BERKELEY – The governing body of the town endorsed the current prosecutor, asking for his re-appointment.
Bradley Billhimer was sworn in on October 9, 2018. County prosecutors are a five-year appointment, chosen by the governor. Phil Murphy picked him five years ago and now local officials are asking Murphy to re-appoint him. Billhimer, a Democrat, was endorsed by the all-Republican Board of Commissioners. He was also recently endorsed by the all-Republican council and mayor of Berkeley.
“With the county’s continued growth, its needs are ever evolving and Prosecutor Billhimer continues to increase the office’s community outreach efforts, developing programs that are beneficial to all segments of the county’s population, from young children to at-risk youths to the elderly,” stated a resolution that Berkeley sent to the governor.
They noted that Billhimer established Ocean County Cares, an Escape the Vape task force, and has hosted a series of Youth Bias Roundtables. In schools, he and his staff have been focusing on internet safety, social media, and bullying. His anti-bias language such as “Stand Up To Hate” and “Hate Has No Home In Ocean County” is seen throughout the area.
Further he was the first prosecutor in the state to mandate implicit bias training for all law enforcement officers in the county, officials said. Additionally, he has worked on battling the opioid epidemic that is facing the country.
Billhimer graduated from the Toms River school system. He worked as an intern for former United States Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ). After earning his JD from Widener University, Billhimer served as a law clerk to the Honorable Barbara Ann Villano, J.S.C., in Ocean County. He then went on to work in the private sector, ultimately establishing his own criminal defense law practice. In addition to his law career, he has served as an adjunct professor.
New Jersey’s State Constitution intentionally designates a five-year term for county prosecutors, who are selected by the governor and approved by the state senate. This deliberate provision ensures that their tenure is not synchronized with the term of the governor who appointed them.
By setting a fixed term, the Constitution aims to provide continuity and independence to county prosecutors, allowing them to carry out their duties without undue influence from political changes or shifts in gubernatorial administrations.
Only a handful of Ocean County prosecutors have remained in the position for more than five years.
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