NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Out of the eye of the public, Middlesex County quietly made a payment of $20,000 to the estate of a woman who committed suicide inside the county's jail back in 2013.
Growing Concerns About Police Credibility in County Where Culture of Retaliation Dominates
EDISON, NJ—Four Edison police officers, including a Sergeant, resigned and agreed to never hold public jobs in New Jersey ever again as part of a guilty plea in Superior Court.
At the time the agreement was reached, jury selection was underway for a trial that was sure to attract a lot of publicity.
The guilty quartet includes Michael Dotro, the troubled 36-year-old Edison police officer who lives in Manalapan, and has been accused of igniting a bomb outside the Monroe Township home of one of his bosses in a separate case.
Rutgers Professor Appointed to Board That Oversees Hazardous Waste Cleanup Consultants
TRENTON, NJ—Rutgers professor Peter F. Strom has been appointed to serve on the New Jersey Site Remediation Professional Licensing Board (SRPLB), which plays crucial role in protecting New Jersey’s environment and cleaning up hazardous waste.
Strom, a Highland Park resident, has been appointed to be the academic community representative on the board, and has begun serving his four-year term this summer.
New and Improved Skatepark Opens in Edison
EDISON, NJ–On March 28, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the opening of the newly-renovated Edison Skate Park to celebrate the completion of its construction.
Located near the Township's Municipal Complex, the old skate park had been worn down by many years of use, and Edison officials decided that it was time to tear it down and replace it.
New Brunswick Resident Found Not Guilty in Candlelight Vigil Shooting Death
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—On January 29, a jury found New Brunswick resident Royjabar Nail not guilty in the 2012 shooting death of 24-year-old Joshua Negron, but only after a witness recanted her statement that identified Nail as the killer.
Nail was accused of shooting Negron at the scene of a streetside vigil for Junio Moronto at the corner of Hale Street and Remsen Avenue. Moronto had been stabbed to death at the same location two nights earlier.
Animal Cruelty Charges Filed Against Former Officials at Helmetta Animal Shelter
HELMETTA, NJ–The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJSPCA) annonced on January 21 that animal cruelty charges have been filed against the former director and former assistant director of the Helmetta Regional Animal Shelter.
Michal Cielesz, 50, the ex-director, and her husband Richard Cielesz, 63, the ex-assistant director, have each been charged with 6 counts of animal cruelty.
Alberto Rivas Named Presiding Criminal Judge in Middlesex County
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—The office of Middlesex County Assignment Judge Travis Francis confirmed that Alberto Rivas will be the next Presiding Judge of the Superior Court's Criminal Division.
Rivas, a resident of the Sixth Ward of Perth Amboy, has been a judge since January 2010, having been appointed appointed by outgoing Governor John Corzine.
The role of the Presiding Judge is to supervise the business of the court, and Middlesex County has a lot of business to supervise.