Ocean City Man Sworn In As Cape May County Prosecutor

OCEAN CITY, NJ — An Ocean City man has been sworn in as Cape May County’s newest prosecutor, according to Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino. Jeffrey H. Sutherland was sworn in on Thursday as the successor to Robert L. Taylor.

Gov. Chris Christie nominated Sutherland as Cape May County Prosecutor on Nov. 30, and he was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate on Dec. 7. Robert W. Johnson had been serving as Acting Cape May County Prosecutor since Taylor retired in September when he turned 70, the maximum age allowed for the position.

Taylor has since filed a whistleblower lawsuit claiming the county has downplayed the seriousness of the opioid epidemic and claiming it has retaliated against him for his failure to participate in an investigation he says it opened because it had a vendetta.

“Jeff Sutherland has deep roots in Cape May County and a wealth of legal experience, having practiced law there for 27 years and served the community and courts in a number of important volunteer positions,” Porrino said. “Prosecutor Sutherland is eminently qualified to lead the prosecutor’s office, and I’m confident he will do everything in his power to promote the safety and best interests of county residents as their top law enforcement officer.”

“I would like to thank Governor Christie for nominating me on Senator Van Drew's recommendation to become the Cape May County Prosecutor,” Sutherland said. “I look forward to working with the law enforcement community to continue the mission of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office on behalf of the citizens of Cape May County.”

Before being nominated as prosecutor, Sutherland was in private law practice for 27 years in South Jersey, leading The Sutherland Law Firm, P.C., in South Seaville and Linwood since 2006. From 1995 to 2006, he was a sole practitioner or founding partner in two other firms based in Linwood. Sutherland has represented municipalities, corporations and utilities, as well as individual clients.

His law practice has encompassed complex litigation and transactions involving estates, real estate, commercial disputes, environmental law, toxic torts, property rights, construction litigation, business sales, contracts, licensing agreements, commercial leases, commercial loans, employment law and personal injury cases. Sutherland also has served as municipal prosecutor for the City of Ventnor.

Sutherland earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Bloomsburg University in 1986, and received his Juris Doctor Degree from Widener University School of Law in 1989. He served on the Cape May County Board of Elections since 2013. He also has served as a mediator for Superior Court in Cape May and Atlantic Counties and has served on the District I Fee Arbitration Committee for the New Jersey Supreme Court since 2016.
Sutherland has been a board member for charitable nonprofit organizations and was a member of the Ocean City Historic Preservation Commission from 2009 to 2016.

The attached image of Jeffrey H. Sutherland was provided by the Attorney General’s Office