Latest news with #NewJerseyAttorneyGeneral'sOffice
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Family of Jersey City man killed by police officer demands justice
Andrew Washington's aunt Toni Ervin, center, speaks at a press conference held outside Jersey City's City Hall annex on May 8, 2025. (Photo by Taylor Jung for New Jersey Monitor) JERSEY CITY — The family of a man killed by police here in 2023 gathered with social justice advocates Thursday to condemn a grand jury's decision last week not to criminally charge the officer responsible for his death, calling it another example of racism within the criminal justice system. It was an outcome that left the family and advocates disappointed, but not surprised, they told reporters. They also claimed that community-led mental health response programs that were supposed to be implemented in the wake of Washington's death have yet to receive proper funding. Washington's case reflects broader failures in handling mental health crises, especially in communities of color, advocates said. 'Mental illness is not met with sympathy and respect. It is met with militarized policing instead of compassion. Families like ours are left with funerals and trying to heal,' said Toni Ervin, Washington's aunt. According to Ervin, Washington had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. He was experiencing a mental health crisis when his family called a medical hotline for assistance (they said he feared police). Law enforcement eventually responded instead of mental health professionals, the family said, and after a two-hour standoff, officers broke open Washington's door. Washington, who had a knife in his hand, came toward the officers, and then Officer Stephen Gigante shot and killed him. The New Jersey Attorney General's Office launched an investigation into Washington's killing, as it does with all officer-involved shootings. On April 28, a grand jury decided Gigante would not face criminal charges. 'We are even more reinvigorated than ever to get justice for Drew,' said Amelia Green, an attorney for the family. The family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in August 2024 against the Jersey City Police Department, Jersey City Medical Center, and Hudson County, alleging they violated Washington's constitutional rights and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Green noted that following the grand jury decision, they now expect to receive previously withheld evidence, including unreleased body camera footage of some of officers' interactions with Washington. Washington's death, along with the police killing of Paterson activist Najee Seabrooks, inspired the Seabrooks-Washington Community-Led Crisis Response Act, state legislation that Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law in January 2024. The law creates a two-year pilot for community-led, non-emergency crisis response programs. Though the state has pledged $12 million for the initiative, none of the selected organizations have received their promised funding, advocates said at the press conference. Pamela Johnson of the Anti-Violence Coalition of Hudson County, one of the grant recipients, said her organization has an office on Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City that it cannot open because it does not have enough money. 'So how are we supposed to address individuals going through mental health issues and answer those calls from family members when they need help,' said Johnson. Jersey City Councilman Frank Gilmore expressed frustration with city leadership, calling the handling of Washington's case an 'epic failure' and accusing city officials of not making mental health resources a priority. 'This is what happens when you dehumanize a certain segment of the population. Because the reality is, if this would have happened to someone else, somewhere else, the sympathy would have been there,' Gilmore said. Jersey City spokesperson Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said that even with the city's participation in Arrive Together — an initiative of the Attorney General's Office that pairs mental health professionals with law enforcement for crisis calls — and its own investments in crisis response, situations with potential violence like the one involving Washington are still handled by police first. 'No other municipality in the state has addressed more police misconduct and terminated police officers for wrongful conduct than Jersey City. The loss of anyone's life is tragic, and even as the grand jury found no wrongdoing by the officers, the city remains committed to improving services while ensuring public safety,' said Wallace-Scalcione. Washington's family has continued advocating for improved mental health support systems in Jersey City and statewide. Ervin urged people to register to vote to help elect officials who will implement change. 'We will continue to demand justice, not just for him, but for every life disrupted or ended by police violence,' Ervin said. Dan Prochilo, a spokesman for Attorney General Matt Platkin, said the office of public integrity and accountability that Platkin oversees 'conducted a thorough investigation' into Washington's death. 'The work of the Fatal Police Encounter Unit within OPIA's Integrity Bureau, which conducts independent investigations of any civilian death during an encounter with law enforcement as well as deaths in custody, has resulted in several indictments and a conviction of a former corrections officer, who was sentenced to a three-year prison term,' Prochilo said in an email. As for advocates' claim that they have not received the funding they were promised from the Seabrooks-Washington bill, Prochilo said organizations that have received approval and a fully executed contract can submit reimbursement requests. 'Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin created the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance and the Office of Alternative and Community Responses to enable our Office to work hand-in-hand with community partners in the distribution of the funds that support such programs while also adhering to our obligation to be good stewards of the public funding,' he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge erred by tossing charges against Dem power broker, prosecutors say
The New Jersey Attorney General's Office wants the state's appellate division to reinstate the charges it filed in June against Democratic power broker George Norcross and his allies. (Hal Brown for New Jersey Monitor) New Jersey prosecutors are asking an appeals court to overturn the dismissal of charges against George Norcross and his allies, arguing a Superior Court judge had effectively invented a new legal standard dissonant with existing law to toss charges against the Democratic power broker. Judge Peter Warshaw in February dismissed the charges against Norcross and his co-defendants, finding the indictment against them did not state facts constituting extortion or criminal coercion and failed to prove racketeering and other charges lodged against the alleged criminal enterprise. But prosecutors say in a new filing that Warshaw subjected the indictment to greater scrutiny than the law allows, made determinations that should be left to a jury, and dismissed the case under a standard not used in criminal law. 'Instead, the trial court simply asked whether there was sufficient evidence cited in the Indictment itself, without reviewing the reams of testimony and exhibits the grand jury saw,' prosecutors wrote. News of the filing was first reported by New Jersey Globe. The state in June accused Norcross and others of leveraging threats and their control of Camden government to strongarm a developer into ceding property rights and of coercing the CEO of a Camden nonprofit to use a favored but less advantageous developer before pushing him to resign to make room for a patronage hire. The charges, lodged against a man widely considered the most powerful unelected New Jerseyan, stunned the state's political class but did little to diminish the influence of the power broker. Attorneys for Norcross and others have claimed the prosecution is meant to burnish Attorney General Matt Platkin's image for a future run for political office, criticism they renewed after the case was dismissed. Prosecutors' new filing argues Warshaw made numerous errors in dismissing the case, including by improperly engaging in fact-finding, ruling on limited evidence, creating a new standard to review motions to dismiss on the sufficiency of evidence, and failing to properly apply that standard, among other things. Motions to dismiss filed at such an early stage of a case are limited in their scope and can be based on procedural infirmities like a failure to provide notice, prosecutorial misconduct, or on claims that the law underlying criminal charges is unconstitutional, prosecutors argued. They said dismissals based on the sufficiency of evidence would require the inclusion of evidence outside the four corners of an indictment and could only be granted if the facts contained in the indictment disproved the possibility of a crime, not whether they alone could prove the crime occurred. 'Nothing about the indictment introduces a 'fatal flaw' that more evidence — particularly the evidence that already went to the grand jury — 'necessarily' could not cure,' prosecutors said in their appeal. Warshaw made the ruling without reviewing evidence provided to the grand jury that approved the charges. In their appeal, prosecutors said that evidence included more than 2,000 pages of testimony transcripts, over 6,000 wiretap recordings, and no less than 700 other audio files. An attorney for George Norcross — who was charged alongside former Camden Mayor Dana Redd, NFI CEO Sidney Brown, Michaels Organization CEO John O'Donnell, and attorneys Philip Norcross (George Norcross's brother) and Bill Tambussi — derided the appeal as a continuation of a prosecution the defendants have argued is politically motivated. 'The new filing is another failed legal argument by the Attorney General — the only difference is that this redux version is longer than the original. The fatal legal flaws remain. As has become obvious to everyone, Mr. Platkin's obsession has been a political prosecution from its inception. We look forward to again rebutting his fatuous claims on the merits,' said Michael Critchley, an attorney for George Norcross. Prosecutors argued that Warshaw erred by subjecting the prosecution's 111-page indictment to a greater level of scrutiny than would be placed on a shorter document, noting courts have routinely rejected efforts to hold lengthier, detail-laden indictments to a stricter standard. Even if the judge's legal test was sound, prosecutors said, the dismissal must be overturned because he did not accept as true the indictment's factual allegations or view them in the light most favorable to the state. They pointed to his ruling that alleged threats made by Norcross and others against Philadelphia-based developer Carl Dranoff were 'hard bargaining' and 'sabre-rattling.' 'If a court has questions about what a threat means, or how a victim interprets it, the proper forum is trial testimony, or, at the least, a review of the actual evidence presented to the grand jury,' the appeal says. The judge's determination on the criminality of the alleged threats overstepped into improper fact-finding that ought to be left to a jury, as did his determinations about the intent of some co-defendants, all without a review of the evidence, prosecutors said. Even if the judge's finding that the alleged threats amounted to only hard bargaining were valid, prosecutors said, the indictment's extortion and coercion charges should not have been dismissed because the indictment alleges Norcross and his allies controlled Camden government and used governmental power to pressure Dranoff into concessions. 'While defendants may incorrectly believe that wielding the threat of reputational and governmental harm to extract property or submission from others is permissible activity that 'occurs every day in politics and business' … New Jersey law, like the Hobbs Act, makes clear it is unlawful,' the appeal said. norcross dismissal appeal SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Florida man indicted after allegedly bringing 'small arsenal' on Amtrak train, law enforcement says
A Florida man allegedly boarded an Amtrak train in New Jersey carrying ammunition, multiple handguns and an AR-15 style rifle, New Jersey authorities said. Jeffrey O. Kennerk, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, was indicted on several charges, including aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose and causing or risking widespread injury or damage, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office and the Division of Criminal Justice said in a press release on Wednesday. "This defendant allegedly hauled a small arsenal of deadly weapons and ammunition through busy transit stations, and on a train filled with passengers," New Jersey's Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a statement. Transit police at Penn Station in Newark, New Jersey, noticed an unattended black-and-white-zebra-pattern bag on Jan. 3, according to officials. A K-9 team cleared the bag for the presence of explosives, then the officers opened it and found inside a case for a Glock handgun, according to a press release, which cites two complaints and an indictment. Inside the case was a handgun with a loaded 18-round magazine, officials said. Also in the bag were an AR-style magazine with rifle rounds and a "plastic bag containing a shirt and two boxes labeled 9 mm bullets; four boxes of .223 caliber bullets." "A zipped secondary compartment in the suitcase contained a pink duffle bag containing a black Zastava Arms AK-47 style rifle with one round loaded in the chamber and multiple loaded magazines," the A.G.'s press release said. After law enforcement found the bag, at about 2:55 p.m., they reviewed camera footage from the station, which appeared to show a man, whom police allege was Kennerk, who was carrying two suitcases, including the one with the zebra pattern. "The subject walked away, allegedly, leaving behind the zebra print suitcase, and went to the Amtrak ticket window," officials said. "It was learned that the subject was boarding an Amtrak train bound for Virginia and the next stop would be the Trenton Transit Center." Two officers boarded that train as it arrived in Trenton, officials said. When they approached Kennerk, he allegedly showed them a valid Amtrak ticket -- although it was for another train. Police officers in Trenton had been notified that Newark officials were searching for Kennerk. He was arrested before he could board his ticketed train, officials said. "The collective actions of law enforcement eliminated the possible carnage that could have been caused by the weapons involved in this case," New Jersey Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo said in a statement. As Kennerk was arrested, police searched his second suitcase and found multiple other weapons, officials said. He was allegedly carrying in that "dark maroon colored" suitcase an AR-15-style rifle, along with "multiple caches of ammunitions, multiple extended magazines, and multiple handguns," officials said. "The indictment of this individual underscores the severe threat posed by those who amass illegal weapons with blatant disregard for public safety," said Col. Patrick J. Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, in a statement. Deputy Attorney General Karen Bracizewsk, of New Jersey's Division of Criminal Justice, is expected to lead the prosecution against Kennerk, officials said. ABC News' Jessica Gorman and Victoria Arancio contributed to this report. Florida man indicted after allegedly bringing 'small arsenal' on Amtrak train, law enforcement says originally appeared on
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
NJ police chief accused of sticking subordinate with hypodermic needle, pooping on floor and spiking coffee pot with Adderall and Viagra: legal docs
A New Jersey police chief is under fire after disturbing accusations emerged Wednesday that he spiked coworkers' coffee with Viagra and Adderall, defecated on floors and even stuck a hypodermic needle into an officer's penis, according to legal papers. The unsavory antics were part of a culture of humiliation, harassment and vulgarity that North Bergen police chief Robert Farley allegedly fostered within the department since he took charge last year, according to a group of cops preparing to sue him and the town. Farley was also accused of sneaking hot peppers into officers' food, sending sex toys and gay pride flags to the home of a cop and tossing eggs 'in fits of anger' in the legal documents. Five officers filed the legal action in preparation to sue for retaliation, harassment and discrimination they said they faced at the hands of Farley and his allegedly toxic workplace. 'I've never seen anything like this in my life,' the officers' attorney, Patrick Toscano, told Wednesday. Farley, who became police chief in February 2024 after more than 20 years with the department, allegedly wasted little time to begin harassing subordinates. Michael F. Derin, who worked as a special captain in an administrative role, accused the chief of chasing him around the office before cornering him and poking him with a hypothermic needle through his jeans and into his penis in August 2024. 'When I told chief Farley I was unhappy with his actions, he told me that I didn't know how to take a joke,' Derin wrote in a notice of claim – the precursor to a lawsuit. Derin, a former detective in the department, also claimed Farley shaved his body hair over people's property and their food. When he planned on reporting the chief's behavior to the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, he was fired and his son, Det. Michael A. Derin, was given lousier hours, the notice alleged. He and Lt. Alex Guzman also listed numerous times that Farley allegedly relieved himself outside of the bathroom. 'Chief Farley has, on several occasions, pulled his pants down and defecated on the floor in front of his entire office staff,' Guzman wrote in his notice of claim. One time he even pooped in the trash can of an office he was moving out of so the next police official moving into the space would find it, Guzman alleged. When Farley allegedly put hot peppers into other employees' food and heated it in the microwave, the fumes emanating from the stunt caused one lieutenant to get sick, according to the notice of claim. 'Chief Farley has also tampered with office coffee by adding prescription medications such as Adderall and Viagra, causing staff to inadvertently experience the effects of these substances without their consent,' Guzman wrote. The younger Derin said he started getting coffee from a machine because he didn't think it was safe to drink from the pot anymore, according to his notice of claim. Meanwhile, Officer Rasheed Siyam claimed in his notice that he faced racist remarks in the office and was reassigned for being a whistleblower, while Officer Christopher Bowen alleged he was also reassigned unjustifiably due to retaliation and for not hitting an illegal ticket quota. North Bergen stood by its police chief amid the accusations, telling NBC News the town 'has full confidence in Chief Robert Farley's leadership.' 'We strongly deny these false and outrageous allegations made by disgruntled officers who are resorting to attacking the reputation of a dedicated public servant to further their own selfish goals,' a town spokesperson said. 'In order to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest and because we are fully confident that these claims will be proven false, we have proactively referred them to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office for review.'
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
N.J. wants hearing in appeal over law barring immigrant detention
It's been 18 months since a judge ruled partially against New Jersey in a case over a state law barring immigrant detention. The state wants a federal court to finally hear its appeal. (Stock photo) The New Jersey Attorney General's Office wants a federal appeals court to finally schedule a hearing in a case that pits a private prison contractor against the state's law barring immigrant detention in the Garden State. In a letter sent to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals Monday, attorneys for the state note that it's been 18 months since a federal judge ruled that the state cannot bar private companies from entering into contracts with the federal government to house immigrant detainees here. Until the 3rd Circuit hears and decides on the state's appeal of that ruling, the state cannot enforce the state's law on immigrant detention as it pertains to private companies, Jeremy Feigenbaum, solicitor general at the state Attorney General's Office, wrote in the letter. Or, as Feigenbaum put it, the state is 'prevented from 'effectuating statutes enacted by representatives of its people.'' 'An oral argument date is needed for the timely resolution of this appeal,' he wrote. The letter comes four days after a separate company announced it is planning to open a new immigrant jail in Newark later this year, one that will be the largest on the east coast. The 3rd Circuit was initially set to hear the state's appeal in December, but an attorney for the federal government could not appear then. A new date has yet to be announced. Attorneys for the two sides said they would be available between March 27 and May 28, according to Feigenbaum's letter. As ICE eyes new immigrant jail in Newark, activists protest conditions at Elizabeth detention center It's not unusual for cases to take time to go before the 3rd Circuit. When a federal judge ruled against staffing agencies in July 2023 in a case targeting a state law that offers protections for temporary workers, it took 11 months to reach the panel. But the 3rd Circuit can also hear cases quickly; after a judge sided with gun rights advocates who sued New Jersey over the state's new gun restriction law in May 2023, the 3rd Circuit heard the state's appeal in five months later (though it has yet to issue a ruling). The law at the center of the immigrant detention case was signed in 2021 by Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat. It bars private and public entities from entering into contracts to house immigrant detainees, and it came after years of lobbying by immigrant advocates. CoreCivic, a private firm that runs an immigrant detention center in Elizabeth, sued the state alleging the law is unconstitutional. In August 2023, a federal judge sided partially with CoreCivic, saying the state could bar public entities from contracting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house immigrant detainees, but it could not prohibit private companies from doing the same. Since President Donald Trump regained the White House in January, he has said it is a top priority of his to detain and deport undocumented immigrants.
