Trenton, NJ – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and OPIA Executive Director Drew Skinner announced the appointment of a new director to the Conviction Review Unit (CRU). Patrice Bearden, the former Chief of Staff at the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), will now lead the CRU effective April 29, 2024, succeeding former director Carolyn Murray.
In her new role, Bearden will supervise the re-investigations of cases with credible claims of wrongful conviction and oversee cold-case investigations of unsolved crimes, following the steps of her predecessor, Carolyn Murray.
Attorney General Platkin highlighted Bearden’s experience as a public defender and Chief of Staff at OPIA, emphasizing her potential to lead the conviction review work effectively.
Bearden’s career background includes roles as a public defender in Monmouth County, where she managed numerous cases before becoming the First Assistant of the Monmouth office at the New Jersey Public Defender’s Office.
With a strong legal foundation from Rutgers University and Howard University School of Law, Bearden steps into her new role with the aim to continue the CRU’s pivotal efforts in ensuring just outcomes and independence in the criminal justice system.