Morris County Chief Assistant Prosecutor honored for decades of service and mental health advocacy
MORRIS COUNTY, NJ – Chief Assistant Prosecutor Meg Rodriguez of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has been recognized by the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey (CPANJ) with the 2025 Outstanding Advocacy Over a Career in a Non-Trial Position award, celebrating her extensive contributions to mental health initiatives and criminal justice reform.
The award was presented on November 24 at the CPANJ Annual College in Atlantic City, a two-day statewide training program attended by county prosecutors, assistant prosecutors, and members of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
Rodriguez began her career with the Prosecutor’s Office in 1997 as a legal assistant, later being sworn in as an Assistant Prosecutor in 1998. She served in the Juvenile Unit, Trial Team, and notably in the Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit, where she became Supervising Assistant Prosecutor in 2010. In that role, she provided legal guidance to the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and contributed to statewide reforms including training for first responders handling sexual assault cases.
Since 2020, Rodriguez has led the Courts & Administration Division, where she has expanded the Mental Health Diversion Program in coordination with the Judiciary and the Mental Health Association. She also launched the Morris County Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and continues to serve as its coordinator. Under her leadership, CIT has conducted 15 full 40-hour training sessions for law enforcement and civilian crisis responders, along with four advanced sessions for dispatchers and graduates.
Rodriguez was also instrumental in launching the countywide rollout of the ARRIVE Together program, a co-responder initiative pairing mental health clinicians with police officers to respond to behavioral health crises. The Morris County version currently leads the state in successful clinician-led interventions.
Promoted to Chief Assistant Prosecutor in April 2022, Rodriguez now oversees the General Investigations Unit, Pre-Trial Services, Appellate Unit, Mental Health and Veterans Diversion programs, Recovery Court, and firearms regulation. She also works with the Administrative Office of the Courts on the Wellness Court pilot program and serves on several advisory boards focused on mental health and substance use.
Rodriguez is a Certified Criminal Trial Attorney and Police Training Commission Certified Instructor. She was named 2023 CIT Coordinator of the Year and was recently honored as an Honorary Chief of Police by the Morris County Chiefs Association on December 3.
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Key Points
- Chief Assistant Prosecutor Meg Rodriguez received CPANJ’s 2025 Outstanding Advocacy award for non-trial careers
- She led the creation of Morris County’s CIT and ARRIVE Together mental health programs
- Rodriguez has served the Prosecutor’s Office for over 27 years and was recently named an Honorary Chief of Police
