New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate
{{Short description|New Jersey government department}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name = State of New Jersey
Department of the Public Advocate
| logo = Seal_of_New_Jersey.svg
| logo_width = 150px
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| formed = 1974 (abolished 1994, reinstated 2005, abolished 2010)
| preceding1 =
| dissolved =
| superseding1 = New Jersey Office of the Public Defender
| jurisdiction = New Jersey
| headquarters = 240 West State Street, 16th Floor, Trenton, N.J. 08625
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| chief1_name = None
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| website = http://www.state.nj.us/publicadvocate/
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The New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate was a department within the Executive branch of the government of New Jersey that acted as a voice on behalf of the people of the state. It was responsible to make government "more accountable and responsive to the needs of New Jersey residents" through legal advocacy, policy research and reform and community and legislative outreach.
The department was originally created in 1974 (NJ P.L. 1974, c. 27[https://repo.njstatelib.org/handle/10929.1/5906 Department of Public Advocate--establishes], New Jersey State Library) by Governor Brendan Byrne.{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-eKk_wwf6NwC&dq=New+Jersey+Department+of+the+Public+Advocate&pg=PA48|title=Government Under Class|last=Murphy|first=Fredrick|date=July 1977|work=Black Enterprise|accessdate=3 August 2010}} The first Public Advocate was Stanley Van Ness.
The agency was dissolved in 1994 (NJ P.L. 1994, c. 58[https://repo.njstatelib.org/handle/10929.1/9018 Public Advocate Restructuring Act], New Jersey State Library).{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/nyregion/27ness.html|title=Stanley Van Ness, State Public Advocate, Dies at 73|last=Hevisi|first=Dennis|date=27 September 2007|work=The New York Times|accessdate=3 August 2010}} The New Jersey Legislature passed the Public Advocate Restoration Act (NJ P.L. 2005, c. 155) in 2005, which was signed into law on July 12, 2005, by Governor Richard Codey.[https://repo.njstatelib.org/handle/10929.1/30462 Restores Department of the Public Advocate as principal department in Executive Branch. **], New Jersey State Library
In 2006, Governor Jon Corzine appointed Ronald Chen to serve as the first Public Advocate since the position had been abolished in 1994.Chan, Sewell. [https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/06/nyregion/06mbrfs.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin "Metro Briefing"], The New York Times, January 6, 2006. Accessed June 20, 2008. "Governor-elect Jon S. Corzine nominated Ronald Chen yesterday to serve as public advocate and Lisa Jackson to head the Department of Environmental Protection."
The previous Public Advocate was Zulima Farber, who served as state Public Advocate from 1992 to 1994 in the Cabinet of former Governor James Florio.[https://web.archive.org/web/20121020093034/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-22642156.html "FLORIO TAPS ATTORNEY FOR ADVOCATE JOB"], The Record (Bergen County), July 24, 1992. Accessed June 20, 2008. "Zulima V. Farber, an attorney and former assistant Bergen County prosecutor, was nominated Thursday by Governor Florio to become New Jersey's public advocate and public defender."
Wilfredo Caraballo served as Public Advocate from 1990 to 1992, resigning in protest of Republican Party efforts in the legislature to reduce his powers.Gray, Jerry. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE5DA1E3BF931A35754C0A964958260 " Public Advocate Quits in Trenton Over Cutbacks"], The New York Times, July 2, 1992. Accessed June 20, 2008. "Public Advocate Wilfredo Caraballo announced his resignation today, saying that Republican budget cuts had weakened the effectiveness of his office, which is the voice of citizens with complaints about government.... Mr. Florio appointed Mr. Caraballo to the posts of Public Advocate and Public Defender in early 1990, recruiting him from Seton Hall Law School, where he was dean."
Upon entering office as governor in early 2010, Republican Chris Christie began plotting the elimination of this department.{{cite web| authorlink =| title = FY 2010 Budget Solutions Press Release| publisher =| date = 11 Feb 2010| url = http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/budget/FY2010BudgetSolutions_press.pdf| doi =| accessdate = 14 Feb 2010}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} On June 29, 2010, Governor Christie signed into law NJ P.L. 2010, c. 34,[https://repo.njstatelib.org/handle/10929.1/1926 Abolishes the Department of the Public Advocate and transfers certain functions, powers and duties], New Jersey State Library which abolished the Department of the Public Advocate, transferring some offices and divisions to other departments, and abolishing others.{{Cite web |title=Public Advocate |url=https://dspace.njstatelib.org/handle/10929/19052 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621185518/https://dspace.njstatelib.org/handle/10929/19052 |archive-date=2022-06-21 |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=New Jersey State Library}}N.J. Stat. Ann. § 52:27EE-86 (Rutgers 2010)