TRENTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee this afternoon released the nomination to head the state’s Office of the Public Defender, ending a months-long feud between Gov. Chris Christie and Senate Democrats. The committee voted unanimously to advance the nomination of Assistant Public Defender Joseph Krakora to the full Senate. If confirmed, Krakora, of Scotch Plains, would replace Yvonne Smith...
Defense attorney Joseph Krakora gives his closing arguments to the jury in the courtroom in the April Star-Ledger file photo. The N.J. Senate judiciary committee has voted to advance his nomination to head the Office of the Public Defender to the full Senate.TRENTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee this afternoon released the nomination to head the state’s Office of the Public Defender, ending a months-long feud between Gov. Chris Christie and Senate Democrats.
The committee voted unanimously to advance the nomination of Assistant Public Defender Joseph Krakora to the full Senate. If confirmed, Krakora, of Scotch Plains, would replace Yvonne Smith Segars, a holdover from the McGreevey administration who has accused Christie of trying to force her to resign.
Christie nominated Krakora on Feb. 17. Four days later, Segars fired off a letter to the governor claiming he was interfering with her job by blocking her hirings and promotions of staff.
Appointed in 2002, Segars was touted by Gov. Jon Corzine in 2008 for a Superior Court judgeship, but her nomination was scrapped when Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen) opposed her because of a court case in which the state paid out $250,000.
Segars was sued in 2004 by a former employee, Christine Leone-Zwillinger, whom Segars fired a month after taking office. Zwillinger contended her firing was politically motivated.
This afternoon, Cardinale asked Krakora what measures he would employ to avoid lawsuits filed by employees.
Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) asked Krakora whether he plans to give Segars, who lives in Bergen County, a job in the public defender’s office when she steps down.
Krakora said he could not give her a definitive answer, but said he had no discussions with anyone from Christie’s administration about hiring or firing employees in the public defender’s office.
In her letter to Christie, Segars said he told her she could not get a job in that office after leaving as the head.
Besides a three-year stint in private practice, Krakora has spent his career at the public defender’s office, holding just about every position there.
Since joining the office in 1986, Krakora, a Democrat, has handled a number of its capital cases before the state abolished the death penalty. He is director of Capital and Special Litigation and oversees the Office of Dispute Settlement.
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