On July 23, 2024, the saga of the kiss heard ‘round the New Jersey judiciary came to an end when the state Supreme Court held that the failure of former prison guard Brian Ambroise to report his kiss with a prisoner—identified as “J.O.”—was sufficient to support his termination from employment with the state Department of Corrections (DOC).
In a videotaped interview on October 7, 2016, J.O. informed staffers with the Special Investigation Division (SID) at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility (EMCF) that she and Ambroise had a sexual relationship. J.O. stated that Ambroise kissed her and performed oral sex on her while the two of them were inside a storage closet. J.O. provided investigators with Q-tips that she had purportedly used to swab her mouth and vaginal area after the alleged incident. J.O. also informed the SID that Ambroise brought her contraband and passed notes between her and another prisoner.
Lt. Kristen Larsen and Det. Sgt. Aaron Lacey of the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, along with SID Senior Investigator Michael Kubik and Principal Investigator Jerome Scott, then conducted a videotaped interview of Ambroise. Prior to the interview, Ambroise waived his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966), …
