Morris County First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood has been recognized with the 2024 County Prosecutor’s Outstanding Advocacy Over a Career Award.
This prestigious honor was presented at the County Prosecutor’s Association College in Atlantic City on November 25, 2024. The college is an annual two-day training program at Caesars Hotel & Casino, in which county prosecutors, assistant prosecutors, detectives and members of the state Attorney General’s Office took part in an array of breakout sessions on a variety of legal issues.
This Outstanding Advocacy award bestowed to First Assistant Prosecutor Calderwood reflects the respect and professional recognition of the New Jersey prosecutorial field, as she was selected from the 21 County Prosecutor’s Offices statewide.
First Assistant Prosecutor Calderwood has served as the First Assistant Prosecutor to Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll since January 4, 2021. She has been an Assistant Prosecutor for thirty years and specifically with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office for the last twenty-seven. She is recognized as a Certified Criminal Trial Attorney by the Supreme Court of New Jersey since 2011.
Prior to her appointment as First Assistant Prosecutor, FAP Calderwood held the title of Chief Assistant Prosecutor and managed the Tactical Division, including the Major Crimes, Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment and Domestic Violence Units, and the Courts & Administration Division, including the General Investigations and Pretrial Services Units. Prior to that, FAP Calderwood held the title of Executive Assistant Prosecutor and managed the entire legal staff. During her career, she was also the Supervising Assistant Prosecutor of the Professional Standards Unit, the Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit, and the Trial Division.
FAP Calderwood has prosecuted numerous high profile, complex jury trials involving Murder, Aggravated Manslaughter/Vehicular Homicide, and Aggravated Sexual Assault cases with adult and child victims. Throughout her prosecutorial career, FAP Calderwood has lectured often on various legal and law enforcement topics at the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy, local schools and to the community at large.
In May 2019, FAP Calderwood was honored by the Superior Court of New Jersey, Morris/Sussex Vicinage, and the Morris/Sussex County Bar Association for contributions to the justice system as part of the “Women Pioneers in the Law” exhibit. Since January of 2020, she has served as Co-Chair to the Morris County Bar Association’s Criminal Practice Committee. In June of 2022, the Morris County Bar Association awarded FAP Calderwood the “Criminal Practice Award” for her professionalism and dedication to the field.
Before joining the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office in 1997, FAP Calderwood began her legal career with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office in 1994. While there, she was assigned to Appellate, Juvenile, Predisposition Court, and the Trial Team in which she represented the State in numerous jury trials.
FAP Calderwood earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Moravian College in 1988 and her Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1992. After graduating law school, FAP Calderwood served as the judicial law clerk to the Honorable Stephen F. Smith, Presiding Criminal Judge of the Superior Court in Morris County.
First Assistant Prosecutor Calderwood said, “I am honored to receive this award from CPANJ and thank Prosecutor Carroll for nominating me and for everything he does for the office, law enforcement, and the community. Every success, every milestone, and every challenge overcome was made possible by the support, collaboration, and hard work of the assistant prosecutors, detectives, and support staff, both past and present, that I have had the pleasure of working with. I am grateful for the opportunity I have had in my career to serve the community and fight for justice.”
Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said, “First Assistant Prosecutor Calderwood has served the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office admirably for nearly 30 years. She is a consummate prosecutor, and has absolute integrity, thorough legal skills, and is an excellent trial attorney who can be relied upon to lead any investigation, prosecution, or administration. She is especially skilled in leading and training Assistant Prosecutors in best practices, and how to achieve the balance between the stressors of professional and personal lives. For decades, she has exemplified the virtues all AP’s should strive towards – skill, passion, and dedication to serving the ideals of justice. She does so not just in mere words, but in her actions, ensuring the right thing is done in the right moment. FAP Calderwood has fought vociferously for just verdicts, while balancing the fairness towards defendants, with compassion to victims. Simply said, she is a complete prosecutor who has earned the respect of all with whom she interacts.”