Mercer County District Attorney Angelo Onofri Retires

Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri speaks at a news conference at City Hall Monday, with Mayor Reed Gusciora and City Council Vice President Crystal Feliciano standing behind him. (John Berry/The Trentonian)

TRENTON — The county’s top law enforcement officer is leaving.

Prosecutor Angelo Onofri is retiring as district attorney at the end of the month.

In a short conversation with TrentonianOnofri confirmed he will retire on August 1 but did not have time to answer further questions.

Onofri, previously the Mercer County First Assistant Prosecutor, was appointed by Gov. Chris Christie to the position of county attorney in December 2016 and had served as acting prosecutor since March 2015.

Onofri joined the District Attorney’s Office in 1998.

The District Attorney is a position appointed by the Governor and held by the new Governor at his discretion. Governors of different parties often replace many of the appointed positions early in their terms

As Christie’s appointee, Onofri held the position for most of Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration after Murphy took office in 2018. Murphy’s term ends in early 2026, and he cannot run again because the state has a two-term limit for governor.

The next Mercer County Prosecutor will be appointed by Murphy with the “aid and consent” of the State Senate, according to the New Jersey Constitution. Their terms are five years and they “shall hold office until their successors are appointed and qualified.”