Acting prosecutor retires

Acting Sussex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray is retiring Saturday, Feb. 1, and will be succeeded by first assistant prosecutor Sahil Kabse, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said Thursday, Jan. 30.

Murray, a former Family Court judge and former state and federal prosecutor, was appointed acting prosecutor in November 2023.

Before that, she had served as the inaugural director of the Conviction Review Unit within the state Office of Public Integrity and Accountability since April 2019.

“Carolyn Murray has filled many roles in her esteemed career in public service, all of them revolving around the pursuit of doing what is right and affirming the public’s faith in our criminal justice system,” Platkin said.

“She has led the first statewide conviction review unit to be based in an Attorney General’s Office - an office that rights past wrongs. She has been called to serve in leadership positions in our office as well as in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, where she served for six years as the acting county prosecutor.

“I want to thank Carolyn for her selfless dedication to public service and her tireless efforts on behalf of the people of New Jersey. I have personally enjoyed working with Carolyn as well as having the opportunity to know her as a truly wonderful person.”

Murray said, “I have been fortunate to be able to spend so much of my career in public service, working for the people of New Jersey in the cause of justice. To conclude this run as one of 21 New Jersey county prosecutors has been an honor, and I’m grateful to Attorney General Platkin for giving me that opportunity.

“The men and women who work in the justice system at all levels and in all roles are some of the finest people I know, and I am proud to have been their colleague.”

Murray was nominated and confirmed as a Superior Court judge in 2017. Before that, she served in multiple roles at the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. Starting in 2011, Murray served as acting Essex County prosecutor until her appointment as a Superior Court judge.

In 1995, Murray joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, where she tried criminal cases and served as violent crime coordinator. In 2002, she was named chief of the Public Protection Unit.

Murray began her career with the law firm Tompkins, McGuire & Wachenfeld in Newark. She graduated from Georgetown University and received her law degree from New York University School of Law.

Line prosecutor

Kabse has served as acting first assistant Sussex County prosecutor since February 2024.

“Sahil Kabse has spent his career as a line prosecutor in this state handling the most serious criminal matters to ensure public safety,” Platkin said. “His experience working in three different county prosecutor’s offices, as well as work in the private sector on corporate compliance and complex financial litigation, makes him the ideal person to take over the operation of the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office upon Carolyn’s retirement.”

Kabse said, “I am honored to fill the role as acting county prosecutor and to serve the people of Sussex County. I want to thank Attorney General Platkin and Acting County Prosecutor Murray for putting their trust in me to lead this office of dedicated law enforcement officers and skilled public servants.”

He has prosecuted 10 homicide matters in Sussex County and seven in Morris and Essex counties. He has tried dozens of violent crime indictments to juries in Sussex, Morris and Essex counties.

He is a Sussex County resident.

Since December 2022, Kabse has held leadership positions in the office. He previously served as an assistant prosecutor in the Major Crimes and Special Victims units in Sussex County.

Kabse worked as an assistant prosecutor in the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office from June 2013 until September 2015 and in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office from September 2006 until April 2013.

He was a law clerk for Superior Court Judges Philip Freedman and Serena Perretti from September 2005 until August 2006.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and his law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark.