New Jersey
NJ sex offender gets sweetheart deal after allegedly attacking six women: ‘Not even a slap on the wrist’
A New Jersey man accused of sexual assault by six women was reportedly released by a judge earlier this year on time served — enraging the mother of one victim who called the measly sentence “not even a slap on the wrist.”
The accusations against Eridson Rodriguez, 26, had stacked up quickly in September 2020, which is when two young women accused him of sexually assaulting them while they were drunk and incapacitated during gatherings at his home in Hamilton, New Jersey about a year earlier, NJ.com reported.
Authorities charged Rodriguez with four counts of felony sex assault after a year-long investigation. Once they announced the case, four other women came forward and said Rodriguez had sexually assaulted them, as well.
A judge sent him to jail ahead of his trial, and prosecutors brought a 20-count indictment that included two charges of aggravated sexual assault of a helpless victim, according to the news outlet.
But in February, he took a plea deal on a single charge of aggravated criminal sexual contact. That allowed him to walk on “time served” — meaning the 882 days he had already spent behind bars was enough.
He is still required to register on the state’s sex offender list and will be on parole for the rest of his life — a result of the single charge of aggravated criminal sexual contact to which he pleaded guilty, NJ.com said.
But that’s not nearly enough for the mom of one of the alleged victims, who told the newspaper that she “can’t believe how little justice was served.”
“This has caused a lot of pain, and I still can’t believe how little justice was served for these young women,” said the furious mother, who NJ.com did not identify because it would effectively name her daughter.
“It takes my breath away,” she said, adding that one of Rodriguez’s accusers saw the convicted sex offender at a bar between his February guilty plea and his June sentencing.
“It makes me feel like we haven’t evolved, that women are not important in the state of New Jersey.”
Rodriguez’s attorney, Robin Lord, told the paper that the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office bungled the case by asking for other people with similar allegations to come forward. When they did, she said, the accusations didn’t hold up.
Her client also reportedly wanted to reject the plea deal but reconsidered.
“He wanted to go to trial, but he also wanted to get out of jail, so he compromised,” Lord said.
Neither the prosecutor’s office nor the prosecutor who handled the case commented to NJ.com.
But the accuser’s mom told the website that she doesn’t blame the prosecutor, who did his “level best” with what he had. Still, she worries because Rodriguez isn’t listed on the internet registry, possibly because of the offender tier he’s in.
Prosecutors need more tools to attack such cases, she said.
“Women matter. Young girls matter,” she said. “They do not get enough justice.”
New Jersey
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New Jersey
NJ-11 County and Local Elected Officials Back Mikie Sherrill for Governor – Insider NJ
Today, more than 100 elected officials at the county and local levels from across New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District announced their endorsement of Mikie Sherrill for Governor of New Jersey. These leaders, from across Essex, Morris, and Passaic Counties, collectively released the following statement in support of Mikie Sherrill:
“For Mikie Sherrill, there’s no challenge too big and no problem too small. That’s why we’re thrilled to support her run for Governor of New Jersey.
“We represent communities across New Jersey’s 11th District, and we’ve had the privilege of working alongside Mikie Sherrill since as early as 2017. We’ve seen firsthand how she’ll never back down from a challenge, and how she’s willing to work with anyone, Democrat or Republican, to get things done for New Jerseyans. In times of crisis, she’s a leader – she makes tough decisions and she delivers.
“After Trump was elected in 2016, New Jersey needed real leadership, and Mikie Sherrill stepped up. In the three election cycles since, Mikie Sherrill has paved the way for strong Democratic leadership focused on results in every corner of the district. She’s helped elect Democratic mayors and council members – even in areas once taken for granted by the Republican Party. She listens to neighbors and community members, takes their concerns to heart, and will never back down when it comes to serving our state.
“Take, for example, the Gateway Tunnel. Mikie ran her first campaign on a vow to build the Gateway Tunnel, and, after years of broken promises, we were skeptical. Yet, she did just that – leading the fight to fund the Gateway Tunnel and secure a federal cost-sharing agreement that will allow us to get the project done without raising state or local taxes on families. And Mikie didn’t stop there – she continues to be a fearless advocate when it comes to holding New Jersey Transit and Amtrak accountable for the ‘summers of hell’ we’ve experienced year after year. She knows what it’s like for parents not to know if they will be able to make it back in time to pick up their children from daycare, or to be able to coach their kids’ soccer team.
“That’s just one of the big issues Mikie has tackled during her time in Congress, but we also know that she cares deeply about making life easier for our residents and cutting through the bureaucratic red tape that frustrates all of us. Mikie and her team are always a phone call or a text away. When our residents come to us needing help, we often tell them to reach out to Mikie and her staff. From ensuring local veterans get all of their health care benefits, to helping our seniors navigate Medicare or Social Security, to making sure the IRS gives you back every dollar you’re owed, Mikie will stop at nothing to ensure that every New Jerseyan who needs help gets it.
“Time and again, we’ve seen Mikie – a lifelong public servant – step up to make life easier for New Jersey families. As Governor, we know she’ll do exactly that, and we’re excited to support her every step of the way.”
Sincerely,
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.
Essex County Clerk Christopher J. Durkin
Essex County Sheriff-elect Amir Jones
Essex County Register Juan Rivera, Jr.
Essex County Commissioner President Carlos M. Pomares
Essex County Commissioner Vice President Tyshammie L. Cooper
Essex County Commissioner At-Large Patricia Sebold
Essex County Commissioner At-Large Romaine Graham
Essex County Commissioner At-Large Brendan W. Gill
Essex County Commissioner At-Large Wayne L. Richardson
Essex County Commissioner District 1 Robert Mercado
Essex County Commissioner District 4 Leonard M. Luciano
Passaic County Clerk Danielle Ireland-Imhof
Passaic County Sheriff-elect Thomas Adamo
Passaic County Commissioner Orlando Cruz
Passaic County Commissioner Bruce James
Passaic County Commissioner Pasquale “Pat” Lepore
Passaic County Commissioner-elect Rodney De Vore
Bloomfield Mayor Jenny Mundell
Bloomfield Councilwoman At-Large Monica Tabares
Bloomfield Councilwoman Third Ward Sarah Cruz
Glen Ridge Mayor Deborah Mans
Glen Ridge Councilor Ann Marie Morrow
Glen Ridge Councilor Rich Law
Glen Ridge Councilor Peter A. Hughes
Glen Ridge Councilor LoriJeane Moody
Glen Ridge Councilor David Lefkovitz
Glen Ridge Councilor Rebecca Meyer
Livingston Council Member Shawn Klein
Livingston Council Member Michael Vieira
Livingston Council Member Ketan Bhuptani
Maplewood Mayor Nancy Adams
Maplewood Deputy Mayor Jamaine Cripe
Maplewood Committeeperson Dean Dafis
Maplewood Committeeperson Victor De Luca
Maplewood Committeewoman-elect Malia Herman
Millburn Mayor Annette Romano
Millburn Committeeman Michael Cohen
Montclair Deputy Mayor Susan Shin Andersen
Montclair Third Ward Councilor Rahum Williams
Nutley Commissioner Thomas J. Evans
Roseland Mayor James R. Spango
Roseland Council President Christopher Bardi
Roseland Councilman John Biront
Roseland Councilwoman Eileen Fishman
Roseland Councilman Neal Goldstein
Roseland Councilman Marcelino “Moose” Trillo
Boonton Ward 2 Council Member Jacob Hettrich
Boonton Ward 2 Council Member Marie Devenezia
Chatham Borough Mayor Carolyn Dempsey
Chatham Borough Council President Jocelyn Mathiasen
Chatham Borough Council Member Justin Strickland
Chatham Borough Council Member Karen Koronkiewicz
Chatham Borough Council Member Brian Hargrove
Chatham Borough Council Member Irene Treloar
Chatham Borough Council Member Katherine Hay
Chatham Township Mayor Stacey Ewald
Chatham Township Deputy Mayor Michael Choi
Chatham Township Committeeperson Jen Rowland
Chatham Township Committeeperson Marty McHugh
Dover Mayor Mayor James P. Dodd
Dover First Ward Council Member Claudia P. Toro
Dover First Ward Council Member Sandra Wittner
Dover Second Ward Council Member Geovani Estacio
Dover Third Ward Council Member Michael Scarneo
Dover Third Ward Council Member Karol Ruiz
Dover Fourth Ward Council Member Arturo Santana
Dover Fourth Ward Council Member Marcos Tapia
Lincoln Park Ward III Councilman Patrick Antonetti
Madison Mayor Robert H. Conley
Madison Council President Eric Range
Madison Council Member Rachel Ehrlich
Madison Council Member Robert E. Landrigan
Madison Council Member Tom Haralampoudis
Madison Council Member Melissa Honohan
Madison Council Member John Forte
Mendham Township Deputy Mayor Lauren Spirig
Morris Plains Mayor Jason Karr
Morris Plains Council President Nancy Verga
Morris Plains Councilmember Joan Goddard
Morris Township Mayor Donna J. Guariglia
Morris Township Deputy Mayor Jeffery R. Grayzel
Morris Township Committeeman Mark J. Gyorfy
Morris Township Committeeman William “Bud” Ravitz
Morris Township Committeeman Siva S. Jonnada
Mountain Lakes Mayor Khizar Sheikh
Mountain Lakes Deputy Mayor Lauren Barnett
Mountain Lakes Councilmember Chris Cannon
Mountain Lakes Councilmember Cynthia Korman
Mountain Lakes Councilmember Tom Menard
Mountain Lakes Councilmember Melissa Muilenburg
Parsippany Councilwoman Judy Hernandez
Rockaway Township Ward 4 Councilman Jonathan Sackett
Rockaway Township Ward 5 Councilman Emanuel “Manny” Friedlander
Little Falls Mayor James Damiano
Little Falls Council President Anthony Sgobba
Little Falls Councilman Christopher Vancheri
Little Falls Councilwoman Christine Hablitz
Wayne Ward 5 Councilwoman Francine Ritter
Woodland Park Mayor Tracy Kallert
Woodland Park Council President Vincent DeCesare
Woodland Park Councilwoman Tina Gatti
Woodland Park Councilwoman Christine Tiseo
Woodland Park Councilman Michael Sica
Woodland Park Councilman Adam Chaabane
Woodland Park Councilman Luis Torres
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New Jersey
These are the eight most ‘old-world’ towns in New Jersey, per ranking
When people think of New Jersey, “old-world” is not often the first phrase that comes to mind.
The term generally refers to a simpler, quaint lifestyle of previous centuries. For the most densely populated state in the country that is frequently associated — fairly or unfairly — with heavy traffic on busy highways, simple and quaint are usually foreign concepts.
But not all areas of New Jersey have the same makeup, as WorldAtlas.com noted in its recent list of “old-world” towns. The travel website compiled a group of eight municipalities in the Garden State described as “the living, breathing centers of America’s vibrant history,” from Revolutionary War battlegrounds to Victorian resorts along the Jersey Shore.
“Perfect for history enthusiasts and families alike,” the site stated, “these towns provide a tranquil yet enlightening retreat from the usual hustle of the Northeast’s major cities.”
Here is the WorldAtlas.com list of eight old-world towns in New Jersey, the perfect day trip destinations for local residents seeking a glimpse into times gone by.
Old-world towns in NJ (per WorldAtlas)
- Cape May: The seaside resort at the bottom tip of New Jersey boasts a layout that encourages walking, whether along the beach or the streets lined with shops and restaurants. Attractions include the Cape May Lighthouse, the World War II Lookout Tower and the Harriet Tubman Museum.
- Lambertville: The Hunterdon County spot known as “The Antiques Capital of New Jersey” features several relics of bygone eras, including a hand-dug canal, train depot, and historic homes and townhouses.
- Clinton: Another Hunterdon County locale, this town is best known for its Red Mill which now operates as a museum. Clinton’s colorful storefronts and a waterfall along the Raritan River offer beautiful views for visitors.
- Haddonfield: The Camden County borough is home to Kings Highway, named by USA TODAY as one of the top 10 main streets in the country earlier this year. It also hosts a variety of cultural and community events, including the Haddonfield Crafts and Fine Art Festival each July.
- Ocean Grove: Visitors to this Monmouth County resort town can check out the beach and boardwalk areas as well as Tent City, a collection of tent homes that date back to the town’s founding in 1869.
- Allentown: The Monmouth County borough is home to Conines Millpond, a setting featuring an 1855 mill that represents its agrarian roots. There are more than 200 homes in Allentown that are on the state and national historic registries.
- Smithville: A timely addition to the list, the Atlantic County community located within Galloway Township transforms into a winter wonderland with music, lights and seasonal treats each holiday season.
- Medford: Located in Burlington County, this township’s historic architecture and preservation of its past contributed to a population growth in the most recent census in 2020.
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