Prosecutor: Retired vs. Former: compare Apples to Apples

A client recently asked me about my former career as a senior assistant county prosecutor in the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office. He was inquiring about my experience compared to another attorney who said he/she was a former assistant prosecutor. So, I looked up Attorney X on their website. I know Attorney X (a good attorney and a better person), but only had three years of service in the county prosecutor's office. But you wouldn't know that upon reading the bio on the website. Significant differences exist as one does their due diligence in finding an experienced criminal defense attorney.

Being a “former assistant prosecutor” and  “former assistant prosecutor (retiring) after 25 years of experience” are two different things.

In my case,  I retired as an assistant prosecutor after 25 years of service. That contrasts with saying, "I'm a former assistant prosecutor. " It differs in the following ways:

"Former assistant prosecutor" denotes someone formerly an assistant prosecutor but no longer employed by a county prosecutor's office. After working as an assistant prosecutor for a specific number of years, a person may retire using the title "retired assistant prosecutor" (usually 20 or more). "Retired" is the term. The word "retired assistant county prosecutor with 25 years of service" indicates that the person worked as an assistant prosecutor for 25 years, indicating a high level of experience and expertise. A person described as a "former assistant prosecutor" does not necessarily mean they held the post for a long time or accrued much knowledge. 'Former assistant prosecutor' does not explain why the person left the position - they could have resigned, been fired, or left for personal reasons. In David L. Pine's case, "retired assistant prosecutor" refers to a person who left their position as an assistant county prosecutor voluntarily, perhaps due to retirement eligibility or reaching retirement age.

Overall, "retired assistant prosecutor with 25 years of service" provides more specific and detailed information about the person's professional background and experience than simply stating that they are a former assistant prosecutor.