The civil complaint against Christie was filed in the wake of testimony from the Bridgegate criminal trial.
HACKENSACK -- A judge said Wednesday that she will decide by the end of the week whether a request for a special prosecutor to handle a citizen's complaint against Gov. Chris Christie for his alleged role in the Bridgegate scandal should be granted.
Superior Court Judge Bonnie Mizdol said she hated to be "anti-climactic," but would take oral arguments heard on Wednesday in the Bergen County Courthouse under consideration before making a ruling.
"I want everyone to understand that this court is very mindful of the heightened concern for conflict," Mizdol said. "I will reflect upon your arguments."
The complaint by former firefighter and activist Bill Brennan of Wayne alleges that Christie knew of the now-infamous scheme, in which former aides and allies were convicted of conspiring to cause gridlock in the small Bergen County town to retaliate against its mayor for refusing to endorse the governor.
Brennan likened the state's attorney general's office prosecuting the case against Christie to a "master-servant" relationship. He argued that despite state Attorney General Christopher Porrino recusing himself, as well as the Bergen County prosecutor, they still have conflicts of interests if their subordinates are in charge of the prosecution.
"I don't think there's any more clear example of a conflict," Brennan argued.
"Christopher Porrino is conflicted," he said. "The people he dedicated to prosecute this case serve at his pleasure."
He added: "The conflict is real and palpable."
Porrino is Christie's former chief counsel who served closely with the governor since the early days of the Bridgegate fallout. Christie appointed him attorney general in June.
Christie's attorney Craig Carpenito, meanwhile, argued Brennan is seeking the limelight and has been in pursuit of a frivolous civilian complaint.
He argued that after a federal prosecution in the Bridgegate matter, a legislative investigation led by a Democratic-controlled committee and a review from the governor's office into the scheme that the Bridgegate "case is over."
"Mr. Brennan is trying to revive this, quite frankly, for his own ... interest," Carpenito said.
Similarly, the attorney general's office argued against Brennan's suggestion that all attorneys within a prosecutor's office are somehow "tainted" just because they serve under Porrino.
Christie won't appear in court this year
Christie, who was never criminally charged in the federal Bridgegate case, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and, through a spokesman, has called the citizen complaint "dishonorable."
Earlier this month, Christie's former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, and his top appointee to the Port Authority, Bill Baroni, were both found guilty on nine charges for their roles in the Bridgegate scandal.
The admitted mastermind of the scheme, David Wildstein, pleaded guilty to federal crimes and testified against Baroni and Kelly.
NJ Advance Media staff writer S.P. Sullivan contributed to this report.
Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook.