First Assistant
Prosecutor Christopher L.C. Kuberiet
First Assistant Prosecutor Christopher L. C. Kuberiet has been fighting for victims and their rights for 31 years. He graduated with Honors from Rutgers University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate degree and was admitted to the New Jersey State Bar in 1989. In 1990, he began his career at the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office as an Assistant Prosecutor in the Juvenile Unit. In 1996, he was promoted to Section Chief of that unit and remained there through 2002. From 2003 to 2011, he was an Assistant Prosecutor rendering his legal expertise in various units such as the Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit and the Career Criminal and Gang Unit.
In January of 2011, Christopher was promoted to Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor which included the responsibility of overseeing the Major Crimes Unit and Trial Teams Operations. In November of 2013, he was elevated to First Assistant Prosecutor, where he supervises 206 staff members, while taking a hands-on approach with every case. From September of 2019 until July 2020, he was the interim Acting Middlesex County Prosecutor until Prosecutor Ciccone took office on July 1, 2020. He is again the First Assistant Prosecutor and oversees all the specialty Units within the Office – Major Crimes, Special Victims, and Professional Standards. In addition, he oversees police policies and procedures and provides guidance to the Executive First Assistant Prosecutor in the performance of her duties.
Throughout his tenure, First Assistant Prosecutor Kuberiet has prosecuted cases ranging from juvenile matters to violent crimes including homicides, aggravated sexual assaults and kidnapping. He has been treating victims with dignity and respect since 1990, while always fighting the opposition with his tenacity and his knowledge of the law. Christopher Kuberiet constantly emphasizes that “victims do not choose to be victims” and is unwavering in his support for the rights of crime victims.
Executive First Assistant Prosecutor Bina Desai
Bina K. Desai is the Executive First Assistant Prosecutor and oversees the Trial Teams, as well as the Pre-Trial, Juvenile and Appellate Units.
She is a 2001 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in Business Administration and a 2004 graduate of Villanova University School of Law where she earned her J.D./M.B.A. Bina began her legal career when she was a law clerk for the Honorable Barbara C. Stolte, J.S.C. in Middlesex County handling DYFS and non-dissolution family court matters.
After her clerkship she worked part-time as a legal assistant for the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, before being hired full-time as an Assistant Prosecutor. She has been assigned to Special Prosecutions, Juvenile, Trial Teams and the Career Criminal/Gang Unit during her time with the Prosecutor’s Office. In April 2013 she was promoted to be a team leader for a Trial Team and in September 2015 was also assigned to be the backup for the Major Crimes Section. During her time as an Assistant Prosecutor Bina has tried approximately 40 jury trials, in addition to numerous bench trials. She also was responsible for the office’s first RICO prosecution targeting rival sets of the Bloods Criminal Street Gang. She also served as the President of the Assistant Prosecutor’s Association for the office from 2014-2020.
Bina is a frequent presenter for the office’s in-house CLE’s and for new AP training on an ongoing basis. She has also presented CLE’s for the Middlesex County Bar Association’s Criminal Practice Committee and the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Criminal Law & Immigration sections. She also has trained law enforcement officers on seizing, securing and handling cell phone and digital evidence and on courtroom testimony. She is also a member of the Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence where she participated in drafting and editing various documents to be distributed to the forensic digital evidence community.
Additionally, Bina is the co-chair of the Criminal Practice Committee for the Middlesex County Bar Association. She is also active with the New Jersey State Bar Association where she is a Trustee for the Criminal Law Section, and serves on the Pandemic Task Force’s Resumption of Juries Committee and the Judicial Administration Committee. She also is a member of the Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence, a national organization that brings together organizations actively engaged in the field of digital and multimedia evidence to foster communication and cooperation, as well as ensuring quality and consistency within the forensic community. Finally, Bina is the recipient of the Middlesex County Bar Association’s 2019 Criminal Trial Practice Attorney of the Year Award.
Chief of County Detectives, Paul J. Miller
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, 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.
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