Ocean County Prosecutor
A native of Ocean County, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer earned an Associate’s Degree in General Education from Ocean County College before transferring to Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. A Dean’s List student, Prosecutor Billhimer graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1994.
Prosecutor Billhimer began his public service in Washington, D.C. in 1994, as an intern for former United States Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ). Prosecutor Billhimer attended Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware, where he was Vice President of the Student Bar Association, campus liaison for the American Bar Association-Law School Division, and Vice President of the Sports & Entertainment Law Society. In 2000, Prosecutor Billhimer earned his Juris Doctorate, and was the recipient of the Dean Arthur A. Weeks Outstanding Service Award for his graduating class.
Prosecutor Billhimer continued his public service as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Barbara Ann Villano, J.S.C. (now retired) in Ocean County for the 2000-2001 court term. Following his judicial clerkship, he entered into private practice as an associate with a Toms River law firm; Prosecutor Billhimer became a partner in the Law Offices of Mohel & Billhimer in 2006. Prosecutor Billhimer opened his own private law practice in February 2010 with a focus on criminal defense litigation in both the Superior and Municipal Courts, and continued to share his legal acumen as an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure at Ocean County College from 2005 through 2018.
While in the private sector, Prosecutor Billhimer served two consecutive terms on the District IIIA Ethics Committee, as well as the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Character for applicants to the New Jersey State Bar. He served on the Judicial and Prosecutorial Appointment Committee for the Ocean County Bar Association from 2016 though 2018. He proudly served on the Board of Trustees for the People’s Pantry from 2015 through 2018. Prosecutor Billhimer is a member of the Ocean County Bar Association and the New Jersey State Bar Association.
In September 2018, Prosecutor Billhimer was nominated by Governor Philip Murphy to be Ocean County Prosecutor, and was formally sworn into Office on October 09, 2018. He was re-nominated by the Governor for a second term as Ocean County Prosecutor on November 30, 2023, and sworn into his second term of Office on January 24, 2024. Prosecutor Billhimer is the first two-term Ocean County Prosecutor since the Honorable Edward J. Turnbach, (1976-1987).
Since his swearing-in in 2018, Prosecutor Billhimer has been recognized on numerous occasions for his efforts in making Ocean County a safer place to live, work, and raise a family. In December 2019, Prosecutor Billhimer received the “Terrence P. Farley Recognition of Excellence Award” for his commitment to substance abuse prevention from the DART Prevention Coalition. In May 2021, Prosecutor Billhimer was honored to receive an award from the New Jersey Chapter of the National Chaplains Association in recognition of his efforts in establishing the Ocean County Chaplains Program, which provides assistance to the citizens of Ocean County as well as law enforcement officers in times of crisis. In January 2023, Prosecutor Billhimer was honored by the New Jersey Bias Crimes Officers Association with their most prestigious award – the “Thomas E. Culp, Sr. Exceptional Leadership Award” – for his steadfast leadership in standing up to hate and bias in all its insidious forms in Ocean County. In that same vein, the Prosecutor was honored in December 2023 as a “Hero Against Hate” at the annual Heroes Against Hate Community of Caring Celebration – sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Ocean County. In May 2024, Prosecutor Billhimer and the entire staff of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office were the proud recipients of the 2024 Initiative Award from the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General – specifically for launching the “Hate Has No Home in Ocean County” initiative. Also in May 2024, Prosecutor Billhimer was recognized as “Prosecutor of the Year” by the New Jersey Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association, for his unwavering dedication to combating substance abuse and the illegal distribution of controlled dangerous substances in Ocean County, by combining traditional criminal investigation/prosecution with addiction resource assistance and community outreach programs.
Prosecutor Billhimer presently serves as the 2nd Vice President of the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey. He has served on the Ocean County Opioid Advisory Council since 2023, and is a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Criminal Practice and the New Jersey Supreme Court Municipal Court Practice Committees.