties. With this new office space and our state of the art crime scene facility, the Essex County Prosecutor's Homicide Squad has come full circle to function in a more proficient and professional manner," Prosecutor Dow said. Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura recognized the difficult job of the homicide squad. "The work you do is overwhelming. You deserve these new quarters and thanks to Joe DiVincenzo and Paula Dow, you now have them," said Fontoura. Prosecutor Dow named the conference room in the honor of David Martinez. Martinez served as Chief of Detectives for the Prosecutor's Office until his death in 2002.

Employees Honored: Alecia Seery, ECPO's SANE/SART Program Coordinator, received the 2009 Support Employee of the Year Award from the Prosecutors Office Management Association at their annual networking and training seminar, held in Mercer County. P.O.M.A., formed in 1979, seeks to improve office management in county prosecutors' offices throughout the state, through the exchange of ideas and discussion of mutual problems.

In September, 2009, Joanne Barone, Principal Account Clerk, received The Essex County Teamwork Award from Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. Other ECPO employees who received this Award in 2009 are: Glenda Renee Haislah, Principal Legal Stenographer; Guy Trogani, Investigator; Gwen Williams, Assistant Prosecutor / Director; and Juliet Wood-Warren, Senior Clerk Typist. In 2008, the recepients included: Holt Walker, Detective, in December; La Quanda Williams, Victim Witness Advocate, in October; Budget Analyst Raj Krishnan, in August; and Supervisory Legal Stenographer Marjorie Sherman in May. Senior Clerk Vanessa Harper-Woods received this award in September, 2007; Joan Washington of the Grand Jury Unit in August, 2007; Doris Stoeckel of the Arson Unit, in May 2007; Detective Arnold Anderson, in November, 2006; Secretarial Assistant Rosemary Facchino, in August, 2006; Principal Clerk Halimah Harris, in June, 2006; Automation Specialist Lorraine DeGardnuer, in May, 2006; Victim-Witness Counselor Lisa Fonseca, in April, 2006; and Automation Specialist Cindy Hamilton, in February, 2006.

V.I.N.E. Victim Notification Telephone Service Started: The State of New Jersey provides a toll-free telephone number through which victims can gain information about the current status and location of their offenders: 1-877-VINE-4-NJ. Registration is necessary. Please consult the V.I.N.E. Web Site for more information.

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