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Politics
Mahwah Voters Recall Laforet Mahwah Voters Recall Laforet
Mahwah Voters Recall Laforet Mahwah Mayor Bill Laforet has lost his job. Voters on Tuesday decided to recall the twice re-elected mayor, replacing him with former councilman John Roth. Roth challenged Laforet for mayor in 2016 and will take over once the township clerk certifies results later this week. Former Mahwah councilman John Roth will be replacing Bill Laforet as mayor.John Roth Laforet will be the first public Bergen County official to be recalled in more than 25 years. "Every elected official will swear on the bible to uphold the constitution of the United States of America," Laforet said Wednesday on F…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Federal Indictment: Paterson Officer Assaulted Hospital Patient, Recorded It On Cellphone Federal Indictment: Paterson Officer Assaulted Hospital Patient, Recorded It On Cellphone
Federal Indictment: Paterson Officer Assaulted Hospital Patient, Recorded It On Cellphone A federal grand jury indicted a Paterson police officer on Friday on civil rights charges of assaulting a suicidal hospital patient with another officer and recording it on his cellphone. Surveillance video shows Roger Then, 29, of Paterson pushing the victim to the ground this past March after fellow city officer Ruben McAusland punched him in the face while he was sitting in a wheelchair in a hallway at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, the grand jury indictment alleges. Moments earlier, the victim apparently threw some type of object down the hall. A second video, shot by Then, show…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
New NJ Civil Rights Director Rachel Wainer Apter Of Englewood Boasts Prestigious Law Record New NJ Civil Rights Director Rachel Wainer Apter Of Englewood Boasts Prestigious Law Record
New NJ Civil Rights Director Rachel Wainer Apter Of Englewood Boasts Prestigious Law Record Rachel Wainer Apter of Englewood already had a distinguished resume when New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal appointed her Thursday as the new director of the state Division on Civil Rights. Apter, 38, most recently has served as Grewal’s counsel on civil right and immigration – and led the New Jersey team that defeated a motion by Texas and seven other states to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). “This is a unique time for civil rights law in New Jersey,” Apter said. “While civil rights are under siege at the national level, the New Jersey legislature has been dram…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
VIDEO: Paterson Officer Pepper-Sprays Member Of Angry Crowd Who Refuses To Retreat After Arrest VIDEO: Paterson Officer Pepper-Sprays Member Of Angry Crowd Who Refuses To Retreat After Arrest
Video: Paterson Officer Pepper-Sprays Member Of Angry Crowd Who Refuses To Retreat After Arrest What had been a weekend of shooting violence in Paterson exploded Sunday when a melee erupted after a witness claimed that police struck a fleeing suspect with a patrol car. A cell phone video posted by another man on Facebook shows him being hit with pepper spray after refusing several commands by uniformed officers to get back as their colleagues tried lifting the suspect off the ground and into a patrol car. "I can't see," he shouts, running down the street with the video still recording before he falls. "I can't breathe," he says, as police try to reassure him. ***…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Mahwah Mayor Recall Bid: Petition Has Enough Verified Signatures To Proceed Mahwah Mayor Recall Bid: Petition Has Enough Verified Signatures To Proceed
Mahwah Mayor Recall Bid: Petition Has Enough Verified Signatures To Proceed Opponents of Mahwah Mayor William Laforet said Wednesday that they have obtained enough verified signatures to move a recall effort forward. "Today the recall election official has informed us that she has completed the verification of the recall petition and determined that a sufficient number of signatures are valid," organizer Melanie Sue told Daily Voice. "This will prompt the recall process to continue to the next steps. "We're hopeful that the mayor can set his ego aside and recognize that more than 5,000 Mahwah residents want the opportunity to vote him out of off…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Politics
Move To Recall Mahwah Mayor Fueled By Memory Of Deceased DPW Chief Move To Recall Mahwah Mayor Fueled By Memory Of Deceased DPW Chief
Move To Recall Mahwah Mayor Fueled By Memory Of Deceased DPW Chief Amid intense acrimony over state charges of discrimination and nasty political bickering in Mahwah, a group of volunteers gathered and delivered 5,000 signatures -- over 800 more than they needed -- seeking a November vote to recall Mayor William Laforet. The Committee to Recall Mayor Laforet says it had an even higher calling than the latest headlines: Committee leader Melanie Sue said the recall was initiated mostly to honor the legacy of deceased DPW Director Ed Sinclair, NJ.com reports. Laforet suspended Sinclair from his post after claiming that child pornography was found on his compu…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Feds: Crooked Paterson Cops Stole Guns, Cash In Illegal Stops, Searches Feds: Crooked Paterson Cops Stole Guns, Cash In Illegal Stops, Searches
Feds: Crooked Paterson Cops Stole Guns, Cash In Illegal Stops, Searches PATERSON, N.J. – The FBI on Wednesday arrested two Paterson police officers – one of whom they said accepted a gun in exchange for reducing charges against a suspect – for pocketing cash and valuables during illegal traffic stops and searches, authorities said. City Officers Jonathan Bustios and Eudy Ramos stopped vehicles, “detained the occupants and searched those vehicles without any justification,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. “On certain occasions, Bustios and Ramos also took cash and other items without justification before releasing the detained occupants,” Carpenito said. Bu…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Politics
'Profound Lack Of Leadership': Mahwah Residents Want To Recall Mayor Again 'Profound Lack Of Leadership': Mahwah Residents Want To Recall Mayor Again
'Profound Lack Of Leadership': Mahwah Residents Want To Recall Mayor Again MAHWAH, N.J. – A group of Mahwah voters is set on petitioning for the recall of Mayor William Laforet for the second time in his seven-year tenure. "Our committee represents a large group of Mahwah residents that believe Mayor William Laforet should not be allowed to remain in office. We are confident that this recall effort will succeed," said Vincent Maiello, chairperson of the Committee to Recall Mayor William Laforet. Maiello said Laforet’s “profound lack of leadership” prompted the latest recall effort. But Laforet characterized it as “political shenanigans” related to his …

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by Lauren Kidd Ferguson