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Another one that should be gone.
Judge acquits police captain of DUI, with an alc lvl of .19
Quote:
RED BANK
A Wall Township police captain whose nomination to become chief of the department was yanked after an underling charged him with drunken driving was acquitted Monday.
Bernard Sullivan was found not guilty in a municipal court trial that had been moved to Red Bank to remove the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Municipal Court Judge William Himelman said Sullivan's lawyer created reasonable doubt as to whether Sullivan was drunk when he was pulled over on Jan. 27 by Patrolman Todd Verrecchia.
Red Bank Municipal Prosecutor James N. Butler, who said the police captain's breathalyzer reading was .19
more than twice the legal limit of intoxication
was incredulous at the verdict.
I just don't understand it, he said Monday afternoon. Once we get a .19, how do you just say he's not guilty? That's saying you don't believe the (arresting) police officer.
An after-hours message left for the judge was not immediately returned Monday afternoon.
Sullivan's lawyer, James Fagan, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday.
Verrecchia had testified that he observed Sullivan run a red light at intersection of Route 35, crossing in front of Verrecchia's patrol car and nearly colliding with another car on the highway.
Testimony at the trial indicated the two men had clashed several times before. Verrecchia is part of a pending lawsuit accusing Wall Township and several police officials with violating officers' privacy by placing a hidden camera in the locker room in an attempt to find out who had been placing racially hostile notes in the locker of a minority officer.
Sullivan also had disciplined Verrecchia in the past, according to testimony.
After spending time at two area bars, Sullivan was pulled over by a Manasquan police officer, but let off with a warning, according to testimony. Shortly afterward, when he arrived in Wall, Verrecchia pulled him over and charged with drunk driving.
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"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."
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