The New Jersey Senate confirmed Jennifer Davenport Tuesday as attorney general after the career prosecutor and defense lawyer pledged to firm up relationships between her office, law enforcement, and legislators.
The 38-0 vote approves Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s (D) selection to replace Matthew Platkin, who butted heads with lawmakers over prosecutions and investigations into law enforcement and political insiders.
“I didn’t go into law enforcement to pick fights, and I care about our relationships with career law enforcement officers at every level,” Davenport said during her confirmation hearing in January.
Since taking on the post in an acting basis Davenport reversed the office’s stance toward Democratic powerbroker George Norcross. Instead of taking an appeals court decision dismissing the tax credit racketeering case up to the New Jersey Supreme Court, Davenport decided to dismiss all of the charges.
Lawmakers have pushed for her to tamp down on Platkin’s investigations into police misconduct. Decisions from her will be key to the continuation of a state investigation into racially-disparate traffic stops, and the takeover of the City of Paterson’s police department following the police shooting of an activist.
During her confirmation hearing Davenport said she’s “worked across her whole career” with law enforcement, and while her office will address policing problems, “we need to make sure we’re doing all we can to promote the good work that’s happening every day—that law enforcement across the country are doing the right thing.”
Immediately following the vote Davenport issued a statement thanking Sherrill and the legislature.
“I will serve with fairness, independence, and integrity—the same values that have guided every step of my public service,” she said.
(Adds comment from Davenport in paragraphs seven and eight. )
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