In one of his final acts in office, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy pardoned the son of a Democratic powerbroker after he was convicted in a deadly hit-and-run in Atlantic City.
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, Harris Jacobs, 28, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, was found guilty of second-degree knowingly leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred back on Sept. 4, 2022. Jacobs was driving a 2016 Toyota 4Runner along the 1800 block of Atlantic Avenue in Atlantic City around 3:35 a.m. when he struck 76-year-old Orlando Fraga, also of Atlantic City.
Surveillance video showed Jacobs getting out of his vehicle and walking to Fraga and leaning over his body on two separate occasions. He then returned to his vehicle and drove away without calling police. Fraga later died from his injuries.
Jacobs’ attorney, Lou Barbone, told NBC10 his client had no criminal intent when he left the scene of the crash.
“The accident was a tragic no escape impact in light of the pedestrian walking into the lane of travel at a construction site area,” Barbone said. “There was nothing Harris could do to avoid the accident.”
Barbone told NBC10 Harris was trying to help Fraga after the crash.
“He checked his pulse, made sure a bystander was calling 911 and checked the victim again, realizing he had expired,” Barbone said. “That was simply too much of an emotional trigger. And while Harris left the scene thereafter, he was turning himself in to report the accident the same morning.”
Jacobs’ initial trial in 2025 ended in a hung jury, according to Barbone. A retrial then took place in January 2026. Jacobs was then convicted on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. That same day, however, Gov. Murphy announced Jacobs was one of the 97 people he had pardoned as one of his final acts in office.
“Each pardon and commutation represents a story of accountability, growth, and redemption. From the outset, we have been guided by a fundamental belief that mercy and fairness are essential to a system that truly serves everyone,” Murphy wrote. “By offering second chances to individuals who have demonstrated rehabilitation and a commitment to their communities, we have strengthened not only individual lives, but our entire state.”
Barbone told NBC10 the pardon was granted before his client was convicted.
“The pardon was issued by Gov. Murphy around 8:30 a.m.,” Barbone wrote. “And while the state attorney called Harris and told him the pardon was being granted at 7:30 a.m., we did not have it by the time the jury announced it had a verdict at 10 a.m. We are filing a motion to vacate the conviction based on proof the pardon was granted prior to the jury’s verdict.”
NBC10 also reached out to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office. A spokesperson confirmed they were told that Murphy’s pardon was coming Tuesday morning while the jury was deliberating but the official release from the governor wasn’t posted until after the verdict.
“It must not be overlooked that the defendant’s conduct resulted in the death of an elderly gentleman who leaves behind a grieving family,” the spokesperson wrote. “This case was thoroughly investigated and prosecuted by the dedicated men and women of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office (ACPO), who brought this defendant to justice today.”
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Harris Jacobs is the son of Joe Jacobs, an Atlantic City power broker and Democratic fundraiser who has ties to Murphy and his wife Tammy Murphy.
“Unfortunately, when politics pervades justice, the rule of law becomes subordinate to influence and power…a conviction can be rendered meaningless not by the verdict of a jury, but by the intervention of political power and connections,” the ACPO spokesperson wrote. “Justice must be blind to status, relationships, power, and expediency; when it is not, the community loses faith in the very system meant to protect it.”
NBC10 is reaching out to Gov. Murphy for comment.
