By: Najla Alexander
Morris County officials announced that the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Supervising Assistant Prosecutor LaJuan Tucker has been honored with the Criminal Practice Award by the Morris County Bar Association. The Morris County Bar Association Installation & Awards Dinner was held on April 16, 2026, at the Brooklake Country Club in Florham Park.
According to MCPO officials, the Criminal Practice Award is given annually to an attorney member of the MCBA who has elevated their area by service to the practice, professionalism, and dedication to fostering the relationship between attorney practitioners and the bench. The award reflects the belief that a collegial and mutually respectful relationship between the bench and the bar is a critical component of the administration of justice.
Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Tucker currently heads the Pretrial Services, Diversion, and Firearms Regulations Units, MCPO officials say. She has been an Assistant Prosecutor since 2002 and has served in many positions within the MCPO, including serving on the Trial Team, handling jury trials, and later supervising the Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit.
In 2010, SAP Tucker created the first-ever Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Mental Health Program, which diverted eligible participants from jail and allowed them the opportunity to receive treatment as a condition of probation. Within the last five years, SAP Tucker helped lead the expansion of the Mental Health and Veterans Diversion Program (MHVDP), coordinating efforts with the Judiciary and Mental Health Association, Morris County officials stated.
Morris County authorities said she not only supervises the MHVDP by re-routing eligible individuals away from the criminal justice system and towards appropriate mental health services, but she also supervises Recovery Court, which helps divert non-violent, drug-dependent defendants to an alternate program instead of incarceration. She has served on the Morris County Mental Health Substance Abuse Advisory Board for decades and is the Mental Health Liaison to the Attorney General’s Office.
SAP Tucker is also dedicated to the Morris County legal community as she is presently the Chair of the Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Committee of the Morris County Bar Association, according to Morris County officials. She consistently seeks ways to make the criminal practice in Morris County the best it can be.
The Morris County Bar Association is a professional association of attorneys and members of the judiciary who live in and/or practice law in Morris County, MCPO officials say.
MCPO officials said the objectives of the Association are to maintain the honor and dignity of the profession of law; to promote an understanding of the law and its application in society; to foster the due administration of justice; and to promote the capacity of the Bar for public service, particularly the provision of pro bono and/or reduced fee legal services in appropriate cases.
The Association is governed by a Board of Trustees, elected by the membership. The Morris County Bar Foundation was established in 1990 to serve as the charitable affiliate of the Morris County Bar Association. MCPO authorities said.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said, “SAP Tucker always displays professionalism in the courtroom, and she is highly respected by judges, defense attorneys, and her co-workers alike. She has developed meaningful relationships with Morris County criminal practitioners, especially in the mental health diversion field, and has demonstrated her commitment to the administration of justice."