“Today is a special day in the 56 year history of the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender,” said New Jersey Public Defender Joseph Krakora. “Governor Murphy’s nomination of Michael Noriega to the New Jersey Supreme Court represents the first time a public defender has been selected to serve on our State’s highest court. Mr. Noriega worked for this office from 2003-2008 as a staff attorney in our Essex Trial Region before going into private practice. Since that time, he has represented our clients as designated counsel and served, on a volunteer basis, as an advisor to our attorneys on issues related to immigration consequences for non-citizen clients. He is a first class attorney with integrity and a true commitment to social justice and equal protection under the law for all New Jersey residents. He will make a great addition to the Court and I am proud to call him a colleague. He is the perfect choice to become the first former public defender on the NJ Supreme Court.”