When Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Selber walked out of the city's Criminal Justice Center last Thursday after the guilty verdicts and sentencings in the 2009 Piazza at Schmidts double-murder trial, it was her last time in court as a homicide prosecutor.
Beginning today, Selber, 41, becomes chief of the homicide division in the office of District Attorney Seth Williams. Earlier this year, Selber, a prosecutor for 12 years, was one of the prosecutors on the high-profile trial of three people in the starvation death of Danieal Kelly, the 14-year-old West Philadelphia girl with cerebral palsy.
According to Williams' spokeswoman Tasha Jamerson, Selber replaces Ann Ponterio, 52, a prosecutor since 1984 and a veteran administrator who will fill a new job as chief of performance and policy, monitoring the office's performance and statistical reports. Veteran homicide prosecutor Edward Cameron, 58, remains as deputy chief of homicide.
Jamerson said two other prosecutors have also been promoted: Laurie Malone becomes chief of the pretrial division and Jodi Lobel chief of the trial division.