Stephen Hunter was promoted to Recovery Court (formerly Drug Court) Director for the Office of the Public Defender in September 2019. In that capacity, Mr. Hunter has supervisory authority over the Recovery Court program on a statewide basis, litigates important Recovery Court appeals, provides support and guidance to our Recovery Court attorneys at the trial level, and participates in policy-making and lobbying efforts. In September 2021, Mr. Hunter was given supervisory authority over the Office of the Public Defender’s ISP Unit. Prior to his promotion, Mr. Hunter served as staff attorney with the Appellate Section of the Office of Public Defender. He specialized in Recovery Court appeals, successfully representing defendants in several major decisions by the New Jersey Supreme Court, including In re Expungement of the Arrest/Charge Records of T.B., 236 N.J. 262 (2019), State v. Clarke, 203 N.J. 166 (2010), and State v. Meyer, 192 N.J. 421 (2007). Mr. Hunter is a member of the Administrative Office of the Court’s Recovery Court Advisory Committee. Mr. Hunter co-authored New Jersey’s Drug Courts: A Fundamental Shift From The War On Drugs To A Public Health Approach For Drug Addiction And Drug-Related Crime, 64 Rutgers L. Rev. 795 (2012).

Tamra Katcher started her career as a law clerk to the Honorable Paul J. Vichness, JSC (retired), and then worked as an Assistant Prosecutor at the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. After leaving the Essex County Prosecutor’s office, she was an Assistant Prosecutor for the City of Newark where she assisted in organizing and supporting the City’s Quality of Life program. Tamra worked closely with the Port Authority Police to prosecute illegal limousine activity at the Newark Airport. She also taught at the Newark Police Academy, training newly promoted Sergeants and Lieutenants about Newark municipal ordinances, and counterfeit DVDs and CDs being sold in the City in violation of State law.

For several years, she was an adjunct professor at several local colleges, including Kean University, County College of Morris, and College of St. Elizabeth. Tamra is also a Senior Instruction for Garden State CLE, teaching other attorneys about various areas of criminal law. She expect to attain my Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice by December 2023.

For over 20 years, Tamra has practiced criminal law. It has been and is her passion. Her practice focuses on criminal defense litigation. She represents clients on the most minor motor vehicle violations and the most serious felonies, and everything in between. Tamra personally handles DWIs, felony criminal matters, domestic violence/restraining order cases, expungements, and gun permitting and gun appeals.