Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson grew up in Somerset County and began his law career as a clerk in Somerset County Superior Court.
SOMERVILLE -- Acting Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson, who comes from a family of law enforcement officials, comes full circle by returning to his roots.
Robertson grew up in Bridgewater, graduated from Ridge High School in Bernards in 1995 and began his law career as a clerk for then-Superior Court Judge Victor Ashrafi. He was sworn in by Somerset County Superior Court Judge Yolanda Ciccone on Monday in the Ceremonial Room in the Historic Courthouse.
Accompanied by his wife, Michele, and two young children, Ashlyn, 7, and William, 4, Roberston thanked those who helped him along the way, especially Gov. Chris Christie.
He worked at the U.S. Attorney's office while Christie was still overseeing the office as chief federal law enforcement office in New Jersey.
"He has given me two amazing opportunities," said Robertson, who lives in Basking Ridge.
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Robertson, who must be confirmed by the state Senate, replaces Geoffrey Soriano, who was relieved of his duties on Feb. 18 by Gov. Chris Christie after five years in the post.
"I'm extremely excited about this opportunity," Robertson said before a packed courtroom that included acting assistant prosecutors and detectives who were also sworn in. "This is a homecoming for me. I started out my legal career here as a clerk with Judge Ashrafi in 2003 and it's great to see a lot of familiar faces."
Before swearing in Robertson, Ciccone acknowledge that it was a bitter-sweet day for many because Soriano was so well-liked.
"Today is a day of a lot of mixed emotions," the judge said.
Robertson said Soriano was exceedingly helpful in making the transition a seamless one. He said Soriano met with him several times and "laid out what I was stepping into. He was nothing short of a total professional and an absolute gentleman."
Robertson said his father is a retired Secret Service Agent who once worked in President Ronald Reagan's security detail. An uncle is a retired captain with the Plainfield police department who later worked for the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office as a detective on the narcotics squad.
Other family members were also in law enforcement, he said.
"My passion for this job run deep," said Robertson.
Robertson has spent the past eight years as an assistant U.S. Attorney working out of the Newark office. Prior to that, he was an assistant prosecutor in the Essex County Prosecutor's Office for three years and prosecuted a wide range of crimes.
"I've seen it all in Newark, as you can probably imagine," said Robertson, who earned his law degree from Hofstra University on Long Island in 2002.
Most recently, Robertson has been prosecuting white collar crimes in the Health Care Fraud Unit, Organized Crime and Gangs Unit and the Violent Crimes Unit among other things.