John D'Amico Jr. (born January 24, 1941) is an American Democratic Party politician from

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, who served on the

Monmouth County, New Jersey Monmouth County () is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is bordered to its west by Mercer and Middlesex Counties, to its south by Ocean County, to its east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to its north ...

Board of Chosen Freeholders In New Jersey, a Board of County Commissioners (until 2020 named the Board of Chosen Freeholders) is the elected county-wide government board in each of the state's 21 counties. In the five counties that have an elected county executive, the ...

and served in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

in 1988 and 1989. Born in Long Branch on January 24, 1941, D'Amico attended

Red Bank Regional High School Red Bank Regional High School (often abbreviated RBR) is a comprehensive regional four-year public high school and school district that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from the boroughs of Little Silver, Red Bank and Shrewsb ...

. He graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

in 1963 and from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

in 1966. D’Amico served as a Councilman in

Oceanport, New Jersey Oceanport is a borough situated in the Jersey Shore region, within Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, specifically Central Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,150, an increase of 318 (+5.5 ...

from 1979 to 1984 and was elected to a three-year term as a Monmouth County Freeholder in 1983. He was reelected in 1986. As Freeholder, he helped found the Monmouth County Department of Transportation and the Office of Recycling. Following the death of Representative

James J. Howard James John Howard (July 24, 1927 – March 25, 1988) was an American educator and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1965 until his death from a h ...

State Senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...

Frank Pallone Frank Joseph Pallone Jr. ( ; born October 30, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1988. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 3rd district from 1988 to 1993, ...

was elected to fill the vacancy. On December 10, 1988, John D'Amico was elected to Pallone's senate vacancy by the Democratic County Party Committee members in the 11th Legislative District; he was the first of the state's legislators to be chosen by a political caucus and not popularly elected. Eleven months later, he was defeated in the 1989 general election by Republican Assemblyman Joseph A. Palaia. During his tenure in the New Jersey Senate, D'Amico sponsored bills on transportation and the environment, including a Green Acres Bond Act and the Clean Water Enforcement Act. In 1992, he was appointed as a Judge of the

New Jersey Superior Court The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with statewide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The New Jersey Constitution of 1947 establishes the power of the New Jersey courts: under Article Six of the State Consti ...

. During his tenure, he developed a streamlined trial procedure called an "Expedited Jury Trial" that is in use statewide and has been emulated in other states. In 2003, he was appointed Chairman of the

New Jersey State Parole Board The New Jersey State Parole Board is a governmental body in the U.S. State of New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the ...

. As Chairman, he implemented a system of graduated sanctions for technical violations of conditions of parole with a focus on rehabilitation. To enhance re-entry programs, he established re-entry task forces to work with individual volunteers, faith-based entities, and nonprofit agencies to address the issues of housing, employment, addiction, gang activity, family reunification, and transportation. He retired from his position as Chairman in 2007. He was elected to a third three-year term as Freeholder in November 2007. As a freeholder, D'Amico oversaw Planning, Commerce and Education, which includes

Brookdale Community College Brookdale Community College is a public community college in the Lincroft section of Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Founded in 1967, the college also has regional locations in Neptune Township, Free ...

, Economic Development & Tourism, Planning Board, Superintendent of Schools and the Vocational Board of Education. He served as Deputy Director of the board in 2009. At the January 7, 2010, annual reorganization, he was succeeded as Deputy Director by Robert D. Clifton. D'Amico, after the election and short of his 70th birthday, announced his retirement from politics. He was the recipient of the 2016 ''New Jersey Law Journal'' Lifetime Achievement Award based on his career in public service, including serving as a superior court judge, chairman of the state parole board, a state senator, a Monmouth County Freeholder during three different decades at two different times and as an Oceanport councilman. D'Amico currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NY/NJ Baykeeper, a non-profit environmental organization. NY/NJ Baykeeper's mission is to protect, preserve, and restore the ecological integrity and productivity of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Monmouth County Parks. His book, "Murder, Media, and Metamorphosis: A Memoir and Guidebook to Save Democracy and the Planet", is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:D'Amico, John Jr. Living people 1941 births Harvard College alumni Harvard Law School alumni County commissioners in New Jersey New Jersey city council members Democratic Party New Jersey state senators Lawyers from Monmouth County, New Jersey New Jersey state court judges Politicians from Long Branch, New Jersey People from Oceanport, New Jersey Politicians from Monmouth County, New Jersey Red Bank Regional High School alumni 20th-century New Jersey state court judges 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature