Recognizing the successful leadership of Essex County’s Acting Prosecutor Ted Stephens, II as part of the General Assembly’s Black History Month celebration, Assemblywoman Britnee N. Timberlake honored Stephens in the State House during Monday’s voting session.
An Essex County native with a Juris Doctor Degree from Seton Hall University, Stephens was appointed Acting Prosecutor in September 2017. Since then, he has served as the chief law enforcement officer for the county, heading a department of over 400 judicial employees.
“In the short time since Ted Stephens began serving as acting prosecutor for Essex County, the Prosecutor’s Office has been breaking records by handling more special victim, child abuse and domestic violence cases than in previous years,” said Assemblywoman Timberlake (D-Essex, Passaic). “His leadership has boosted morale and helped keep our community safe.”
Not only have homicides lowered in Essex County during his time as prosecutor, but the office has also won a majority of the cases it has tried. By partnering with state and federal law enforcement, Stephens has also increased public safety resources for the county. His office even began a school bus monitoring initiative to help ensure the safety of local students.
Prior to his time in the Prosecutor’s Office, Stephens also maintained a private law practice in Maplewood, served as a judge and was President of the Essex County Municipal Judges Association. He currently teaches as an adjunct professor of Paralegal Studies at two New Jersey colleges and is a member of both the New Jersey and National Bar Associations.
“Ted Stephens exemplifies the Prosecutor’s Office’s mission ‘to seek justice, to serve justice and to do justice,’” Timberlake said. “He and his team have striven to foster relationships between their office and the community by reaching out to local leaders. That’s because Ted Stephens understands the importance of establishing trust and open communication.”