Left to right: Prosecutor Robert Carroll, AP Michelle J. Ghali, AP Tina M. DiFranco, and AP David S. Leigh, and First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood, and Chief of Detectives Robert McNally announce the hiring of Tina M. DiFranco, Michelle J. Ghali, and David S. Leigh as Assistant Prosecutors for the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
A swearing in ceremony was held on June 3, 2024.
Assistant Prosecutor DiFranco will be assigned to the General Investigations Unit within the Courts and Administration Division.
Prior to joining the MCPO, AP DiFranco served as an Assistant Prosecutor at the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, where she was assigned to the Special Victims, Forensics, Domestic Violence/Contempt, Juvenile, Return/Forfeiture of Weapons, Recovery Court, and Appellate units. She also served as an Associate for a private law firm, a Law Clerk for the Honorable Peter J. Tober, a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Thomas V. Manahan, and a Clifford Fellow.
Assistant Prosecutor DiFranco earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from William Patterson University, and a Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law.
Assistant Prosecutor Ghali will be assigned to the Appellate Unit within the Courts and Administration Division.
Assistant Prosecutor Ghali previously served as an Assistant Prosecutor at the Union County Prosecutor’s Office for a decade, wherein she was assigned to the Appellate, Trials, Domestic Violence, Pre-Indictment, Drug Court, Mental Health, Grand Jury, and Juvenile units. She also served as an Adjunct Professor - Persuasion and Advocacy at Seton Hall University School of Law, where she taught Appellate Advocacy and Lawyering. She was also a Parent Fellow at JerseyCAN, and a judicial clerk for the Honorable Willaim P. Gilroy, New Jersey Superior Court.
Assistant Prosecutor Ghali earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Connecticut College, and a Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law.
Assistant Prosecutor Leigh will be assigned to the Pre-Trial Services/Diversion/Firearms Regulations Unit within the Courts and Administrative Division.
AP Leigh built his law career primarily in private practice, serving as a Personal Injury Attorney, Litigation Attorney, General Practice Attorney, Contract E-Discovery Attorney, and a Project Analysist at various firms. He was also employed as a Legal Writer for Kaplan Test prep and Admissions, and has Immigration Law experience. Attorney for two law firms, a Real Estate Salesperson, He also served as a Deputy District Attorney in the 4th Judicial District in Colorado.
Assistant Prosecutor Leigh earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado State University, and a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico.
Prosecutor Carroll said “I am pleased to welcome these experienced AP’s to our legal team. We are excited to have them join the team.”
