TRENTON – June 28, 2024 – The New Jersey Office of the Public Defender (NJOPD) has appointed Danica Rue as its first-ever Director of Investigations and Police Accountability. Rue will spearhead statewide efforts to enhance collaboration between public defenders and investigators, aiming to provide comprehensive defense services. She will assist attorneys in addressing police-related issues, develop systems to monitor police and prosecutorial misconduct in NJOPD cases, and advocate for policies targeting systemic misconduct. Rue will join the management team and report directly to Public Defender Jennifer Sellitti.
“Investigators are the backbone of our legal teams and work with our attorneys to uncover facts at the core of our cases. Their efforts sometimes also reveal systemic issues that must be addressed. This new position is designed not only to improve the quality of individual investigations but also to leverage information gathered to influence broader legal system policies, especially regarding police misconduct. Such misconduct threatens the integrity of our justice system, affects the rights of those we serve, and erodes public trust,” said Public Defender Sellitti. “Danica’s skills as an experienced trial lawyer, respected regional supervisor, and talented legal strategist make her the ideal candidate for this important and challenging role.”
In her new capacity, Rue will further NJOPD’s holistic defense model by fostering collaboration among attorneys, investigators, and social workers to deliver a full range of services. She will ensure access to credible police findings and hold prosecutors accountable for providing defense counsel with records of police misconduct under state guidelines, court rules, and constitutional law.
“This is an exciting time for our agency which, under Jennifer’s leadership, has already made great strides transforming our public defender system to both make the public safer and to provide better outcomes for the people we serve,” said Rue. “Having been with the NJOPD my entire career, I’m looking forward to this next chapter and the opportunity to work alongside my colleagues as we build this new department together.”
Rue began her career at NJOPD in 2010 as an Assistant Deputy Public Defender in Essex County. She represented individuals charged with felonies from arrest through plea or trial dismissal. Her notable achievements include handling complex forensic issues such as New Jersey's first successful Frye challenge to Shaken Baby Syndrome and trying the first Battered Person Syndrome homicide involving same-sex parties. Additionally, she trained new trial attorneys on DNA cases, cross-examination techniques, and Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Promoted in 2022 to First Assistant Deputy Public Defender, Rue mentored eight to ten attorneys in Essex Adult Region while providing trial strategy advice. She managed operational needs within trial courts and collaborated on attorney placements and hiring decisions.
Before joining NJOPD, Rue served as a judicial law clerk for Honorable Denise A. Cobham of Essex County Criminal Court. She also interned at ACLU of New Jersey and assisted former ACLU President Nadine Strossen.
Rue holds a J.D. from New York Law School and a B.A. in Political Science from Colorado College.
