New Jersey
New Jersey county agrees on landmark $10 million settlement to Black man paralyzed after police encounter
![New Jersey county agrees on landmark million settlement to Black man paralyzed after police encounter New Jersey county agrees on landmark million settlement to Black man paralyzed after police encounter](https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/220513154324-xavier-ingram-paralized-super-tease.jpg)
The lawsuit, filed by 29-year-old Xavier Ingram, lists Camden County, the Camden County Police Division, then-Assistant Chief of Police Orlando Cuevas and then-Police Chief John Scott Thomson, in addition to three law enforcement officials concerned within the incident — Jeremy Merck, Antonio Gennetta and Nicholas Marchiafava — as defendants.
The county agreed to a settlement final week after years of litigation and a mistrial was declared on March 29 in Camden federal court docket, when a jury turned deadlocked on whether or not the officers have been chargeable for Ingram’s accidents.
After the mistrial, the decide presiding over the case requested the Justice of the Peace decide to intercede and mediate to find out whether or not the events may comply with a settlement. The county made the settlement provide that was authorized by each events, bringing the case to a decision, Ingram’s lawyer Beth Baldinger advised CNN.
Ingram was transported from his nursing house to the courtroom the place he gave his testimony on a hospital mattress earlier than the jury, which Baldinger referred to as “really outstanding.”
The lawsuit accused the officer of utilizing pointless, unjustified, extreme drive, and of violating Ingram’s proper to be freed from illegal and unreasonable seizure as protected below the Structure. The lawsuit additionally accused Merck of failing to offer medical care as required by their coaching and failing to intervene, which resulted within the violation of Ingram’s constitutional and civil rights.
Though all events agreed to the settlement, attorneys for Camden County, the police division and the officers concerned advised CNN the settlement was a enterprise choice spearheaded by the insurance coverage service. The defendants say Ingram was not entitled to the settlement, their attorneys stated, sustaining no wrongdoing.
Jay Blumberg, an lawyer for Merck, stated in an announcement the insurance coverage firm “was involved in regards to the local weather through which we dwell and that the jury wouldn’t be capable to see previous that.”
Dan Keashen, a media relations officer for Camden County and its police division, stated in an announcement following the settlement: “In full disagreement, and primarily based on the insurance coverage service making a enterprise choice and forcing the hand of Camden County, we can be settling the case with Mr. Ingram. We don’t imagine that is the fitting choice as we’ve reiterated over the past eight years of litigation.”
Camden County officers proceed to argue Ingram injured himself when he ran from police in the course of the encounter.
“Primarily based on the settlement the county maintains, and continues to keep up, that no incorrect doing befell and isn’t responsible for any of the actions and circumstances of the aforementioned incident,” Keashen’s assertion continued.
Ingram suffered extreme accidents to his cervical backbone in the course of the encounter, and he has been rendered a quadriplegic who’s “completely and completely disabled,” in response to the lawsuit.
“Mr. Ingram may be very relieved, assured and comfy with the settlement. It is lastly over. It has been an eight-year, epic battle to acquire justice for him,” Baldinger stated, calling the settlement a “great acknowledgment, though the defendants don’t admit to legal responsibility.”
Officers ‘stomped’ on Ingram, swimsuit says
The incident occurred on June 12, 2014, when Ingram, a resident of Camden County, encountered three county law enforcement officials who have been on foot patrol conducting a ‘sweep’ of an condominium complicated, in response to the lawsuit.
Ingram encountered the officers as he was strolling to a liquor retailer the place he met up with a good friend, the lawsuit says. When he exited the shop along with his good friend, the lawsuit alleges, he was approached by Gennetta and Marchiafava.
Ingram bumped into the parking zone of a restaurant whereas the 2 officers continued to pursue him, in response to the lawsuit, after which ran out into the road and surrendered whereas laying down on the bottom along with his arms in entrance of him.
The 2 officers “jumped on Ingram and handcuffed him,” which he didn’t resist, the lawsuit alleges says. Merck arrived on the scene as Ingram was being arrested.
The officers are accused of stomping on the again of Ingram’s neck and again after which continuing to “viciously strike him,” in response to the lawsuit. One of many officers “positioned his boot on the again of Ingram’s neck and deliberately stepped down forcefully,” inflicting him excruciating ache as he screamed for the officers to cease, in response to the lawsuit’s allegations.
Ingram additionally accused the officers of failing to offer medical care regardless of listening to him complain of utmost ache in his neck and was unable to really feel his legs and arms. The officers noticed Ingram’s state however forcefully moved him and did not stabilize his backbone in violation of their emergency medical coaching, the lawsuit claims says.
CNN reviewed an announcement posted by the Camden County Police Division on its web site on June 13, 2014, a day after the incident occurred, alleging the officers rendered support by stabilizing Ingram after he allegedly slipped and fell to the bottom.
“The arresting officers displayed composure all through the incident and had the presence of thoughts to instantly render support and summon medical help,” Thomson stated in an announcement included within the launch.
Ingram’s accidents sustained throughout assault, medics say
The Cooper College Medical Heart reported Ingram’s accidents to a number of areas of his cervical backbone and stated they have been sustained throughout an assault, in response to medical paperwork.
The defendants, nonetheless, have maintained Ingram sustained his accidents by slipping and falling with out being touched by officers.
The workplace of Camden County Prosecutor additionally launched an announcement a day after the incident, alleging Ingram “slipped and fell on a moist street” in “an try to elude police.”
The lawsuit accused the defendants of conspiring to cowl up the conduct of the officers concerned within the incident, together with the discharge of “false and deceptive” statements posted on the police division’s web site that asserted Ingram’s accidents seemed to be “an accident of his personal accord.”
Ingram was charged with receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, illegal possession of a weapon and drug possession, in response to court docket paperwork. Ingram’s attorneys argued the medicine have been planted on him primarily based on a number of conflicting accounts as to who situated the medicine when and the place. His attorneys additionally allege the gun was planted and that the police deliberately destroyed the fingerprint and DNA proof that might have exonerated Ingram.
Ingram, who has maintained his innocence of the fees, secured a separate legal protection lawyer who filed a movement to have the fees dismissed, which was granted two weeks after the mistrial, in response to Baldinger.
Through the civil trial, the protection crew didn’t tackle the drug accusations, however the officers denied having planted a gun on Ingram, Baldinger stated. The prosecutor’s workplace didn’t pursue any legal costs towards the officers associated to those accusations after they decided there was inadequate proof to cost them with any misconduct, she added.
Nevertheless, an announcement on behalf of Camden County and its police division after the settlement said the county continues to keep up on the time of the incident, Ingram “ducked between two vehicles the place a scorching hand gun was discovered and had heroin in his possession when he slipped and fell with out being touched whereas working from law enforcement officials pursuing him.”
After each events agreed to the settlement, Baldinger advised CNN the lawsuit achieved “what many civil rights litigants undergo, which is a unprecedented ordeal.”
“To peel again the layers of how police departments need to current themselves publicly, however actually how they function below the radar,” she stated.
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New Jersey
New Jersey weighs making underage gambling no longer a crime
![New Jersey weighs making underage gambling no longer a crime New Jersey weighs making underage gambling no longer a crime](https://townsquare.media/site/385/files/2024/12/attachment-Atlantic_City_Casino_Smoking_24337741663129.jpg?w=1200&q=75&format=natural)
TRENTON (AP) — Should underage gambling no longer be a crime?
New Jersey lawmakers are considering changing the law to make gambling by people under the age of 21 no longer punishable under criminal law, making it subject to a fine.
It also would impose fines on anyone helping an underage person gamble in New Jersey.
The bill changes the penalties for underage gambling from that of a disorderly persons offense to a civil offense. Fines would be $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second offense, and $2,000 for any subsequent offenses.
The money would be used for prevention, education, and treatment programs for compulsive gambling, such as those provided by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey.
Atlantic city waterline aerial
“The concern I had initially was about reducing the severity of the punishment,” said Assemblyman Don Guardian, a Republican former mayor of Atlantic City. “But the fact that all the money will go to problem gambling treatment programs changed my mind.”
Figures on underage gambling cases were not immediately available Thursday. But numerous people involved in gambling treatment and recovery say a growing number of young people are becoming involved in gambling, particularly sports betting as the activity spreads around the country.
The bill was approved by an Assembly committee and now goes to the full Assembly for a vote. It must pass both houses of the Legislature before going to the desk of the state’s Democratic governor, Phil Murphy.
The council said recently that it conditionally supports the bill but has concerns about it.
SEE ALSO: Hostile takeover of NJ police department is illegal, court rules
Caesars Atlantic City (Google Street View)
Luis Del Orbe, the council’s acting executive director, said he is glad it will provide funding for gambling treatment and education programs. But he said fines alone are not enough without mandating education about problem gambling. He asked that such a requirement be added to the bill.
“When a young person is ‘fined,’ who actually pays the fine?” he asked.
In a statement submitted to the Assembly panel, the council said, “More and more of New Jersey citizens need help due to the ongoing expansion of gambling opportunities, and it is anticipated that the demand will only continue to grow. There is also an urgent need for expanded education and awareness about the harms that can come of gambling, particularly with respect to youth.”
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21 top spots to take a first-time visitor to New Jersey
Someone from out-of-state, or maybe even out of the country, is visiting New Jersey for the first time. Where do you take them? After grabbing a bagel and before chowing down on a slice of Jersey pizza, be sure to treat your out-of-town guest to a day in the Garden State with some of these places in mind.
Gallery Credit: Jen Ursillo
NJ’s wealthiest ZIP codes in 2024
These are the 10 most expensive ZIP codes in New Jersey, based on the median sale prices of homes, according to PropertyShark.
Gallery Credit: Dino Flammia
Celebrities who vowed to leave the United States after the election
Rumors are flying that Bruce Springsteen has vowed to leave the country if Donald Trump wins the 2024 election. He didn’t say it.
But false promises of leaving the country if a celebrity didn’t get their way has been a real thing and not always said in jest.
Here’s a list of famous people who promised to leave the country if Trump were elected. I hope you didn’t bet money on them leaving since none did.
Gallery Credit: Jeff Deminski
New Jersey
New Jersey State Police Gave a ‘Free Pass’ to Motorists with Courtesy Cards or Ties to Police, Investigation Finds – Insider NJ
![New Jersey State Police Gave a ‘Free Pass’ to Motorists with Courtesy Cards or Ties to Police, Investigation Finds – Insider NJ New Jersey State Police Gave a ‘Free Pass’ to Motorists with Courtesy Cards or Ties to Police, Investigation Finds – Insider NJ](https://www.insidernj.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/trenton.jpg)
The Office of the State Comptroller found even motorists suspected of dangerous driving offenses were let go by New Jersey State Police.
TRENTON—An investigation finds that New Jersey State Police troopers routinely gave preferential treatment to certain motorists who presented a courtesy card or asserted a personal connection to law enforcement—even when motorists were suspected of dangerous offenses, like drunk driving, according to a new report by the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller.
OSC’s Police Accountability Project reviewed body worn camera footage of 501 no-enforcement stops by New Jersey State Police–meaning stops where New Jersey State troopers did not issue tickets or make arrests. In 139 or 27 percent of these no-enforcement stops, motorists presented a courtesy card, claimed to have a friend or relative in law enforcement, or flashed a law enforcement badge and then were let go, OSC’s report said. In some cases, the trooper released the motorist immediately, offering some version of “you’re good.” The report found that courtesy cards are in wide usage and function as “accepted currency” by state troopers. (In all but one case, the troopers gave the courtesy card back to the motorist, enabling the card to be used again.)
Reviewing more than 50 hours of body worn camera footage of the stops, which took place over ten days in December 2022, OSC found that troopers regularly decided not to enforce motor vehicle laws after receiving a courtesy card or being told the driver has ties to law enforcement. For instance, one motorist, who was stopped for driving over 90 miles per hour, admitted to drinking alcohol but was let go without a sobriety test after he presented two courtesy cards. Another motorist was stopped for driving over 103 miles per hour and was released after she volunteered that her father was a lieutenant in a local police department. The most significant consequence the troopers imposed in these stops was advising the motorists that they had left a voicemail message for the law enforcement officer named on the courtesy card or invoked as a friend or relative. OSC has released video excerpts of the footage.
“Our investigation shows that some people are being given a free pass to violate serious traffic safety laws,” said Acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh. “Law enforcement decisions should never depend on who you know, your family connections, or donations to police unions. Nepotism and favoritism undermine our laws and make our roads more dangerous.”
Overall, close to half of the 501 non-enforcement stops reviewed by OSC involved speeding, many for more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit. In three stops, drivers stopped for reckless driving, careless driving, and/or speeding, also admitted to drinking alcohol, yet were released without being asked to step out of the car for a field sobriety test. Both drunk driving and speeding are major causes of traffic fatalities. According to data compiled by the New Jersey State Police Fatal Accident Investigation Unit, in 2022, New Jersey recorded 646 fatal collisions that resulted in 689 deaths or 1.89 fatalities per day. This was among the highest number of traffic-related deaths in New Jersey in the past 15 years.
OSC initiated this investigation in response to reports that law enforcement officers’ decisions not to enforce motor vehicle violations were influenced by improper factors, including courtesy cards. Courtesy cards, often referred to as PBA cards, FOP cards, or gold cards, are given out by police labor associations to law enforcement officers. They also can be purchased through “associate memberships” with police associations and are sold by private companies.
OSC’s investigation found that courtesy cards are widely used. In 87, or 17 percent, of the no-enforcement stops OSC reviewed, motorists presented courtesy cards that came from municipal police departments, county and state agencies, as well as inter-state and out-of-state law enforcement agencies. They all appeared to be equally effective at getting motorists released without enforcement.
Asserting a relationship with law enforcement appeared to carry equal weight, OSC found. In 52 or 10 percent of the no-enforcement stops reviewed, the driver or passengers did not present a courtesy card but claimed a connection to law enforcement, and the trooper decided to let them go. In 29 of those stops, the motorist or passenger identified themselves as current, retired, or in-training law enforcement officers. Other stops resulted in no enforcement when the drivers or passengers claimed a relative, friend, or neighbor worked in a law enforcement agency.
In one stop, a trooper said he stopped a motorist for driving 97 miles per hour. After an extended conversation about the “friends” they had in common, the trooper told the driver to “stay safe” and let him go. In another stop, a trooper performed a computerized look-up of the driver’s credentials and discovered the driver had an active warrant for his arrest. But when the driver’s friend introduced himself, letting the trooper know that he was also an off-duty trooper, the stopping trooper walked back to the motorist, apologized for stopping him, and let him go without even mentioning the warrant. OSC was unable to determine from the footage what the warrant was for.
Other findings include:
- Providing preferential treatment to motorists who present courtesy cards or assert close personal relationships with law enforcement appears to have a discriminatory impact. Of the 87 courtesy cards observed in the sample, for instance, 69 were presented by White drivers.
- Even when courtesy cards were not present, racial disparities were observed in the sample. New Jersey State Police policy requires troopers to request all three driving credentials (license, registration, proof of insurance) when making motor vehicle stops, but OSC found overall, White and Asian drivers were less likely to have all three of their credentials requested and verified when compared to Black and Hispanic/LatinX drivers. Additionally, troopers conducted computerized lookups of Hispanic/LatinX drivers 65 percent of the time, while looking up White drivers only 34 percent of the time.
- In many stops, OSC was unable to ascertain why the troopers made the decision not to enforce motor vehicle violations because of the quality of the video footage or other factors. Still, OSC observed several of those stops involved dangerous offenses, underscoring the importance of reviewing no-enforcement motor vehicle stops, which are not routinely reviewed.
OSC made 11 recommendations, including that New Jersey State Police regularly review no-enforcement stops to better understand racial/ethnic trends in motor vehicle data and determine if additional training is needed. OSC also recommended that the Attorney General consider issuing a directive that would explicitly prohibit law enforcement officers from giving preferential treatment to motorists because of their ties to law enforcement or possession of courtesy cards.
Read the report.
Watch excerpts of the body camera footage.
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New Jersey
Authorities Debunk Viral Explanation for NJ Drone Sightings
![Authorities Debunk Viral Explanation for NJ Drone Sightings Authorities Debunk Viral Explanation for NJ Drone Sightings](https://www.thedailybeast.com/resizer/v2/E745BU33BFCHZKROJWRMVTPQRY.jpg?smart=true&auth=f844a4ed88e8ae039ada3b4264d17328acd15b4ba41d1004415b11c4f41f55fc&width=1200&height=630)
The drones spotted over the Garden State were probably not looking for a missing shipment of radioactive material.
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