Monmouth OPD office to be dedicated in name of investigator

FREEHOLD B After Jerome W. "Jerry" Seery died last year, friends of the longtime chief investigator in the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender's Monmouth County region began discussing the possibility of a memorial to the man who had become a fixture at the county courthouse.

On Friday, July 13, the first anniversary of Seery's death, the office building housing the OPD's Monmouth region will be dedicated in Seery's honor. Located at 7 Broad Street, on a tree-lined road near the courthouse, the building will be dedicated during ceremonies beginning at noon.

Seery, who was the OPD's chief investigator in Monmouth from 1969 to 1993, was described by Spring Lake attorney William J. Gearty as someone who had "earned the admiration of the criminal bar, the county prosecutors and the judiciary."

"He was a model of fair dealing. He had a deeply ingrained sense of justice and fair play," said Gearty, who will serve as master of ceremonies at Friday's dedication.

New Jersey Acting Public Defender Peter A. Garcia, who is scheduled to be present at the dedication, said the honor for Seery is part of an ongoing effort to memorialize outstanding contributions by staff members from the Office of the Public Defender.

"Dedication and loyalty are two of the qualities you come to prize most when your clients' futures are in the hands of your staff," Garcia said. "Jerry Seery exemplified those characteristics, and the dedication of the building housing the region in which he made his name is a fitting tribute."

Press representatives seeking more information or planning to cover the dedication can contact Jeff Beach, the OPD's public information officer, at (609) 777-1862.