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Demoted Veteran Hamilton New Jersey Deputy Police Chief George Zimmer Jr. Shoots And Kills Himself
July 2nd, 2008
HAMILTON, NEW JERSEY - George Zimmer Jr., who was the police department’s lone deputy chief until last week, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in the basement of his home Tuesday morning, officials said.
George Zimmer Jr.
Zimmer was 55 years old and served as a township police officer for 31 years. He is survived by a wife and two teenage children.
The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office announced Zimmer’s death Tuesday evening, saying it was a suicide, but news of the tragedy rocketed through Mercer County public safety and political circles early Tuesday.
His was the second death to jolt the Hamilton government this week. Kevin “KC” Meara, 24, son of Councilman Kevin Meara, was found dead in his home on Monday.
Read MoreInvestigators Finally Get Around To Questioning Denville New Jersey Police Officer After He Shot And Killed A Motorist - Officials Continue To Hide Details From Family And Taxpayers
July 2nd, 2008
DENVILLE, NEW JERSEY - Morris County investigators today questioned Richard Byrne, the Denville police officer who shot and killed a 21-year-old motorist during a traffic stop last Thursday.
Denville Police Chief Christopher Wagner said Byrne met with investigators from the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office who are trying to determine what led the veteran police officer to shoot Ruben Walter Martinez, 21, five times after attempting to stop the motorist on Franklin Road near Route 46 at 2:14 a.m. Thursday.
Martinez, of formerly of Rockaway Township, tried to leave the scene and a brief chase ensued down Franklin Road, authorities say. The chase ended when Martinez crashed his Mustang GT through a white picket fence, over a brick retaining wall and into an above-ground swimming pool. He was pronounced dead at St. Clare’s at 2:55 a.m.
FUNERAL INFORMATION
Read MoreMismanaged Camden County New Jersey Jail Locked Down Due To Inadequate Staff Levels
July 1st, 2008
CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY - The Camden County Jail’s inmate population was locked down for part of the weekend because there weren’t enough corrections officers to properly staff the facility, county and union officials said.
Union officers said inmates were confined to their cells from Saturday evening to Sunday evening for about 24 hours and predict such lockdowns could happen more frequently — especially on weekends — until more corrections officers are hired and warden Eric Taylor does a better job managing the ones he has.
The county, however, said the brief lockdown Sunday was due to an unusually high number of inmates who had to be taken to the hospital and was not a sign of things to come.
During lockdowns, the movements of inmates are restricted for safety reasons, said Walter Radlinger, president of Police Benevolent Association Local 351, which represents corrections officers and sergeants at the jail.
Read MoreDouble Standard: Appeals Court Won’t Allow Attorney’s Complaint Against New Jersey State Police Troopers Involved In Governor Corzine Crash To Proceed
June 30th, 2008
TRENTON, NEW JERSEY - A state appeals court panel today rejected a bid to ticket the state troopers who were involved in Gov. Corzine’s near-fatal 2007 car crash.
The two-judge panel upheld a state Superior Court judge’s decision denying Atlantic County attorney Seth Grossman’s bid to file a citizen’s complaint against the troopers.
Superior Court Judge Albert Garofolo in May 2007 ruled Grossman failed to file the required certification and court motion that would allow him to act for the municipal prosecutor.
“Thus, you lack standing to pursue this appeal and your application is denied,” Garofolo wrote.
The appeals court cited the same reasoning for denying Grossman’s appeal.
Grossman tried to file a speeding, careless driving and reckless driving complaint against Corzine’s driver, Robert Rasinski, and Erin Smith, who was driving a vehicle that was following Rasinski’s sport utility vehicle.
Read MoreDenville New Jersey Police Officer Richard Byrne’s Shooting And Killing Of Unarmed Motorist Called Murder
June 30th, 2008
DENVILLE, NEW JERSEY - As investigators yesterday reviewed video footage they hope will reveal why a Denville police officer shot a 21-year-old motorist five times, the dead man’s mother called the officer a murderer and said she has hired an attorney.
“Last night, I kept visualizing five gunshots pounding into a young man, 140 pounds,” said Maureen Miles, the mother of Ruben W. Martinez. She asserts that Officer Richard Byrne intentionally killed the 2005 Morris Knolls High School graduate.
“Why did he keep going? Was he trigger-happy? It makes no sense,” said the mother, who lives in Rockaway Township.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has released few details about the circumstances of the 2:15 a.m. Thursday shooting on Franklin Road in Denville. Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi said he expects to spend the weekend reviewing video recordings from patrol cars, radio transmissions and interviews with witnesses.
Read MoreWayne County New York Sheriff’s Deputies Give Special Treament To Illegal Alien Invaders
June 30th, 2008
WAYNE COUNTY, NEW YORK - Juan Casarubia-Rendon, an illegal entrant, was stopped for DWI with a blood alcohol level of .32%, no license, no insurance, released on an appearance ticket and driven home by deputies
Some farmers won’t admit it publicly, but things are changing. Years ago, Mexican migrant workers travelled the planting and harvest seasons across the country without much notice. Area farmers could rely on many of the same migrant workers returning to Wayne County and to the same farms year after year. There was no denying, the Mexican workers were hard working and filling a job sector locals shunned away from.
Of all the migrant trade, Mexicans were the most reliable, most consistent and the group with the fewest problems for local authorities. Over the past several years, local police agencies have seen a change among the transient groups. Stabbings, prostitution, drugs, check schemes and especially crimes involving driving are notably on the rise. It was estimated by one law enforcement administrator that as many as half of migrants may be operating vehicles illegally.
Read MoreFamily Told Nothing After Trigger-Happy Denville New Jersey Police Officer Richard Byrne Chases, Shoots And Kills Motorist For Traffic Violations
June 28th, 2008
ROCKAWAY TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY - The brother of a 21-year-old man shot to death in a car chase yesterday says authorities haven’t told his family anything about the incident.
Mark Martinez said the Rockaway Township family has been kept in the dark about what happened early yesterday morning, when a police officer chased and shot his older brother, Ruben Walter Martinez.
“They haven’t told us nothing,” Mark Martinez said this afternoon at his house in Rockaway Township. “We don’t know why they pulled my brother over. We don’t know why the shots were fired.”
Mark Martinez said Ruben had gone into Denville on Wednesday night with his older brother, Alex, and another friend. Ruben spent some time at the Fireside Pub with Alex, then left the bar and went to a friend’s house in Denville to sleep, Mark Martinez said.
Read MoreMiddle Township New Jersey Police Officer Walter R. Krych Pleads Not Guilty To Child Molestation - Two 9-10 Year Old Girl Victims
June 27th, 2008
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, NEW JERSEY - Middle Township police officer Walter R. Krych pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he sexually assaulted two young girls.
Krych, 54, was making his first court appearance since a Cape May County grand jury indicted him in May on three counts of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
His attorney, Amy Weintrob, entered the not guilty plea on Krych’s behalf and then told Superior Court Judge Raymond Batten that she was seeking additional discovery in the case from the Prosecutor’s Office, including statements made by the alleged victims.
Weintrob also told the judge that there had been talk within the county’s criminal case management division about moving the case to another venue, such as Atlantic County.
Read MoreDenville New Jersey Police Officer Richard Byrne Shoots And Kills Motorist
June 27th, 2008
DENVILLE, NEW JERSEY — A police officer shot and killed a motorist following a traffic stop early Thursday, the Morris County prosecutor said.
Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi said his office is investigating the shooting of Ruben Walter Martinez, 21, by Denville Officer Richard Byrne.
An investigation is required when a police officer fires a weapon.
Byrne fired five times, striking Martinez with each shot, the prosecutor said.
The incident happened about 2:14 a.m. when Byrne tried to make a traffic stop “in connection with a motor vehicle violation,” Bianchi said. He did not specify the violation.
Newspaper reports said the officer was dragged by the moving vehicle, but Bianchi would not specify where the officer was during the 150-yard pursuit. Martinez then crashed into an aboveground swimming pool.
Byrne, a Denville officer since 1994, was treated for a shoulder injury at a Denville hospital and released. Autopsy and toxicology reports are pending, Bianchi said.
Read MoreCape May, Stone Harbor, And Middle Township New Jersey Municipal Court Judge Peter Tourison Pleads Guilty After Drunken Wreck
June 26th, 2008
PENNS GROVE, NEW JERSEY - Municipal Court Judge Peter Tourison pleaded guilty Wednesday to driving while intoxicated following his arrest in March in a Wawa parking lot in Lower Township.
Tourison presides over court in Middle Township, Stone Harbor and Cape May but stood on the other side of the bench Wednesday afternoon at Municipal Court in Penns Grove, Salem County.
The venue was moved due to Tourison’s position as a judge in Cape May County.
Penns Grove Municipal Court Judge David Krell suspended Tourison’s driver’s license for 90 days and imposed the maximum fine of $400, not including court costs and surcharges.
“I’m sure you’re as embarrassed to stand in front of me as I’m embarrassed to deal with this,” Krell said.
“You more than anyone should know you do not drink and drive,” Krell said.
Tourison opted not to say anything before the judge.
Read MoreFive Barnegat New Jersey Schools Locked Down After Ninja Sighting
June 25th, 2008
BARNEGAT, NEW JERSEY — A report of a ninja sighting in the woods near the Robert L. Horbelt elementary School prompted a brief lockdown of the township’s public schools before
authorities realized the suspect in question was actually a camp counselor heading toward a costume party.
Shortly after 9 a.m., police received a call from a librarian at the local Ocean
County Library branch on Burr Street reporting that a man dressed as a ninja, carrying a large sword, was running through the woods, Lt. Patrick Shaffery said. Police than initiated a lock-down of the five schools as a precaution, police said.
The lock-down — which restricts movement in and out of school buildings — was lifted by 9:30 a.m. after police learned the man in question was actually a camp counselor on his way to a costume-themed day at the Russell O. Brackman Middle School. The counselor, who was wearing a black karate gi and carrying a plastic sword, was running late and decided to take a short cut through the woods, Shaffery said. Appeared Here
Hillsdale New Jersey Police Officer Nuts Up, Pulls His Gun And Points It At Children - Details And Officer’s Name Are Being Kept Secret From Taxpayers
June 25th, 2008
HILLSDALE, NEW JERSEY — The borough’s police department is conducting an internal investigation into allegations that an officer pulled a gun on a group of boys outside the George G. White School last week, a parent of one of the boys said Tuesday.
“There is an allegation and we are looking into the matter,” said Hillsdale Detective Sgt. Robert Francaviglia. “This is a personnel matter.”
Francaviglia declined to give an account of the incident, name the officer involved or say whether the officer is still on active duty with the department.
“I understand there was a fight between some youngsters at the George White School and the officer responded there,” he said.
Read MoreOfficer Awarded Nearly $1 Million In Whistleblower Lawsuit Against Clifton New Jersey Police
June 24th, 2008
CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY - A Clifton police officer who claimed he was punished for blowing the whistle on some of his fellow cops was awarded nearly $1 million in damages today.
A nine-member jury found that Clifton Police retaliated against Patrolman Joseph Napoleone, 38, after he spoke out against several colleagues whom he accused of wrongdoing. The jury accepted Napoleone’s claim that he became the target of an internal affairs investigation that ultimately cost him a promotion to sergeant.
A Passaic County jury awarded Napoleone $956,011: $358,722 for lost wages he was projected to have earned had he made sergeant, $550,000 for pain and suffering and another $47,289 in back pay he lost while he was serving a suspension.
And the award might get bigger.
Read MoreNew Jersey Latino Group Calls For Citizen Review Boards To Oversee Police At The Municipal Level And For Complaint Forms To Be Available To Everyone
June 24th, 2008
FREEHOLD, NEW JERSEY — A Latino outreach group believes citizen-police review boards should be established at the municipal level and residents should be able to go online to download forms to file an internal affairs complaint.
The group also said departments should post guidelines for citizens, letting them know how to file complaints against police, and in areas with large, non-English-speaking populations, those procedures should be posted in other languages as well.
Those recommendations were part of a report that was released Monday, after an examination of internal affairs statistics for municipal departments in Monmouth County, the first step in what activists hope will be a statewide review.
The report’s cover lists the authors as the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey, Monmouth Chapter, the Hispanic Directors Association of New Jersey, and the New Jersey chapter of the National Latino Peace Officers Association. However, late Monday afternoon, the Peace Officers group released a statement saying the report was neither generated nor sanctioned by that organization.
Read MoreToms River New Jersey Volunteer Firefighter Samuel Fennell Plays Race Card, Sues Claiming Discrimination Because He Wasn’t Promoted
June 24th, 2008
TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY — A 19-year veteran of Toms River Volunteer Fire Company Number 2 claims he lost his bid to be named second lieutenant of the company because he is black, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Trenton.
Samuel Fennell, 49, of South Toms River is the lone black member of the fire company, according to his attorney, Mendel White, of Red Bank. The suit claims Fennell was discriminated against based on his race.
Toms River Fire Company Number 2 denies Fennell was passed up on the second lieutenant position because he is black, said Guy P. Ryan, the company’s attorney.
“We deny any wrong doing and we look forward to defending the case,” Ryan said.
The initial conference on the matter is scheduled for July 9, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John J. Hughes. At that time, the judge can set a schedule for the case.
Read MoreNew Jersey Supreme Court Rules That Drunk Driving Defendants Cannot Face Or Question Their Accusers - Breath Test Machine Certificates Can Be Used Against Citizens, But Procedures And Individuals Behind Them Are Suddenly Protected From Appearing In Court - In Other Words, No Accountability
June 23rd, 2008
NEW JERSEY - The state Supreme Court ruled today that drunk-driving defendants do not have the right to cross-examine technicians who certify the reliability of breath test machines.
The ruling upholds similar decisions by lower courts and validates the current practice in which judges allow certificates to be admitted as evidence but do not require the author of the certificate to appear in court for cross-examination.
Many police departments across the state use the Breathalyzer to gauge the blood alcohol level of suspected drunk drivers. The machines are periodically inspected and certified by the State Police.
During drunk-driving trials, the “certificate of operability” is presented as evidence that the machine was in proper working order at the time of testing.
Many drunk-driving defendants seek to challenge that certification and cross-examine the person who produced the certificate, but courts do not allow them to do so. Defense attorneys have said the practice violates the constitutional right of defendants to confront evidence against them.
Read MoreMan To Sue New Jersey State Police, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, And Roxbury Police For The Death Of His Dogs During Traffic Stop
June 23rd, 2008
MORRIS COUNTY, NEW JERSEY - A Bronx man whose dogs bolted from his car and were struck and killed by Route 80 traffic in March after a police stop has filed a notice of intent to sue State Police, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office and Roxbury Police.
As a result of the notice, a hearing scheduled this afternoon in Roxbury Municipal Court on drunken driving and a host of other motor vehicle charges against James Dannenberg, the owner of the dogs, was postponed. A court clerk said the case would be re-assigned to a court in another town.
Dannenberg, 68, who pleaded not guilty to the DWI charge, has faulted Morris County sheriff’s deputies and State Police for the loss of his canines.
Dannenberg was driving from New York City to Pennsylvania on March 27 when he was pulled over by officers for allegedly driving erratically on Route 80. During that stop in Mount Arlington, six of the seven dogs in his Toyota Camry jumped out and were killed by highway traffic.
Read MoreTaxpayer Dollars Go Down The Drain For Funeral For Seaside Heights New Jersey Police Capt. Dave Szalkowski - Hero’s Send Off For Officer Who Died After Lung Transplant - Our Tax Dollars At Work
June 23rd, 2008
TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY — Hundreds of police officers from throughout the state were part of a somber send-off for Seaside Heights Police Capt. Dave Szalkowski who was laid to rest today at St. Joseph’s Cemetery on Hooper Avenue.
Szalkowski, 44, died last week following a double-lung transplant. He was married to his high-school sweetheart. They had two children.
His wife, Elayne, supported her husband’s many friends and family during the ceremony.
The funeral Mass was held at 9:30 a.m., and a hearse was escorted by a police motorcade and a State Police helicopter flying overhead. The procession included hundreds of cars.
Along the path of the funeral procession, people stood with their hands on their hearts. The procession, marked by sirens and flashing lights, went by the Seaside Heights police station, where Szalkowski had worked for 18 years. He was a lifelong resident of Toms River.
Read MoreAtlantic City Police Officer Dennis McGurk Jr. Crashes Plane During Aerobatic Stunts Over Residential Area, Killing His Wife, Himself, And Knocking Out Power
June 22nd, 2008
ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY - Two people were killed Friday night when a small plane crashed in Cape May County while performing aerobatic stunts.
The pilot, who left the nearby Woodbine airport, was performing stunts in the Harmon Rocket acrobatic plane at about 7:45 p.m., lost control, and crashed near the intersection of Routes 550 and 605, said State Police spokesman Sgt. Julian Castellanos.
The two on board, according to Castellanos, were Dennis McGurk Jr., 37, and his 34-year-old wife Oksana McGurk, both of Mays Landing. A search of the plane’s tail number on the Federal Aviation Administration’s Web site also shows it was registered in 2007 to Dennis McGurk, an Atlantic City police officer. The McGurks often flew together, Atlantic City police officers told The Press.
“Everything my son did was adventurous,” Dorothy McGurk told the Newark Star-Ledger about her son, an Atlantic City police officer. “He was quite a guy. I can’t stop crying about it,” she said.
Read MoreNew Jersey Anti-Illegal Immigration Group Files Lawsuit Against Apartment Complex Due To Illegal Alien Infestation
June 21st, 2008
PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY — A federal lawsuit challenging a landlord’s right to rent to illegal immigrants has stoked tensions over immigration that have been rising for years in this diverse city of 50,000 south of Newark.
A prominent anti-illegal immigration group filed suit against a Plainfield-based
property management company earlier this month, seeking to set a legal precedent by using anti-mob legislation to crack down on landlords who rent to illegal immigrants.
The civil suit alleges the company has so many undocumented tenants in their
buildings that it constitutes unlawful harboring, and should be considered by the courts as a criminal enterprise that encourages illegal immigration.
The suit was brought by The Immigration Reform Law Institute — the legal arm of the Federation for American Immigration Reform — which previously backed the nation’s first anti-illegal immigration ordinances in Hazelton, Pa., and Riverside, N.J. A judge overturned the Hazelton ordinance, ruling it unconstitutional, and Riverside rescinded its ordinance, with officials saying the town could not afford the legal costs of defending it.
Read MoreNew Jersey Murderer Paroled Despite Victim’s Family’s Objections
June 21st, 2008
NEW JERSEY - The scene plays out in courtrooms across America.
A defendant sentenced to prison is escorted away in shackles as the victim’s family tearfully embraces.
But Larry Mesarick, of Melbourne, Fla., knows a tidy ending is a fiction when it comes to violent crime.
Mesarick’s uncle, John Domeraski, was murdered in 1980 during a Wildwood liquor-store robbery. Three suspects were convicted and sentenced to life terms.
“I remember it vividly. I thought, ‘Life in prison. They’ll stay there. That’s that,’” he said.
Today, only one of the murderers remains in state custody, despite efforts by Domeraski’s family to persuade the state Parole Board to keep all imprisoned. Mesarick recently learned that one of his uncle’s killers, William D. Wilson, was arrested this month in Middle Township.
Read MoreIrvington New Jersey Employee Charged With Stealing $30,000 In Change From Parking Meters
June 21st, 2008
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY — New Jersey prosecutors say a former city worker whose job involved emptying parking meters stole more than $30,000 in coins from the machines. That equals a stack of quarters about 700 feet high.
An indictment handed up Wednesday against Rodney Dennis charges him with official misconduct and theft.
Authorities say the 52-year-old was supposed to deposit the coins in an Irvington police department account after removing them from the meters. He’s accused of putting them in his own bank account instead during most of 2006.
Officials say a bank investigator became suspicious and alerted police. Dennis was fired in February.
His lawyer, Rubin Sinins, says Dennis will plead not guilty, but declined to comment further.
Veteran Middlesex County New Jersey Deputy Sheriff Ryan Ramdass Arrested, Suspended, Charged After Helping His Girlfriend Flee The Country
June 19th, 2008
MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY - A Middlesex County sheriff’s officer was arrested today on charges he helped his girlfriend flee to India with her two young children, despite the fact that she was under court order not to leave.
Ryan Ramdass, 33, of South Brunswick, was charged with interference with custody, hindering apprehension and false swearing, police said.
According to police, the mother, who lives in South Brunswick, is separated from her husband, and they have joint custody of their 3-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter.
On June 8, the mother took custody of her the children and shortly thereafter left for India, according to police.
When the children failed to arrive at their pre-school on Monday, the father was notified and he tried locating the youths, authorities said.
On June 15, the father reported the children missing, and hours later, investigators determined the woman had fled to India, police said.
Read MoreClifton New Jersey Police Officer Josephy Napoleone Called A Selfish Slacker In Lawsuit Trial
June 19th, 2008
CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY - Clifton Police Officer Joseph Napoleone went from “hero to zero” during a promising career shot down by superiors threatened by his criticism and ambition, an attorney told jurors in state court Thursday.
But a lawyer defending Clifton in Napoleone’s whistleblower case against the city argued that while he may have started out as a good cop, it was his mounting vindictiveness that ultimately got him into trouble.
After seven weeks of trial before state Superior Court Judge Ralph De Luccia in Paterson, attorneys wrapped up their closing statements in Napoleone’s case. The officer claims he was disciplined, suspended and deprived a promotion in retaliation for things he said at a union meeting, criticism of superiors and charging several colleagues with wrongdoing.
Napoleone, 38, who joined the force in 1995, is seeking compensation for lost wages, emotional pain and suffering and other damages.
Read MoreNew Jersey State Police Trooper Rear-Ends Pickup Truck In Toms River
June 19th, 2008
TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY — A State Police patrol car was involved in a two-vehicle accident this morning on Hooper Avenue and Silver Bay Road in the township’s Silverton section, police said.
Trooper J. Hall was traveling north on Hooper about 8:24 a.m. Thursday when he struck the rear of a pickup truck driven by Brad L. Palmerio of Lakewood, Sgt. Julian Castellanos of the State Police said.
Sgt. Anthony Potter of the Toms River Police is investigating.
There were no reports of injuries, Castellanos said.
The patrol car was towed to the Hamilton Station barracks, Castellanos said.
Jersey City Mayor’s Lawsuit Charges Bradley Beach New Jersey Police Officers Terry Browning And William Major After Brutal Attack Outside His Sister’s Bar - For Pointing His Finger
June 19th, 2008
BRADLEY BEACH, NEW JERSEY - When Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy was convicted a year ago of resisting arrest and obstructing the administration of law in connection with a late-night brouhaha outside his sister’s Bradley Beach bar, he said he might sue the Shore town.
He made good on that threat last Thursday, filing a federal lawsuit along with his wife, Maureen, that accuses two of the police officers who arrested him outside Barry’s Tavern on June 17, 2006, of needlessly slamming him to the ground and pepper-spraying both his eyes.
The cops, Terry Browning and William Major, said Healy was drunk and combative, and prevented them from interviewing a woman who was arguing with her boyfriend outside the bar.
Last week attorney Philip Matsikoudis argued before a three-judge appellate panel in Morristown to have Healy’s convictions overturned. The judges didn’t give any timetable for a decision.
Read MoreAbsecon New Jersey Police Chief Retires, Gets Last Minute 18.9% Raise To Bump Up His State Pension - Gets $281,874 Payout, And Then Some…
June 18th, 2008
ABSECON, NEW JERSEY - When he announced his retirement, Absecon police Chief Charles Smith told reporters he has worked four years without a raise.
That’s true.
But when Absecon City Council accepted Smith’s letter of resignation, it also agreed to boost the 30-year employee’s salary by 18.9 percent, from $88,051 in 2004 to $104,698 in 2008, which bumps his state pension 18.9 percent to $51,342 per year, according to his contract and state pension guidelines.
In July and in January 2009, Absecon also will cut checks totaling $281,874 to Smith for unused sick, vacation and personal time, according to City Administrator Terry Dolan.
The city also plans to retroactively pay him $31,026, the difference between what he took home each year since 2004, when his last contract ended, and what his new contract says he should have been paid each year, according to Dolan.
Read MoreNew Jersey State Police Station Commander Lt. Robert Watkins Defends Slow Response Times, Speeding Cops - Residents Not Happy With Police After Trooper Robert Higbee Accelerates Through Stop Sign And Kills Teen Sisters Going To The Store For Milk
June 18th, 2008
UPPER TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY - The local State Police station commander defended law enforcement in the township Tuesday in the wake of criticism about response times and general policing.
Lt. Robert Watkins said Upper and Dennis townships and Woodbine have adequate staffing to respond to any service call or emergency in northern Cape May County.
In their bid to secede from Upper Township and join Sea Isle City, Strathmere residents are trumpeting the need for better public safety in their island community. Watkins testified before the Planning Board at the board’s request as it tries to formulate a recommendation about Strathmere’s request to secede.
Watkins disputed testimony by recently retired State Police Maj. James Fallon about police-response times. Fallon said Strathmere residents had to wait an average of 17 minutes for troopers to arrive for calls to service in 2007, according to a log compiled by the State Police Special Projects Unit.
Read MoreMexican Consulate To Visit 3 New Jersey Sanctuary Towns - Asbury Park Councilman John Loffred Gives Consulate’s Reps A “Key To The City” - Don’t Plan On Local Infestation To Be Under Control Anytime Soon
June 18th, 2008
ASBURY PARK, NEW JERSEY - At St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church in the Bayville section of Berkeley, Sisters Rosa Gamarra and Carla Barr provide outreach to the Latino community, holding English as a Second Language classes and working with mothers who are having trouble obtaining copies of their babies’ American birth certificates.
But the community is lacking information about programs and rules here, according to the nuns who are pastoral associates at the church.
On Monday, clergy members from Monmouth and Ocean counties got together at Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church in Asbury Park to try to change that. They have formed the First Alliance, and they met with Mexican consular officials to discuss how the church and consulate can work together to best serve the local Mexican population.
Read MorePolice Officer’s $3.2 Million Federal Lawsuit Charges Morristown New Jersey Police Chief Peter Demnitz With Harassment
June 17th, 2008
MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY - A Morristown police lieutenant claims Chief Peter Demnitz harassed him because of his service as a Coast Guard reservist, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court.Meanwhile, a letter from town officials to that officer sent last month said an independent investigation of the matter found Demnitz violated town policy and would be subject to possible discipline.
Demnitz said on Monday the investigator didn’t have all the evidence in the case before making a determination because some personnel files were not available to town officials. The matter is still open and is expected to be the subject of an internal investigation hearing held by town officials.
“When this is finally adjudicated and all of the information is out, it will be shown that my actions were entirely appropriate, entirely legal, and necessary,” Demnitz said.
Lt. James K. Cullen filed a lawsuit late last week against Demnitz, two other police officials and the town of Morristown. The suit seeks $3.2 million in damages.
Read MoreCrazed New Jersey State Supreme Court Judges Rule That Palimony Applies To Couples Who’ve Never Even Lived Together
June 17th, 2008
NEW JERSEY - The state Supreme Court today ruled that living together is only one of many factors judges should consider when determining palimony for unmarried couples.
The unanimous ruling is expected to broadly impact New Jersey palimony lawsuits.
The justices found the basis for palimony is not cohabitation. Rather, “It is the promise to support, expressed or implied, coupled with a martial-type relationship, that are indispensable elements to support a valid claim for palimony,” the judges ruled.
Palimony is a court-ordered allowance paid by one member of an unmarried couple following a breakup. Alimony payments involve married couples.
Today’s ruling overturns a 2007 state appeals court ruling that found there is no basis for a palimony suit unless an unmarried couple lived together.
The case involved a 47-year-old North Bergen woman who wanted palimony from a 75-year-old married man with whom she had a 20-year affair.
Read MoreLawsuit Targets 74 New Jersey Municipalities Enforcing Illegal Public Intoxication Ordinances - Which Were Repealed By State Legislature 33 Years Ago
June 16th, 2008
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - At least 74 of New Jersey’s 566 municipalities are illegally enforcing ordinances that make public intoxication a crime even though such local laws were repealed by the state Legislature in 1975, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Joseph W. McMullen, a Moorestown man arrested last year in Maple Shade, seeks monetary compensation for those who had to pay legal fees and had other costs after being wrongly prosecuted for public intoxication.
The lawsuit also asks a judge to order municipalities to stop prosecuting such cases and return all fines and court costs from past enforcement.
“We want to get it off the books because it doesn’t belong,” McMullen lawyer Steven E. Angstreich said Monday.
“The local public intoxication laws at issue here are not valid and legal laws and they violate the constitutional and statutory rights of Mr. McMullen and other individuals when they are enforced,” Angstreich said.
Read MoreMan Takes West Milford New Jersey To Court For Access To Information On Police Officer Capt. David Hardin’s Top Secret Disciplinary Proceedings
June 15th, 2008
WEST MILFORD, NEW JERSEY - A state judge began hearing arguments Friday as to which interests are greater: the privacy of a disciplined West Milford police captain, or the public’s need to know how and why he was disciplined.
Open public records advocate Martin O’Shea of Hardyston filed suit seeking records relating to the disciplinary hearings of Capt. David Hardin, which the township maintains are confidential by law.
Attorney Walter Luers, representing O’Shea, argued that although the Open Public Records Act exempts personnel files from public access, the information O’Shea seeks does not fall under the category of personnel files, per se.
Transcripts and recordings of hearings, subpoenas, witness lists, correspondence and anything else detailing the private hearings would more likely be kept in the township attorney’s files than in an employee’s personnel file, he argues. What’s more, he says, OPRA exempts personnel files from public access in order to protect such things as an employee’s medical records — not information relating to the disciplining of a public employee.
Read More13 New Jersey Employees And Their Friends Used Gas Cards Or Keys To Fill Personal Cars With Gas
June 15th, 2008
NEW JERSEY - As New Jerseyans paid ever-rising gasoline prices, 13 motorists — all but one a public worker — filled up for free at state-owned pumps, authorities alleged today.
The alleged thefts, from April 2007 until last month, totaled at least $2,000.
Most of the defendants, including two from Passaic County, filled up their personal cars using gas cards or keys, state Attorney General Anne Milgram said. Some even extended the service to acquaintances.
“We had something of a friends-and-family plan going on,” Milgram said at a news conference announcing the indictments.
The investigation began with a tip, Milgram said.
State Comptroller Matthew Boxer now will audit gas consumption among the 2,500-vehicle fleet used by the Department of Children and Families, then examine fuel use throughout other departments. Boxer, pointing out that seven defendants allegedly used pumps maintained by Camden or its Board of Education, suggested that all local governments study their fuel depots.
Read MoreBergen County New Jersey Bounty Hunter George Formoe Admits Bribery Coverup
June 15th, 2008
BERGEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY - A bounty hunter from Ridgefield Park admitted today that he helped draft fake promissory notes to cover up a bribery scheme between his boss and an insurance company executive, a published report says.
George Formoe faces probation in exchange for pleading guilty to conspiracy anda greeing to cooperate in the prosecution of his boss, bounty hunter Adel Mikhaeil, nj.com reports.
Responding to questions from his lawyer in a Morristown courtroom, Formoe outlined the scheme, which authorities say attempted to cover up a $92,550 payment they said Mikhaeil gave to an insurance company vice president to steer business to him, the site reports.
The investigation by State Police has extended into the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, nj.com says. Appeared Here
Morris County New Jersey Municipal Court Judge Receives Less Than A Slap On The Wrist For Not Disqualifying Himself From Cases In Which He Had A Conflicting Interests
June 14th, 2008
MORRIS COUNTY, NEW JERSEY - The state Supreme Court has admonished a Morris County municipal court judge, finding that he violated court conduct rules by not disqualifying himself from two cases in which he had a conflict.
Judge William Bowkley, who serves in Chester, Jefferson, Hopatcong and Vernon, failed to disqualify himself from cases involving one of his clients and the father of her child, the court found.
In October 2006, Bowkley signed an arrest warrant for William DiMuccio after DiMuccio failed to appear for trial in Hopatcong for not connecting to the local sewer system. In 2004, Bowkley represented the mother of DiMuccio’s child, Paula Mazur Slegers, in a dispute with DiMuccio over child support.
Later, when Slegers was charged by DiMuccio with eight municipal court complaints relating to child custody, records show Bowkley handled her arraignment.
Read MoreParsippany New Jersey Refuses To Identify Police Officer Who Shot And Killed Bear Cub
June 14th, 2008
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY - Parsippany police said today the officer who shot and killed a bear this week first attempted to scare it and even peppered it with rubber buckshot before ultimately deciding he had to put the cub down as it loped toward an elementary school where children were outside.
“He followed his training to the T,” Chief Michael Peckerman said. The officer, whose identity is being withheld, is one of 15 officers on the force specially trained by state Fish and Wildlife Division bear experts.
However, only Fish and Wildlife officers are permitted to shoot tranquilizing darts, Peckerman said, and they were responding to two other bear incidents at the time Parsippany requested assistance.
The department released the additional details after Tuesday’s incident continued to attract critics.
The officer felled the 125-pound male with two shots as the animal was about 100 yards from children picnicking outside Intervale Elementary School just before 10:30 a.m., police said Appeared Here
Illegal mmigrant Sympathizer And Apologist New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez Whines About Detaining Wetbacks After Arrests Prior To Deportation, Claiming Some Are U.S. Citizens And Legal Residents
June 13th, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC — Federal agents striving to crack down on illegal immigration are detaining a growing number of U.S. citizens and legal residents, Sen. Robert Menendez said this afternoon.
The son of Cuban immigrants gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor to announce he’s introducing a bill to make the detention process more humane. Some detainees have died, recent media reports have said.
His speech critiqued the zeal to curb illegal immigration — marking perhaps the first time a lawmaker has spoken out against the unforeseen consequence of the immigration debate last year.
The atmosphere has led to a “witch hunt” in which legal Hispanics and other racial
minorities are increasingly caught up, he said.
“These aren’t undocumented immigrants getting pulled from their homes in the dead of night. They are U.S. citizens who are targeted because of their race, targeted because of their color, denied every fundamental right guaranteed by the United States Constitution,” he said.
Read MoreEaston Maryland Police Ticket Male Teen For Going Topless In Public - Panty Wearing Lt. Gregory Wright Says Its A Public Nuisance - Our Tax Dollars At Work
June 12th, 2008
EASTON, MARYLAND - For only the third time in five years, Easton police have ticketed someone for going topless in public. Sean Cephus, 18, was cited June 4 when police say he was spotted without a shirt on South Street near Hanson Street. He was also cited for failing to obey a lawful order to stop for police.
A town ordinance adopted in 1974 forbids anyone from going topless in public buildings or on public streets and sidewalks. Possible penalties are a fine of up to $100 and up to 10 days in jail.
Easton Police Lt. Gregory Wright said people without shirts are considered a public nuisance. He said three citations have been issued since 2003. Appeared Here
Former Morris County New Jersey Sheriff’s Department Warden John “J.K. Kinnecom Posted Sexually Explicit Photos Of Two Women Online Without Their Permission
June 12th, 2008
MORRIS COUNTY, NEW JERSEY - Charges that a former top official for the Morris County Sheriff’s Office posted sexually explicit photographs of two women on the Internet without their consent will be forwarded to a county grand jury for review, authorities said Tuesday.
John “J.K.” Kinnecom, 57, appeared with defense lawyer Donald Belsole in state
Superior Court, Morristown, for a brief status conference and was told by Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Melanie Smith that his case will be sent to a grand jury.
But Belsole said afterward that Kinnecom will apply for admission into the county’s
pre-trial intervention program even though he believes the prosecutor’s office might
oppose his application. Under the program for nonviolent offenders, a defendant
typically does not have to admit to a crime but agrees to be supervised on probation for a specific length of time and to other conditions. If he or she successfully completes probation, the charge is dismissed and the accused does not have a criminal record.
Belmar New Jersey Has Second Thoughts About Its Unenforceable Laws Targeting Drinking From “Unregistered” Beer Kegs, Obscene Gestures, And Loitering In Dark Alleys
June 12th, 2008
BELMAR, NEW JERSEY - Drinking out of unregistered beer kegs, making obscene gestures and loitering in dark alleys soon will no longer violate borough law.
The Borough Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to repeal the ordinances that had outlawed those actions, after learning the measures were unenforceable. M