2A:157-10.1 Causes for removal of county investigator.

2. Except as otherwise provided by law, a county investigator employed by the county prosecutor shall not be removed from office, employment or position for political reasons or for any cause other than incapacity, misconduct, or disobedience of rules and regulations established by the prosecutor, nor shall such investigator be suspended, removed, fined or reduced in rank from or in office, employment, or position therein, except for just cause as hereinbefore provided and then only upon a written complaint setting forth the charge or charges against such investigator. The chief investigator and deputy chief investigator, however, may be removed or demoted by the prosecutor. The complaint shall be filed in the office having charge of the office wherein the complaint is made and a copy shall be served upon the investigator so charged, with notice of a designated hearing thereon by the proper authorities, which shall be not less than 10 or more than 30 days from the date of service of the complaint.

A complaint charging a violation of the internal rules and regulations established for the conduct of a prosecutor's office shall be filed no later than the 45th day after the date on which the person filing the complaint obtained sufficient information to file the matter upon which the complaint is based. The 45-day time limit shall not apply if an investigation of an investigator for a violation of the internal rules or regulations of the office is included directly or indirectly within a concurrent investigation of that office for a violation of the criminal laws of this State. The 45-day limit shall begin on the day after the disposition of the criminal investigation. The 45-day requirement of this paragraph for the filing of a complaint against an investigator shall not apply to a filing of a complaint by a private individual.

A failure to comply with these provisions as to the service of the complaint and the time within which a complaint is to be filed shall require a dismissal of the complaint.

The investigator may waive the right to a hearing and may appeal the charges directly to any available authority specified by law or regulation, or follow any other procedure recognized by a contract, as permitted by law.

For the purposes of this section, the transfer of an investigator from one section or unit to another section or unit within the office of the prosecutor shall not constitute a demotion, and the transferred investigator shall retain his rank, seniority, seniority-related privileges and salary.

L.2003,c.173,s.2.