Raymond Santiago takes helm of Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office
FREEHOLD — The nominee for Monmouth County prosecutor officially took the helm of the 280-person office Friday while he awaits Senate confirmation to a five-year term.
Raymond S. Santiago, 48, of Freehold was sworn in as acting prosecutor during a ceremony at the Monmouth County Courthouse.
Santiago’s family, prosecutor’s staff, county officials, local law-enforcement leaders, members of the Monmouth County bar and fellow county prosecutors packed into the jury assembly room for the noon ceremony officiated by Superior Court Judge Lisa P. Thornton, the county’s assignment judge.
Santiago now serves as the county’s chief law enforcement officer, coordinating the efforts of dozens of municipal police departments and two college police departments while managing the prosecutor’s staff of about 280, which includes assistant prosecutors, detectives and support staff.
Santiago takes over the office from Lori Linskey, a veteran of the prosecutor’s office and former first assistant prosecutor who served as acting prosecutor since June 2021. She will remain to assist in the transition.
Gov. Phil Murphy did not nominate Santiago as Gramiccioni’s replacement until last month.
“Today marked the first steps into a role I view as a truly extraordinary honor and privilege,’’ Santiago said Friday. “To the people of Monmouth County, I solemnly pledge to serve you to the very best of my abilities and with a sense of fervor befitting the title. This will entail not only ensuring the fair and equal administration of justice, but also that this office will actively be an integral part of the very fabric of the communities we work to protect.’’
Santiago is the second person of Hispanic descent to head the office; Luis A. Valentin was the first, serving from 2005 to 2011.
Santiago was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 1996 and received his law degree from the City University of New York School of Law at Queens College in 1999.
Santiago served as an assistant district attorney at the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office in New York before entering private practice. He most recently headed the Freehold-based Law Offices of Santiago & Associates, which focuses on criminal and immigration law.
Santiago, a 20-year resident of Monmouth County, also served as a pool attorney for the New Jersey Public Defender’s Office since 2002, assisting indigent defendants with their criminal cases.
Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Raymond Santiago sworn in as acting Monmouth County prosecutor
