{{Short description|American politician}} {{other people}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Joseph Charles, Jr |office = Superior Court Judge |term_start = |term_end = |predecessor = |successor = |state_senate1 = |district1 = |term_start1 = |term_end1 = |predecessor1 = |successor1 = |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|1|6}} |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |party = Democratic |education = Rutgers University, Camden }} '''Joseph Charles, Jr.''' (born January 6, 1944) is an American Democratic Party politician.<ref name=":0" />
== Early life and education == Charles graduated with a B.A. from Rutgers University in Chemistry, and was awarded a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law–Newark.<ref name="NJLEG" />
== Career == Charles served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2003, where he represented the 31st Legislative District. He had also served in the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature, the General Assembly, from 1982 to 2002. He currently serves as a Judge of the New Jersey Superior Court, a position he was appointed to in 2003 by then Gov. James McGreevey.
Charles resigned from his seat in the Senate effective August 18, 2003, and was replaced by L. Harvey Smith.<ref name=":0">[http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/digest/20031124.htm New Jersey Legislative Digest] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621015448/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/digest/20031124.htm |date=2016-06-21 }} for November 24, 2003. Accessed April 13, 2008. "Senator Joseph Charles, Jr., of the 31st Legislative District, has resigned effective August 18, 2003. L. Harvey Smith was sworn in as a member of the Senate for the 31st Legislative District."</ref>
He served in the Senate on the Labor Committee (as Co-Chair) and the Budget and Appropriations Committee.<ref name=NJLEG>{{cite web|url=http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/Charles.asp |title=Senator Charles' legislative web page |accessdate=2008-04-14 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030427223250/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/Charles.asp |archive-date=April 27, 2003 }}, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed April 13, 2008.</ref>
While in the Assembly, he served as Minority Leader Pro Tempore from 1997 to 2001, Minority Budget Officer from 1998 to 1999, Assistant Minority Leader from 1994 to 1995, Associate Minority Leader from 1992 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 1997, and as Assistant Majority Leader from 1990 to 1991. He has been an attorney with the firm of Ashley and Charles, and served as a Deputy Attorney General from 1970 to 1971.<ref name=NJLEG/>
=== Other work === In 2020 Charles joined a committee to review police policies in New Jersey. The committee was formed in response to national protest against police brutality.<ref>{{Cite web|title=NJ.com featured Haub Law Dean Horace Anderson in "Here are the 12 members of the new committee that will review police policies in Jersey City" {{!}} PACE UNIVERSITY|url=https://www.pace.edu/news-release/njcom-featured-haub-law-dean-horace-anderson-in-here-are-12-members-new-committee-will|access-date=2020-09-08|website=www.pace.edu|archive-date=2020-08-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823081505/https://www.pace.edu/news-release/njcom-featured-haub-law-dean-horace-anderson-in-here-are-12-members-new-committee-will|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030427223250/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/Charles.asp |date=April 27, 2003 |title=Senator Charles' legislative web page }}, New Jersey Legislature.
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-nj-sen}} {{succession box|title=New Jersey State Senator<br>31st Legislative District|before=Edward T. O'Connor, Jr.|after=L. Harvey Smith|years=January 8, 2002 – August 18, 2003}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles, Joseph Jr.}} Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:African-American state legislators in New Jersey Category:Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Category:Democratic Party New Jersey state senators Category:Politicians from Jersey City, New Jersey Category:Rutgers University alumni Category:21st-century American judges Category:21st-century American lawyers Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature Category:20th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature