Camden People - Mitchell Cohen

MITCHELL COHEN had a long career as a lawyer and judge in Camden. A Democrat aligned with George R. Brunner in the mid-1930s, he was named Camden City Prosecutor in the October of 1936, when a New Jersey State Supreme Court decision gave control of City government to the Democrat party. He was made acting judge in Camden's Police Court by June of 1939. Mitchell Cohen also served as Camden County Prosecutor in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

The 1947 Camden City Directory shows that Mitchell Cohen was living at 413 Penn Street. This house had been from the 1900s through at least the 1930s the home for three sisters who were long-time Camden schoolteachers, Frances Wilmerton, Mary Brown, and Margaret Thomson.

Mitchell Cohen was Camden County prosecutor in 1949 when Howard Unruh went on a rampage, leaving 13 people dead. Mitchell Cohen took Unruh's statement, which remains sealed to this day. Also during Cohen's tenure as County Prosecutor, long-time Camden County Chief of Detectives Larry Doran retired. He was still County Prosecutor as late as 1954.

Mitchell Cohen rose to the post of Chief Justice of the Federal District Court in Camden. The Courthouse, erected in the late 1990s, bears his name.

Camden Courier-Post * October 29, 1931

BAIRD TO ADDRESS HEBREW LEAGUE

David Baird, Jr., Republican nominee for governor, will make his final appearance in the current election campaign Monday night, in his "own home town," when he will address a monster rally at the Hebrew Republican League, at the Talmud Torah, 621 Kaighn avenue.

The Hebrew league reorganized formally at a luncheon in the Hotel Walt Whitman. Lewis Liberman, assistant city solicitor, was elected president; Sig Schoenagle, Samuel Shaner, Israel Weitzman, vice-presidents; L. Scott Cherchesky, secretary, and Samuel Label, treasurer.

Trustees of the league include Hyman Bloom, Mitchell E. Cohen, Benjamin Friedman, Jacob L. Furer, Isadore H. Hermann, Carl Kisselman, Edward Markowitz, Louis L. Markowitz, Harry Obus, Maurice L. Praissman, Samuel Richelson, Meyer L. Sakin, Julius Rosenberg, Jacob Rosenkrantz and Jack Weinberg.

In addition to former Senator Baird, speakers at the Jewish rally will include Mrs. Elizabeth C. Verga, Republican state committeewoman and vice chairman of the county committee; Congressman Charles A. Wolverton, Congressman Benjamin Golder, of Pennsylvania, and State Senator Samuel Salus, of Pennsylvania.

Camden Courier-Post - June 1, 1939

MAN IS HELD AGAIN IN FERRY MURDERS
Beckett Listed as Material Witness After Serving 6 Months for Assault

Raymond Beckett, 24, who police said confessed participation in the holdup-murder of Harry C. Armstrong, ferry toll collector, on July 17, last year, was held without bail for the grand jury yesterday as a "material witness" in the case.

Beckett will complete a six month county jail sentence for assault and battery today. County Detective James J. Mulligan appeared before Acting Police Judge Mitchell Cohen and asked that he be held for the grand jury, and the court complied.

Beckett, a resident of Bedford, Pa., was arrested after he allegedly had informed his wife "he could not come to Camden, because of a murder mixup there." Later Beckett implicated two other Camden men in the slaying, according to police. The case is still being investigated.

Armstrong, veteran employee of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was shot by two "white-pants" bandits early on the morning of July 17, when he sounded an alarm as they attempted to hold him up in the ferry toll booth at the Market street ferries..

Camden Courier-Post - April 14, 1950

Retirement Dinner

April 1950

Seated: Larry Doran

Standing, Right to Left:

County Prosecutor Mitchell Cohen
Judge Bartholomew A Sheehan
Judge Frank T. Lloyd Jr.
First Assistant Prosecutor William T. Cahill
NJ Supreme Court Justice Albert E. Burling

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A difficult case that Mitchell H. Cohen investigated in 1953 while County Prosecutor was that of the tragic suicide of James S. Wilkie, son of a veteran Camden police officer, John V. Wilkie. For several days after the shooting, Sgt. Wilkie claimed that he had shot his son, in order that he receive a Catholic funeral. He retracted his confession after it became apparent that he could not deceive the city and county investigators, and was released after the grand jury refused to return an indictment.

This tragic case saw the involvement of many of Camden's law enforcement and legal community, including Benjamin Asbell, Wilfred Dube, Thomas Murphy, James J. Mulligan, J. James Hainsworth, Samuel P. Orlando, John Healey, and Joseph Bennie, among others.

Camden Courier-Post - December 21, 1953

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Gettysburg PA Times - December 23, 1953

Detective Is Held For Shooting Son

Camden NJ (AP)- A Camden city detective, Sgt. John V. Wilkie, is being held on a manslaughter charge in the shooting of his 17 year-old son.
       Police said last night Wilkie told them his son was killed accidentally as he and the youth struggled for his service revolver Sunday morning.
       The boy's death had been called a suicide by Camden County Coroner John A. Healy. A pathology report indicated that the head wound sustained by the younger Wilkie was self-inflicted.
       Camden County Prosecutor Mitchell H. Cohen said the detective told him he tried to take his own life after his son was shot but the pistol misfired.
       Wilkie was charged with manslaughter and held in custody pending a hearing to set bail.

Camden Courier-Post - December 24, 1953

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Camden Courier-Post - December 26, 1953


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Camden Courier-Post - December 28, 1953

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Camden Courier-Post - December 31, 1953
*Wilkie Freed By Vote of Grand Jury*

Camden Courier-Post - June 10, 1960

Plea Changed By Peterson To No Defense

Henry W. Peterson, former secretary of the South Jersey Port Commission, changed his plea in Camden County Court from not guilty to no defense to charges of malfeasance in office and false swearing.

The charges grew out of a grand jury investigation of the Port Commission, which operates the Camden Marine Terminal. Peterson, of Woodbury, entered the plea through his attorney, J. Claud Simon, Thursday before Camden County Judge Cohen.

Cohen said he would sentence Peterson June 23. He ordered a pre-sentence investigation. The indictments were returned against Peterson, former Woodbury mayor, in January.

Camden County Prosecutor Heine said at that time that the indictments charged Peterson with malfeasance in office as the result of padding his expense in the amount of $2000 between 1958 and 1959. The other indictment listed four counts of false testimony before the grand jury on September 10.

Camden Courier-Post - April 14, 1950


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*Camden Courier-Post January 5, 1938**

*Camden Courier-Post January 7, 1938**

*Camden Courier-Post January 5, 1940**