Cumberland Prosecutor again reminds municipal prosecutors not to allow improper downgrades.

Jennifer Webb-McRae
Cumberland County Prosecutor
On April 23, 2015, I blogged here about the Bridgeton (Cumberland County) Municipal Court's continued practice of downgrading statutory charges to violations of an municipal code provision that, in addition to being preempted and invalid,  was also renumbered in 2003. I was especially concerned because the Bridgeton Municipal Court continued to process these improper downgrades despite a 2010 warning from Cumberland County Prosecutor Jacqueline Webb-McRae that such downgrades violate a 1998 Attorney General directive.

In response to my complaint, First Assistant Prosecutor Harold B. Shapiro issued an April 24, 2015 memo (on-line here) that again reminded municipal prosecutors of their duty to abide by the 1998 Directive.

I am hopeful that the new memorandum will be more effective than the one issued in 2010.