United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey

Last updated
U.S. Attorney's Office for the
District of New Jersey
Department overview
FormedSeptember 24, 1789 (1789-09-24) by the Judiciary Act of 1789
Jurisdiction District of New Jersey
Headquarters Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Department executive
Parent Department United States Department of Justice
Website justice.gov/usao-nj

The U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey is the chief federal law enforcement officer in New Jersey. The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey has jurisdiction over all cases prosecuted by the U.S. attorney. Since March 28, 2025 [1] , Alina Habba has been serving as the acting U.S. attorney. On August 21, 2025, Matthew W. Brann, the chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, sitting by designation in the District of New Jersey, ruled that Habba's appointment is void as of July 1, 2025, but stayed his order pending appeal. [2]

Contents

Organization

The office is organized into divisions handling civil, criminal, and appellate matters, in addition to the Special Prosecutions Division, which oversees political corruption investigations. [3] The District of New Jersey is also divided into three vicinages: Newark, Trenton and Camden, with the southern two offices supervised by a Deputy U.S. Attorney. The office employs approximately 170 Assistant U.S. Attorneys. [4] It is the fifth-largest U.S. Attorney's Office in the nation, behind those in the District of Columbia, Los Angeles, Manhattan, and Miami. [5]

High-profile cases

Prominent officeholders

Chris Christie, former U.S. attorney and former Governor of New Jersey. Chris Christie April 2015 (cropped).jpg
Chris Christie, former U.S. attorney and former Governor of New Jersey.

Prominent assistant US attorneys

Officeholders

U.S. AttorneyTerm startedTerm endedAppointed by
Richard Stockton Richard Stockton, Class of 1779 (1764-1828).jpg 17891791 George Washington
Abraham Ogden Abraham Ogden.jpg 17911798
Lucius Horatio Stockton 17981801John Adams
Frederick Frelinghuysen Portrait of General Frederick Frelinghuysen (1753-1804).jpg 18011801
George C. Maxwell 18011803 Thomas Jefferson
William S. Pennington William Sanford Pennington.jpg 18031804
Joseph McIlvaine Josephmcilvaine.jpg 18041824
Lucius Q.C. Elmer L. Q. C. Elmer (New Jersey Congressman).jpg 18241829James Monroe
Garret D. Wall GDWall.jpg 18291835 Andrew Jackson
James S. Green 18351850
William Halstead Col. William Halsted.jpg 18501853 Millard Fillmore
Garret S. Cannon 18531861 Franklin Pierce
Anthony Q. Keasbey Anthony Quinton Keasbey.jpg 18611886 Abraham Lincoln
Job H. Lippincott Job H. Lippincott circa 1890.jpg 18861887Grover Cleveland
Samuel F. Bigelow Samuel F. Bigelow.jpg 18871888
George S. Duryee 18881890
Henry S. White Henry S. White.jpg 18901894Benjamin Harrison
John W. Beekman John Woodhull Beekman.jpg 18941896Grover Cleveland
J. Kearney Rice 18961900
David Ogden Watkins David Ogden Watkins.jpg 19001903William McKinley
Cortlandt Parker, Jr. 19031903Theodore Roosevelt
John Beam Vreeland John B. Vreeland.jpg 19031913
J. Warren Davis John Warren Davis.jpg 19131916 Woodrow Wilson
Charles Francis Lynch Judge Charles Francis Lynch.jpg 19161919
Joseph L. Bodine Judge Joseph L. Bodine.jpg 19191920
Elmer H. Geran Elmer H. Geran (New Jersey Congressman).jpg 19201922
Walter G. Winne 19221928Warren Harding
Phillip Forman Judge Phillip Forman.jpg 19281932Calvin Coolidge
Harlan Besson 19321935Herbert Hoover
John J. Quinn 19351940Franklin D. Roosevelt
William Francis Smith Judge William F. Smith.jpg 19401941
Charles M. Phillips 19411943
Thorn Lord 19431945
Edgar H. Rossbach 19451948 Harry Truman
Isaiah Matlack 19481948
Alfred E. Modarelli Judge Alfred E. Modarelli.jpg 19481951
Grover C. Richman, Jr. 19511953
William F. Tompkins 19531954 Dwight D. Eisenhower
Raymond Del Tufo, Jr. 19541956
Herman Scott 19561956
Chester A. Weidenburner 19561961
David M. Satz, Jr. 19611969 John F. Kennedy
Donald Horowitz 19691969Lyndon B. Johnson
Frederick B. Lacey Judge Frederick Bernard Lacey.jpg 19691971Richard Nixon
Herbert J. Stern Judge Herbert J. Stern.jpg 19711974
Jonathan L. Goldstein 19741977
Robert J. Del Tufo 19771980 Jimmy Carter
William W. Robertson 19801981
W. Hunt Dumont 19811985 Ronald Reagan
Thomas W. Greelish 19851987
Samuel Alito Samuel Alito official photo.jpg December 10, 1987April 30, 1990
Michael Chertoff Michael Chertoff, official DHS photo portrait, 2007.jpg 19901994 George H. W. Bush
Faith S. Hochberg 19941999 Bill Clinton
Robert J. Cleary November 16, 1999January 17, 2002
Christopher J. Christie Chris Christie April 2015 (cropped).jpg January 17, 2002December 1, 2008 George W. Bush
Ralph J. Marra Jr. (acting)December 1, 2008October 14, 2009
Paul J. Fishman Paul Fishman US Attorney.JPG October 14, 2009March 10, 2017 Barack Obama
William E. Fitzpatrick (acting) William E. Fitzpatrick US Attorney.png March 10, 2017January 5, 2018 Donald Trump
Craig Carpenito Craig Carpenito.jpg January 5, 2018January 5, 2021
Rachael A. Honig (acting) Rachael A. Honig US Attorney.jpg January 6, 2021December 15, 2021
Joe Biden
Philip R. Sellinger Philip Sellinger.jpg December 16, 2021January 8, 2024
Vikas Khanna (acting) Vikas Khanna United States Attorney.jpg January 9, 2024March 3, 2025
John Giordano (interim) John Giordano United States Attorney.jpg March 3, 2025March 27, 2025 Donald Trump
Alina Habba (acting) Alina Habba District Attorney portrait (cropped).jpg March 28, 2025 [16] [1] present

    References

    1. 1 2 U.S. v. Giraud III, 1:24-cr-00768-MWB, doc. 144 , 4(D.N.J.August 21, 2025)("Ms. Habba was formally sworn in to the Interim United States Attorney position by Attorney General Pamela Bondi pursuant to section 546(a) on March 28, 2025.9 Although the defendants contend that Ms. Habba's appointment should be considered effective on the date of President Trump's post, it is now clear that she did not assume the role of Interim United States Attorney until she was sworn in on March 28.10").
    2. U.S. v. Giraud III, 1:24-cr-00768-MWB, doc. 144 (D.N.J.August 21, 2025).
    3. Office Organization, U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey Archived 2009-02-03 at the Wayback Machine
    4. Serving the District of New Jersey, U.S. Attorney's Office
    5. New Jersey Law Journal's Lawyer of the Year: Chris Christie, New Jersey Law Journal , December 27, 2006.
    6. New Jersey Law Journal's Lawyer of the Year: Chris Christie, New Jersey Law Journal , December 27, 2006.
    7. 5 Are Convicted of Conspiring to Attack Fort Dix, The New York Times , December 22, 2008.
    8. Paul Hoffman, Tiger in the Court, Playboy Press, 1979, p. 276.
    9. Former Mayor Guilty of Fraud in Newark Sales, The New York Times , April 17, 2008.
    10. Former Hudson County Leader Gets 41 Months in Corruption Case, The New York Times , March 25, 2005.
    11. Major Donor Admits Hiring Prostitute to Smear Witness, The New York Times , August 19, 2004.
    12. Man Accused of a Scheme to Sell Missiles Praised bin Laden on Tapes, The New York Times , January 9, 2005.
    13. Ex-Leader of New Jersey Senate is Guilty of Corruption, The New York Times , September 16, 2006.
    14. Robert Rudolph, The Boys from New Jersey: How the Mob Beat the Feds
    15. New Jersey Law Journal's Lawyer of the Year: Chris Christie, New Jersey Law Journal , December 27, 2006.
    16. Bondi, Pamela (March 27, 2025). "Order No. 6218-2025 Authorizing Alina Habba to be the Interim United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey During the Vacancy in that Office" (PDF). Retrieved August 21, 2025.

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