Theresa L. Hilton
Acting Prosecutor Hilton began her career as an active duty assistant staff judge advocate of the United States Air Force, where she was involved in the investigation and prosecution of multiple sexual assault allegations, among other responsibilities. She earned her B.A. in mathematics from Hamilton College, New York, and her J.D. from the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly University of California Hastings College of the Law).
Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa L. Hilton is an assistant attorney general and deputy director of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, Office of the Attorney General, where she supervises the DCJ sexual and domestic violence prosecution and policy portfolio. She also oversees the NJ Major Threats, Environmental Crimes, and Bias bureaus. She is also responsible for developing trauma-informed strategies for the eradication of domestic violence and sexual assault across New Jersey. Hilton was appointed to serve as acting Mercer County prosecutor by Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and sworn in on July 31, 2024.
A veteran litigator with extensive experience prosecuting domestic violence and sex assault crimes, Acting Prosecutor Hilton was brought on at DCJ by Attorney General Platkin in September 2022 to oversee sexual and domestic violence prevention policy and criminal enforcement work. She was the inaugural leader of the Human Trafficking Unit, which the attorney general created in January 2023.
Prior to joining DCJ, Acting Prosecutor Hilton was an assistant prosecutor for seven years with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office. She led its Domestic Violence Unit, where she revamped policies to remove artificial barriers to justice, including those that unfairly placed the weight of prosecutions on the shoulders of victims.
Acting Prosecutor Hilton began her career as an active duty assistant staff judge advocate of the United States Air Force, where she was involved in the investigation and prosecution of multiple sexual assault allegations, among other responsibilities. She earned her B.A. in mathematics from Hamilton College, New York, and her J.D. from the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly University of California Hastings College of the Law).