Deputy First Assistant
Prosecutor Christie Bevacqua
Christie Bevacqua is
the Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor for the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s
Office.
Ms. Bevacqua joined
the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office in 1998 after completing a judicial
clerkship with the Honorable Barnett E. Hoffman, P.J.Cr. (Ret.). Ms.
Bevacqua is a member of both the New Jersey and New York bars.
She graduated magna
cum laude from Monmouth College (now Monmouth University) in 1993. She
was awarded her Juris Doctor degree cum laude in 1997 from The Columbus School
of Law at the Catholic University of America.
During her career, Ms.
Bevacqua has been assigned to the juvenile, trial team, sex crimes and homicide
units. In 2008, Ms. Bevacqua became Section Chief of the Sex Crimes/Child
Abuse Unit. She spent 6-years in that position. In 2011, Prosecutor
Bruce Kaplan promoted Ms. Bevacqua to Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor, where
she supervised Sex Crimes Child Abuse, Domestic Violence and Megan’s Law units.
As Deputy First
Assistant Prosecutor, Ms. Bevacqua continues to
supervise the same units, in addition to the Trial Teams. She has tried
approximately 45 jury trials to conclusion, including aggravated sexual
assault, murder, and official misconduct.
Deputy
First Assistant Prosecutor Brian D. Gillet
Brian D. Gillet is the
Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor for the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Gillet joined the Office in January 2005, following a 10-year career with the
New Jersey Supreme Court, Office of Attorney Ethics, where he served as the
Deputy Ethics Counsel. In this capacity, Gillet investigated and prosecuted
attorneys who violated the Rules of Professional Conduct. There, he argued over
15 cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court.
He began his legal
career with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office where he served as an Assistant
Prosecutor for 10-years. Here he served as the Appellate Supervisor, a Trial
Team Attorney, the Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and the Chief of
the Organized Crime Unit.
From 1988 thru 1992,
Gillet was assigned as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, to the Organized
Crime Strike Force at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark. There he
investigated and prosecuted organized crime cases which originated out of Union
and Middlesex County.
Gillet is a Certified
Criminal Trial Attorney and a graduate of Seton Hall School of Law and
Northwestern University.
In this Office, Gillet
first held the position of Deputy Chief prior to his promotion to Chief of the
Special Prosecutions Unit in 2007. As Chief of Special Prosecutions, Gillet
supervised the Unit and tried Official Misconduct and Theft cases. In 2011, he
became the Chief of the Appellate / Post Conviction Relief Unit where he
supervised all appeals and applications for Post-Conviction Relief. In that
capacity, he has argued numerous cases before the Appellate Division and two
cases before the N.J. Supreme Court.
In December, 2013,
Brian D. Gillet was promoted to the Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor.
Acting
Chief of County Detectives, Paul J. Miller
A/Chief Paul Miller
began his career in 1998 as an investigator with the Monmouth County Probation
Department. In 1999 he graduated from the Somerset County Police Academy and
became an investigator with the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department where he
spent four years in the fugitive unit.
In 2003, A/Chief
Miller started his career with the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office where
after four years in the Sex Crimes/Child Abuse unit, he spent the majority of
his career in Major Crimes. During that time, he investigated and supervised
homicides, officer involved shootings and other high-profile cases. He also
served on the Special Operations and Response Team (SORT) for fifteen years as
an operator, Executive Officer and most recently as the Commander.
A/Chief Miller
received his Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology with a concentration in
criminal justice from Montclair State University. He is a graduate of the
International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police
Organizations and he has lectured on several topics including officer involved
shootings, resiliency and leadership topics.
Chief of Staff, Robert
Merkler
Robert Merkler is the
Chief of Staff of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
COS Merkler joined the Office in 2005, following a 26-year career as a police
officer. He has an extensive law enforcement background holding all ranks
within the police department; working in Patrol, Training, Detective Bureau and
Administration.
He is a graduate of
Trenton State College, now The College of New Jersey, and except for a brief
period of time, has been a resident of Middlesex County his entire life.
In this Office, COS Merkler
oversees budgetary and administrative support for the day to day operations of
over 200 employees including Legal, Investigative, Clerical Support and
Interns. In addition, he is tasked with policy formulation and planning future
projects.
Return to Homepage