October 27, 2008: The Morris County Prosecutor's Office has added an assistant prosecutor to the roster, hiring a 30-year-old Somerset County native for the job.

Amy Knutsen, who has been working as a law clerk in the office since July, was promoted to her new post Friday, when Superior Court Judge Thomas Manahan presided over the swearing-in ceremony and noted Knutsen's work ethic in his courtroom.

Knutsen, who is married, noted she has long wanted to work for the prosecutor's office, "I was bit by the bug a couple of years ago, when I was a law clerk in Orange County, California and actually had the opportunity to argue cases in court. I knew that this is what I wanted to do."

Prosecutor Robert Bianchi said Knutsen is "intelligent, extremely pleasant and hardworking. She sacrificed a career in private practice to take a chance that she'd get promoted from a law clerk to an assistant prosecutor. That tells me she has a lot of heart."

Media Contact: Agent William Swayze