N.J. prosecutor's group honors Glouco's Sand

Back in 1984, Steven Sand left the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office for a law firm nearby. He returned a week later, convinced that prosecution was his calling.

"There's no need for bluff or bluster or histrionics," he said. "You can just do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may."

Sand, 54, went on to prosecute high-profile murder cases and rose to the position of first assistant prosecutor. He recently was recognized by the New Jersey County Prosecutors' Association for outstanding advocacy throughout his career.

Among Sand's most prominent cases were the convictions of Charles Staples and Robert "Mudman" Simon in the 1995 shooting death of Sgt. Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez of the Franklin Township police, the conviction of Walter Johnson in the 1984 murder of a Pitman husband and wife, and the cold-case conviction in 2004 of Jeffrey Bayer, who was the teenage son of the Woodbury mayor in 1979 when, jurors found, he murdered the elderly widow of another Woodbury mayor.

In his nomination of Sand, Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton described the first assistant prosecutor as an excellent trial attorney whose contributions extended beyond the courtroom to supervising units and teaching at the county police academy.

"He has the rare ability to combine a great sense of humor along with a great acumen as a prosecutor," Dalton said. "In a profession where you're dealing with tragedy on a daily basis, he will instill his quick wit and lighten the mood."

It was Sand's success with high-profile cases and his presence as a teacher that impressed the the state association, said association president Ronald Casella, the Cumberland County prosecutor.

"Not only was he a mentor for young assistant prosecutors," Casella said, "but in addition, he was just a really good role model."

Sand graduated from Rutgers School of Law in 1979 and, after a few months reading bar exam prep books and science fiction novels, joined the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. He moved to the Gloucester County office in 1982 and - with the exception of his week in private practice - has remained there since.

When he retires from the prosecutor's office, Sand plans to spend more time hiking in the forests and mountains of New Hampshire and Colorado. A Grateful Dead fan since the early 1970s, he has seen the band perform live 90 times. He lives with his wife, Patti, in Wenonah. They have two sons, Joshua, who attends chiropractic school, and Jacob, a rock climbing instructor.

Whether he is speaking to jurors or advising area residents, Sand said, he strives to treat people with equity and respect.

"The criminal justice system is rough on everybody," Sand said. "Certainly people do bad things and deserve punishment. But they can still be treated fairly."

He considers representing victims of sex crimes one of his highest duties as a prosecutor, "hopefully helping them walk out of the courtroom shedding some of that burden."

Michael DiGiorgio, chief of the Franklin Township police, has considered Sand a friend since they worked together in the Prosecutor's Office in the late 1980s. DiGiorgio was present during Sand's prosecution of the Gonzalez homicide, as well as numerous other cases.

"My personal opinion is, if I were a victim, I would want Steve Sand as the prosecutor on my case," DiGiorgio said. "He's sympathetic to victim needs but aggressive in getting his point across to the judge and jury.

"He tells it like it is."