New Jersey § 2a:157-10

§ 2a:157-10.

Except as otherwise provided by law, a county investigator employed by the county

prosecutor shall not be removed from office, employment or position for political

reasons or for any cause other than incapacity, misconduct, or disobedience of rules

and regulations established by the prosecutor, nor shall such investigator be suspended,

removed, fined or reduced in rank from or in office, employment, or position therein,

except for just cause as hereinbefore provided and then only upon a written complaint

setting forth the charge or charges against such investigator. The chief investigator and deputy chief investigator, however, may be removed or

demoted by the prosecutor. The complaint shall be filed in the office having charge of the office wherein the

complaint is made and a copy shall be served upon the investigator so charged, with

notice of a designated hearing thereon by the proper authorities, which shall be not

less than 10 or more than 30 days from the date of service of the complaint. A complaint charging a violation of the internal rules and regulations established

for the conduct of a prosecutor's office shall be filed no later than the 45th day

after the date on which the person filing the complaint obtained sufficient information

to file the matter upon which the complaint is based. The 45-day time limit shall not apply if an investigation of an investigator for

a violation of the internal rules or regulations of the office is included directly

or indirectly within a concurrent investigation of that office for a violation of

the criminal laws of this State. The 45-day limit shall begin on the day after the disposition of the criminal investigation. The 45-day requirement of this paragraph for the filing of a complaint against an

investigator shall not apply to a filing of a complaint by a private individual. A failure to comply with these provisions as to the service of the complaint and the

time within which a complaint is to be filed shall require a dismissal of the complaint. The investigator may waive the right to a hearing and may appeal the charges directly

to any available authority specified by law or regulation, or follow any other procedure

recognized by a contract, as permitted by law. For the purposes of this section, the transfer of an investigator from one section

or unit to another section or unit within the office of the prosecutor shall not constitute

a demotion, and the transferred investigator shall retain his rank, seniority, seniority-related

privileges and salary.