TRENTON
– Attorney General Paula T. Dow today
announced the appointment of A. Peter DeMarco
as Acting Somerset County Prosecutor and
Dermot P. O’Grady as Acting Hunterdon
County Prosecutor.
DeMarco
will be sworn in today. He replaces Wayne
J. Forrest, who served as Somerset County
Prosecutor from 1997. O’Grady will
be sworn in on May, 7. He will replace J.
Patrick Barnes, who has served as Hunterdon
County Prosecutor since 2003.
“Peter
DeMarco is a career prosecutor who has tried
more than 130 jury trials for both the Somerset
County and Essex County Prosecutor’s
Offices and who has served in supervisory
roles for 21 of his 27 years with the office,”
said Attorney General Dow. “His proven
leadership, great skills and wealth of experience
make him an outstanding choice to lead the
prosecutor’s office at this time.”
Prosecutor
Forrest announced his plans to retire last
week. During his tenure as Somerset County
Prosecutor, his office handled numerous
high-profile prosecutions, including New
Jersey’s most prolific serial killer,
Charles Cullen, the nurse who murdered 29
patients at hospitals throughout New Jersey
and Pennsylvania.
“Prosecutor
Wayne Forrest has been an exceptional law
enforcement officer throughout his 35-year
career in public service, having served
as a uniform police officer, criminal investigator,
State Deputy Attorney General, and lastly,
as Somerset County Prosecutor for more than
12 years,” said Attorney General Dow.
“There are few people in my experience
with the integrity, intelligence and commitment
to excellence that Wayne Forrest has demonstrated
over the course of his accomplished career.”
Attorney
General Dow also named Supervising Deputy
Attorney General Dermot O’Grady to
replace Hunterdon County Prosecutor Patrick
Barnes, who will be stepping down from office
on May 7. O’Grady is expected to be
sworn in as Acting Prosecutor that same
day to ensure a smooth transition until
a permanent replacement is named by Governor
Chris Christie.
“Dermot
O’Grady has served as a Supervising
Deputy Attorney General in the Division
of Criminal Justice for more than 23 years
and has extensive experience overseeing
the State’s 21 county prosecutors’
offices in the Prosecutors Supervision Bureau,”
said Attorney General Dow. “He most
recently headed the Office of State Police
Affairs. His proven management skills and
broad experience make him a natural choice
to lead the prosecutor’s office.”
“Prosecutor
Barnes served the citizens of Hunterdon
County admirably for more than seven years,”
said Attorney General Dow. “He was
always passionate of the hard work and sacrifices
made by line assistant prosecutors and deputy
attorneys general and later spearheaded
the recognition awards for outstanding attorney
advocacy presented by the county prosecutors
at the annual prosecutor college.”
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