Anthony R. Higgins

About Anthony R. Higgins

For more than two decades I have served New Jersey’s courts and communities as a…

Experience

1. Deputy Chief Prosecutor - Juvenile Justice Unit

   Essex County Prosecutor\'s Office

   Jun 2024 — Present · Newark, NJ, US

   As Deputy Chief of the Juvenile Justice Unit, I oversee over serious cases of delinquency annually. I am responsible for training both current and new law enforcement personnel on the proper handling of juveniles and their delinquency matters. I am a founding member of the Juvenile Prosecutor\'s Leadership Network and a frequent speaker on juvenile justice topics and recent reforms. I interface directly with the Office of the Attorney General, the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Juvenile Justice Commission.The Juvenile Justice Unit of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office addresses juveniles who are accused of acts of delinquency (up to and including Homicide). The goals of the Unit are to ensure public safety through swift and certain punishment of the violent and repetitive delinquent; to reduce recidivism through accountability and recommendations for structured supervision; and to divert minor offenders away from delinquency, thereby reducing the need for further court action. Ultimately, the goal is to stop recidivism and break the escalating and intensifying cycle of delinquency. The Juvenile Justice Unit is responsible for the prosecution or other disposition of all formal complaints charging acts of juvenile delinquency in Essex County and those acts committed throughout the state by resident juveniles. The Special Deputy Attorneys General assigned handle the cases from the detention stage through plea conference, waiver applications, hearings, trial and ultimate disposition. In addition to its daily docket, the Director provides daily legal advice to the twenty-two Juvenile Bureaus within Essex County and offers legal support to the Juvenile Referee Program and other court sponsored initiatives. The unit also works closely with the local schools that require legal or investigative assistance. Members of the Unit also volunteer to conduct training sessions within the community regarding the consequences of delinquency and gang involvement.

Skills

• Administrative Law
• Employment Discrimination
• Construction Law
• Trials
• Courts
• Criminal Law
• Class Actions
• Trial Practice
• Corporate Real Estate
• Personal Injury
• Legal Writing
• Arbitration
• Torts
• Pleadings
• Non-Profit Leadership
• Appeals
• Bankruptcy
• Corporate Communications
• Litigation Support
• Criminal Defense
• Corporate Law
• Motions
• Westlaw
• Commercial Litigation
• Strategic Communications
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Depositions
• Family Law
• Hearings
• Appellate Practice
• Intellectual Property
• Legal Advice
• Litigation
• Civil Litigation
• Mediation
• Litigation Management
• Real Estate Transactions
• Legal Research
• Employment Law
• Product Liability