Having the title of Mayor, people would like to aspire or look up to that title. Unfortunately Healy has a history of behavior not becoming of a Mayor and I wouldn't trust him to look after my beer filled fridge or my nephews piggy bank.
I've seen and heard him in public and he sounds like a guy who talks the talk, but DOESN'T walk the walk.

For what it's worth (nothing), I believe Healy.

I have seen this scenario played out in a similar way before, some police officers fancy themselves as Judge Dredd characters.

Robin.

HEALY: A NEW JUDGE WILL SEE IT MY WAY
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy has filed a notice that he will appeal his Bradley Beach disorderly persons convictions and predicted yesterday a new judge will see things his way.

"I am innocent of the charges, and a police officer who abuses his authority and position should not go unchecked," Healy said in a statement. "Everyone deserves to be treated with respect by the police - even in Bradley Beach.

"The state's witnesses were inconsistent and they brought reasonable doubt into the case," Healy added. "The burden of proof being what it is, and the amount of reasonable doubt throughout the trial, I know we have a good chance on appeal."

On June 22, Monmouth County Judge John Colannino found Healy guilty of obstruction of administrative law and resisting arrest stemming from an incident that took place June 17, around 2 a.m., outside a Bradley Beach tavern owned by Healy's sister and brother-in-law.

Healy was fined $828, including court costs, which he doesn't have to pay until his appeal is heard, said his Freehold attorney James Fagen.

Healy testified during the two-day trial he was trying to calm a dispute between a couple and when cops arrived he tried to explain the situation to them.

But the arresting officers said Healy was "clearly intoxicated" and "belligerent," and when Bradley Beach Police Officer Terry Browning asked him to leave the scene so he could interview the woman involved in the dispute Healy refused. Eventually, the officers physically subdued the 56-year-old mayor using pepper spray.

Several of the 10 defense witnesses testified that Healy was "Maced" after he was already on the ground and in handcuffs.

The first step in the appeals process is to obtain a transcript of the trial, which could take three to six weeks, Fagen said.

Based on the transcript, Fagen said he'll write a brief, which will be submitted to a Monmouth County Superior Court judge.

No additional testimony will be taken, Fagen said. The judge will make a decision based on the transcripts, briefs from opposing attorneys, and oral arguments made at a yet-to-be-scheduled hearing, Fagen said.

If Healy loses again, the next rung on the appeals ladder is the state Appellate Court.

Quote:

The officer did nothing wrong in the eyes of the law = +1

Healy is pissed, because the cops in JCPD that he has appointed and can influence are an extention of his power and control - just imagine if this incident occurred in JC - the arresting cop would be fired or it wouldn't make it to court.

Yes Healy YOU ARE THE BAD GUY on this occasion, the arresting officer thought so and now the Judge thinks so as well. If the arresting officer had a history of 'brutality', the frequent unnecessary use of 'mace' etc then only maybe, would you have a leg to stand on - but he doesn't because you are an ass-hole that got what you deserved on that night.

I hope the cop gets a medal for showing NO discrimination when making the arrest.

PS - The 'comb-over' looks crap - shave your head drunk-man.

Here is my interview with Mayor Healy on his appeal of the Bradley Beach decision. Take care.

Ricardo

06/29/2007

'If they get away with it, what's going to happen to John Q. Public?'

Mayor Healy talks about why he's appealing Bradley Beach verdict

Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter staff writer

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy last week maintained his innocence after being charged on June 22 with obstruction of justice and resisting arrest in connection with a disorderly persons incident in June of last year in the shore town of Bradley Beach.

Instead of simply letting the matter go and paying the $835 fine, he's appealing the decision to the Monmouth County Superior Court in Freehold.

"If I let this decision happen after the prosecution lied under oath, as the mayor of the second largest city trying to clear my name," Healy said, "if they get away with it, what's going to happen to John Q. Public?"

Healy said the appeal will be heard either in August or September.

The incident

Healy was arrested by Bradley Beach police on June 17, 2006 around 2 a.m. after they cited him for interfering in their investigation of an argument between a couple, Jeffery Barnes and Jacqueline Zolante, outside Barry's Tavern in Bradley Beach, which owned by Healy's sister and his sister's husband.

Healy, who emerged with bruises on his face, claimed after the arrest that he was the victim of police brutality. The accused officer was acquitted of the charges.

Two weeks ago, June 22, Bradley Beach Municipal Court Judge John Colannino ruled that Healy was guilty of obstruction of justice and resisting arrest.

Witnesses in court said that Healy might have had too much to drink, but Healy denied this last week.

Healy said that he is "optimistic" he will succeed in his appeal. He also said he is doing this not just for himself, but for others who may go through the same situation.

Appealing to the public

The trial itself began June 18, when four witnesses testified against Healy. On June 22, nine witnesses, including Healy, gave their testimony.

Healy began an exclusive interview with the Reporter last week by saying the prosecution gave a "weak case," starting with testimony that described how he acted that evening.

"The whole justification that I took this [defiant] stance with the cops, it was preposterous," Healy said. Healy said he also found unbelievable the judge accepted the testimony of the four witnesses against him and dismissed testimony from witnesses testifying on his behalf.

"Three schoolteachers, two lawyers and a medical doctor who happens to be my son-in-law," Healy said. "They said all of them were connected to me, so they didn't have to believe our testimony? I think if the Pope was a witness on my behalf, they wouldn't have believed him."

Healy continued, "What about all the people who was connected to this case? You have the couple. She's the daughter of a current Bradley Beach councilman and former police chief. And Barnes himself admitted that he had several drafts of draft beer and two shots of tequila, and yet he says that he saw me drink a lot that night, and yet they believed his testimony."

Healy defended himself against the accusation that he was "intoxicated" or drank a little too much.

"I had five to seven 10-ounce glasses of [beer]," he said. "I don't drink pints, and I was not drunk that night."

This is not the first time that Healy has been accused of having had too much to drink. When he ran for mayor in 2004, a photo circulated on the internet of him coming out of his house partially naked, apparently inebriated. He later said that it was a dirty trick, as someone outside his house made a ruckus when he was about to go to sleep, and then took a photo of him when he came out. He said that he drank several beers, and his diabetes may have made him a bit incapacitated.

In this case, Healy wondered why, out of everyone in the incident, he got punished the most.

"The police officer [who was accused of brutality] and Barnes both did not serve any jail time and weren't charged with any violations," Healy said. "Yet a 55-year-old man, who was maced, knocked to ground and then handcuffed, and I'm the bad guy."

Why not just let it go?

Healy faces more than $800 in fines but no jail time. Sounds like a matter of paying off and moving on. But Healy doesn't see it that way.

"It's gone too far down the line for me to plead guilty when I did not obstruct an investigation and did not act disorderly," Healy said.

Usually, an appeal is when transcripts and other records of a trial or case are reviewed by a committee of judges and then a decision is handed down without the participants coming back to court.

When asked how much money he has spent on the case as of last week, he could not state a specific amount, only saying, "it is not an inexpensive effort."

Healy retained the services of three lawyers, at his own expense - Ralph Lamaparello, James Fagen and Joseph Kealy. Healy earns a salary of $95,000/year as mayor.

When asked if he regretted getting involved in the couple's argument, Healy did not express any regrets.

"That's easy to say, as hindsight is 20/20, but I don't think I did anything wrong," Healy said. "Every citizen should make peace."

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com

Split decision on justice for mayor

Monday, June 25, 2007
By CHARLES HACK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City residents appear to be split over whether Mayor Jerramiah Healy got justice when a Bradley Beach municipal judge found him guilty last week of resisting arrest and obstructing justice.

Healy was arrested last year on June 17 around 2 a.m. outside his sister's Bradley Beach restaurant, Barry's Tavern, after police were called to a domestic dispute involving a young couple. Healy, who said he was trying to help the cops sort out what happened, said he was thrown to the ground, handcuffed and sprayed with chemical irritant.

Judge John Colannino imposed fines of $828 for resisting arrest, obstructing the administration of the law, and two disorderly persons offenses. A third charge of disorderly conduct was dismissed.

Some residents said Healy got a raw deal.

"That's another country down there on the Jersey Shore," said Eddie Bauch, a Sussex Street resident. "They hear Hudson County, then that's it, you're guilty."

Others believe there was more to the story.

"If the mayor was trying to help, then maybe it was wrong to arrest him," said Ravi Kumar, of Morris Street. "But there must have been something for them to arrest him."

Freddie Herrera of Broadway in Jersey City said that Healy had gotten off lightly.

"If it was anybody else it would have been handled a lot differently," Herrera said.

Healy said yesterday he's innocent and plans to appeal.

"I was disappointed. Based on the evidence, I certainly would have expected a not guilty verdict," said Healy, a former prosecutor and municipal judge. "If they found me guilty with the defense we had in Monmouth County, then nobody will ever be found innocent there."

I would have just paid the fine right off -- even if I wasn't guilty -- I've dealt with cops in little shore towns in Jersey -- I guess the Mayor and his wife really felt the need to prove that the police were out of line. However, I think good legal advice would have told them they could never win, at this point I hope they just pay the fine and end it.

Quote:

That would make sense but pleading guilty to the charges at hand do not require him to step down from anything.Its only the media that he has to worry about,so why drag it out.

The ass-hole has to appeal to prolong being asked to step down from many of his titles and politicial / civil associations and any other crap he has some sort of holding.

He will get at least another 6-12 months to finish off / pay back any favors and give out any grants, contracts and positions to his buddies before he has to return to court for his appeal.

He is going to appeal to a higher court which i think is stupid because it just drags this whole sordid mess out.

If he did not have a history of drunken behavior which i have personally witnessed over the years than i would have given him the benefit of the doubt.

If Jerry admitted to ten beers than he really had 15 or twenty(this guy can drink)He is known to get belligerent when drunk,at least when he's not singing Irish ballads.

The crazy part is he's a diabetic and should not be drinking at all.

Would any other public servant or police officer lose their job if they were convict of the same crime - I say yes, but will Healy get fired?

I need to throw up now.

Quote:

Yes, he used to be Presiding Judge of the Jersey City Municipal Court (not New Jersey Municipal Court), and yes, my comments about your website still apply (especially since you haven't made simple corrections).

http://jclist.com/modules/newbb/viewt ... id=108106#forumpost108106

Does Jersey City taxpayers get reimbursed too?

Healy was found Guilty and fined $835

I thought he is diabetic. Wouldn't all this alcohol kill or maim him?

The guy is seriously medically addicted and has the shakes all morning until he gets his first drop of sauce at 11AM. He has a real problem and is not in condition to have this kind of responsibility. He needs 6 months at a clinic, not the stress of a mayor's job. If we re-elect him, we deserve him. The City is not being managed at this point.

The real Mayor is the Business Administrator and the Council is running amok.

He will be convicted and then what,Nothing!

We have 100,000 voters but the average mayoral election brings out 39,000.

This is how the Machine wins.Untill we start voting in larger numbers we are stuck bitching about a drunk and naked guy who is are Mayor.

So this is the guy who used to run New Jersey Municipal Court? It's not quite as bad as Marion Barry running Washington DC, but it's not very good.

Are they, the ones who should be working at City Hall today, using a vacation day or personal day for this?
------------------
About 25 people were in the tiny courtroom, including Healy's wife, Maureen; former Police Chief Robert Troy and his wife; city Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis; Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini; two of the Healys' children, and the mayor's sister, who owns the bar/restaurant where the mayor had been attending a party that night.

"Roughed up" mayor's trial starts this week

Asbury Park Press -- 06/18/07

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BRADLEY BEACH — A year after his altercation with police outside a Bradley Beach bar, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy will try to defend his actions when he goes on trial this week.

The mayor says he was arrested and roughed up by police for intervening in an argument between a couple outside a Bradley Beach bar. Police say Healy tried to throw his weight around as a mayor, refused orders to leave, and became verbally abusive.

Healy, mayor of the state's second-largest city, is charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and obstructing justice. If convicted, the charges carry less than a year in jail and $2,500 in fines.

The mayor has said that as he and his wife, Maureen, left the bar, they saw a couple arguing and the man jumping on the hood of the woman's car. Healy said he talked the man down, and when police arrived, the mayor said he told an officer the woman was not at fault.

Healy said the officer, without reason, threw him on the ground and used a chemical spray. When his wife tried to retrieve his glasses, police shoved her to the ground, hurting her ankle and leg, according to Healy.

"I've professed my innocence from day one," Healy told The New York Times for Sunday editions. "I've told the truth about this thing from day one. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing illegal."

A grand jury declined to indict officer Terry Browning in December.

The charges against Healy, who worked as a Hudson County prosecutor and served as chief judge of the city's Municipal Court, are not the first nor the strangest.

In 1999, he was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing justice, again in Bradley Beach, where he owns a home. A neighbor told The Jersey Journal that he watched police wrestle with a naked Healy on his front porch.

Records show Healy pleaded guilty to a disorderly person charge and paid $130 in fines and court costs.

While running for mayor in 2004, Healy was photographed nude on his front porch in Jersey City. At the time, Healy did not deny that the photograph was authentic, or that he had been drinking alcohol. But he insisted he had been lured outside by someone banging his trash can, and that he was not naked.

Mayor’s Turbulent Evening Is Big Case for Small Court

The New York Times
By JONATHAN MILLER
Published: June 17, 2007

BRADLEY BEACH, N.J., June 14 — Here in this shore town, a land of funnel cake and miniature golf, the talk is not of ocean tides and sand flies but of pepper spray and handcuffs. Not of saltwater taffy and lazy afternoons with Stephen King, but of motions of emergent relief and mornings with a judge.

On one side of the divide is Jerramiah T. Healy, Jersey City’s mayor, who says he was roughed up by a Bradley Beach policeman. On the other are the police, who claim that a disorderly mayor inserted himself into a situation in which he did not belong.

When the trial opens on Monday morning, the matter will have dragged out a year and a day since the encounter between the mayor and the policeman.

In all, there will be 39 pieces of evidence. Twenty witnesses, including the daughter of a local councilman, are on notice that they may be called to testify in a shabby courtroom with folding chairs and a fraying carpet held down by duct tape. There will even be opening and closing statements from lawyers — a rarity for municipal court — but no jury. Testimony is to be spread over three days, but that may not be enough.

“I’ve had Superior Court cases with a lot less witnesses,” Jason Shamy, the municipal prosecutor, said after a recent hearing. He waved to his opposing counsel, James Fagen. “I think Fagen has had capital cases with less witnesses.”

Mr. Healy has been charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice. If he receives the maximum penalty for all the charges, he could be imprisoned for a year and a month and owe $2,500 in fines, Mr. Shamy said, although he acknowledged that the punishment could be a good bit short of that.

It all began about 2 a.m. on a Saturday last June, when Mr. Healy, 56, left his sister’s bar, Barry’s Tavern, after a meal and several Miller Lites. There in a parking lot near the bar, Mr. Healy said, he saw a man jumping on the hood of a car with a woman inside. He said that he tried to calm the situation, and that when the police came, he tried to explain what had happened.

But he said that a police officer, Terry Browning, pushed him to the ground, handcuffed him, and sprayed a chemical in both eyes. He also said Officer Browning pushed his wife, Maureen, to the ground, injuring a finger and an ankle.

But the police have a very different version. They say Mr. Healy repeatedly inserted himself into their investigation into the dispute, even after he was told to back off. Eventually, they said, Mr. Healy resisted arrest and “became disorderly.”

Mr. Healy, a former assistant Hudson County prosecutor and municipal court chief judge in Jersey City, said that his father was a bar owner who died trying to break up a fight, and, that in this case, he was confident he would prevail.

“I’ve professed my innocence from Day 1,” he said in a recent interview. “I’ve told the truth about this thing from Day 1. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing illegal.”

Mr. Healy filed a countercharge accusing the officer of abusing him, but the Monmouth County prosecutor threw it out in December.

This is not the first time Mr. Healy has been at the center of bizarre late-night incidents, or even the first time he has clashed with the police in Bradley Beach. Privately, some officials in Jersey City and long-time allies question the mayor’s wisdom in pursuing a case that has opened up questions about his past.

In 2004, when he was a councilman running for mayor, Mr. Healy was photographed naked on the front porch of his house in Jersey City — he says he did not remember how he got there — after drinking what he said were “six to eight beers” at a local bar.

The photos eventually made their way onto the Internet, creating a brief uproar, but Mr. Healy went on to win. Nor did the winning stop there. Just last week, he was elected chairman of the storied Hudson County Democratic Organization.

In August 1999, Mr. Healy, who owns a home in Bradley Beach, was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing justice, according to court records. David Dellett, a neighbor of Mr. Healy’s in Bradley Beach, told The Jersey Journal last year about the 1999 incident, in which he saw four policemen wrestle down a naked Mr. Healy on his porch.

Mr. Dellett said Mr. Healy would often hold loud parties that featured the playing of ukuleles and the singing of Irish tunes. Last week, a second neighbor, who asked not to be identified, also reported witnessing the same incident on the porch, adding that the mayor had unsuccessfully tried to hold onto a towel wrapped around him.

Court records show that Mr. Healy pleaded guilty to a minor disorderly person charge and paid $130 in fines and court costs.

Mr. Healy and his lawyers said they are not concerned about these cases coming up at trial. “It’s totally extraneous,” said Joseph V. Kealy Jr., one of his three lawyers. “Totally irrelevant. The only issue is what happened on the night in the lot next to Barry’s bar.”

In this latest incident, the officer at the center of the dispute, Terry Browning, who lives in neighboring Neptune with his mother, will be called as a witness.

“I know my son,” said his mother, Doris Browning. “I know he didn’t do anything he shouldn’t have done.”

She also said her son told her that the mayor was trying to throw his weight around on the night of the arrest and asked the officer, “Do you know who I am?” Mr. Healy denied making such an assertion.

Officer Browning has been the subject of legal challenges in the past. In 2004, he was accused of driving his squad car with the lights turned off when he ran into a bicyclist named Israel Sanchez, who had just left Barry’s Tavern.

Mr. Sanchez settled the case with the officer and the Bradley Beach police earlier this year for “north of $1,000, but not a heck of a lot,” said his lawyer, James W. Taylor. Barry’s Tavern helped pick up the lawyer’s bills.

In the end, even Mr. Healy’s lawyers acknowledge that not much good will come from the case.

“There are going to be no winners here,” Mr. Kealy said. “We are certain that the mayor will have been exonerated. But nobody wins here, the mayor — Mr. Healy — the officer in the case, the town of Bradley Beach. No one.”

Healy case to proceed Tuesday

Saturday, May 26, 2007

By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A Monmouth County judge yesterday gave the go-ahead for the disorderly persons case against Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy to begin Tuesday - rebuffing attempts by Healy's attorneys to have the case postponed pending a decision on a related matter, a court official said.

Healy's attorneys had asked that the Healy case be postponed until the Monmouth County Court determined if disorderly person charges should be reinstated against the Bradley Beach officer Healy claims unnecessarily roughed him up and arrested him.

The charges against the officer were previously administratively dropped.

But yesterday, Monmouth County Assignment Judge Lawrence Lawson said even though he's reserving judgment on whether to reinstate complaints against Bradley Beach Police Officer Terry Browning, the case against Healy should proceed as scheduled, the court official said.

Neither Healy, nor his attorneys, returned phone calls to comment.

Also, Bradley Beach Municipal Court Judge Mark T. Apostolou, who has been overseeing the Healy case, has recused himself because one of the witnesses likely to testify is the daughter of a local councilman, the court official said.

John Colannino, the presiding judge of Monmouth County, will now handle the case, the official said.

No testimony is likely to be taken Tuesday, and it wasn't clear if Healy will have to be present, the official said. The case stems from an incident that took place last June 17 in Bradley Beach, where Healy has owned a home for years.

Healy claims he was trying to help police sort out a spat between a couple outside a tavern owned by his sister and brother-in-law when Browning pounced on him, threw him to the ground, handcuffed him, and pepper-sprayed him in both eyes. Healy said Browning also shoved his wife, Maureen, to the pavement.

Bradley Beach police maintain that Healy refused to keep out of a police matter even though he was politely asked to do several times and had to be forcibly arrested. Healy was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

In December, a Monmouth County grand jury "no-billed" an indictment against Browning for official misconduct and aggravated assault.

Mayor may seek reinstated charges
Bradley Beach cop's conduct is at issue

Wednesday, January 24, 2007
BY MARYANN SPOTO
Star-Ledger Staff

Attorneys for Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and his wife may ask a Superior Court judge to reinstate charges against a Bradley Beach police officer that stemmed from an argument outside a bar the mayor alleges he was trying to break up.

At a pre-conference hearing in Bradley Beach yesterday, the attorneys said Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin had no right to dismiss disorderly persons charges against Officer Terry Browning at the same time a grand jury decided not to indict Browning on more serious offenses.

They want to ask Superior Court Assignment Judge Lawrence Lawson to reinstate the misdemeanor offenses of simple assault and harassment that would go to municipal court.

When the grand jury decided not to indict Browning last month on more serious offenses, Valentin dismissed those misdemeanors but kept the charges against Healy of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, also to be heard in municipal court.

In a letter to Healy's attorneys, Valentin said he dismissed the lesser charges against Browning because the grand jury found no basis for the more serious offenses.

Attorneys James Fagen and Ralph Lamparello said they haven't made a decision about going to Lawson yet because they have not received a copy of the grand jury testimony despite being assured by Valentin's office that there was no objection to getting the transcript.

Fagen said on Jan. 10 he sent a consent form to First Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Peter Warshaw Jr. asking for the release of the grand jury testimony, but he has received no word back yet.

"We can't make that motion until we have the grand jury transcripts," Fagen said.

Healy alleges Browning assaulted him on June 17 outside Barry's Tavern while the mayor was trying to quell a spat between a couple. He said Browning pushed his face into the ground, twisted his arm behind his back and sprayed him in the eyes with a chemical.

Bradley Beach police claim Healy refused direct orders to leave the scene and became verbally abusive.

Healy was attending a mayors summit in Washington, D.C. and was not in court.

Municipal Court Judge Mark Apostolou said neither the mayor nor Browning was required to be present for the pre-conference hearing. Browning attended but did not speak.

Apostolou, who noted the case could take several months to be resolved, directed Fagen and Lamparello to contact Valentin's office again about getting the grand jury testimony.

Lamparello said he originally asked the prosecutor to reconsider the dismissal of the charges, but the prosecutor said his decision was based on the grand jury's conclusion. If the grand jury wanted to take action against Browning, it also could have downgraded the indictable charges, the prosecutor noted in his letter.

Apostolou said he wanted to have monthly monitoring of the progress in the case "so it doesn't get out of control."

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@starledger.com or (732) 462-8603.

==========================================
NOT TAKING 'NO'
Healy lawyers want Shore cop charged, put on trial
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

BRADLEY BEACH - Attorneys for Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said yesterday they are likely to ask a Monmouth County Superior Court judge to consider issuing disorderly person charges against the cop Healy and his wife have claimed unnecessarily roughed them up during Healy's arrest outside a Bradley Beach bar in June.

The attorneys - James Fagan of Freehold and Ralph Lamparello of Secaucus - made their intentions known during a pre-trial conference for a disorderly persons case pending against Healy.

During the June 17 incident with the cop, Healy was arrested about 2 in the morning outside Barry's Tavern, which is owned by his sister and brother-in-law, and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and obstruction of administrative law.

Healy - a former prosecutor and judge - claims he was trying to help police sort out a spat between a couple when Bradley Beach Police Officer Terry Browning threw him on the ground, handcuffed him, and then had chemical irritant sprayed in both eyes. When his wife, Maureen, came to his aid, Browning shoved her to the pavement, Healy claims.

The police claim they repeatedly asked Healy to butt out of a police matter, and forcibly arrested him when he refused.

The Healys filed four complaints against Browning, but a Monmouth County grand jury refused to indict the officer on the two most serious allegations - official misconduct and aggravated assault.

Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin then dropped the two lesser complaints against Browning - simple assault and harassment - which do not require a grand jury to return an indictment.

Healy's attorneys claimed yesterday Valentin had no right to drop those charges, and said they should have been resolved by the Bradley Beach Municipal Court. Fagan and Lamparello said yesterday they are likely to file a motion requesting those charges be reconsidered by the municipal court.

If that happens, both cases - the case against Healy and the charges against Browning - would be tried as one, a court official said.

In a letter read into the record by Bradley Beach Municipal Court Judge Mark T. Apostolou, First Assistant Prosecutor Peter Warshaw told Fagan earlier this month the grand jury would have "sent back charges to municipal court" if it had found any validity to the Healys' claims.

It could not be determined yesterday when the case against Healy would begin, nor how long it would take.

Healy's defense team said they are waiting on the grand jury transcript to prepare their list of witnesses and outline their discovery requests.

"Under the circumstances," Apostolou concluded - with agreement from Municipal Court Prosecutor Jason Shamy - "it would be unfair to compel the defense to proceed" with the case.

==============================
Mayor's complaints against cop could head back to court
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/24/07

BY JAMES A. QUIRK
STAFF WRITER

BRADLEY BEACH ? The disorderly persons complaints filed by Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and his wife against a borough police officer, and dismissed by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, may be brought back before a Superior Court judge for reconsideration.

In municipal court Tuesday, attorneys James Fagen and Ralph Lamporello told Judge Mark T. Apostolou that they have requested to view the "voluminous" transcripts of the grand jury testimony the Prosecutor's Office used as a basis to dismiss the two disorderly persons charges against Borough Police Officer Terry Browning.

Healy was arrested on disorderly persons charges June 17 outside Barry's Tavern, which is owned by his sister, Kathleen Barry.

According to Healy, he was leaving the bar around 2 a.m. when he witnessed an altercation between a couple in the parking lot of a neighboring auto shop. Healy said he decided to intervene to defuse the argument, only to be roughly thrown to the ground and dosed with pepper spray by borough police officers when they responded to the scene.

The mayor claims his wife was also mistreated, suffering ankle and leg injuries when she, too, was shoved to the ground.

Borough police contend that Healy tried to interject himself into the dispute and then ignored officers' requests to leave the scene. Healy resisted arrest, was taken to police headquarters and then released after about 90 minutes without being required to post bail, according to police.

Healy and his wife, Maureen, quickly filed official misconduct and aggravated assault charges against Browning. But in December, a Monmouth County grand jury found there was not enough evidence to indict Browning on the charges filed against him.

Also, because of the grand jury's decision and a "careful and fact-sensitive analysis of the circumstances surrounding the arrest," the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office dismissed two other disorderly persons charges of simple assault and harassment filed by the Healys against Browning, according to a December press release.

On Dec. 20, in a letter to Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin, Fagen requested that the prosecutor reconsider the "administrative dismissal" of the disorderly persons charges against Browning.

First Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Peter Warshaw responded in a letter Jan. 3 that the dismissal decision would not be reconsidered. The grand jury examined the matter in such exacting detail as to make it clear there was no basis on which to charge Browning, Warshaw said.

Fagen said he wants to review the grand jury transcripts himself and determine a course of action. He made it clear he will most likely file a motion in the hopes that a Superior Court judge will overturn the prosecutor's dismissal.

Fagen and Lamporello said they have requested the grand jury transcripts but have yet to receive them. When asked by Apostolou to cement a schedule with which to move forward, Fagen replied, "How can I give a time frame when I don't have the grand jury transcripts?"

Apostolou after the proceedings said that the charges against Healy would most likely not go to trial for several months.

"What I'd like to do is have a monthly monitoring of this case so it doesn't get out of control," Apostolou said.

James A. Quirk: (732) 308-7758 or jquirk@app.com

I don't get all this hate -- I like Healy!

I think he has been good for Jersey City.

::: ducking the crapkins::::

Grand jury siding with cop 'doesn't surprise me': Healy
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Characterizing the treatment he and his wife received at the hands of a Bradley Beach police officer this summer as "brutal" and "egregious," Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy rapped a Monmouth County grand jury decision not to indict the officer in a statement he released late Monday.

"My wife and I have cooperated with the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and have done our civic duty in testifying against the unnecessary force of Officer Terry Browning," the statement read.

"The fact the Monmouth County grand jury chose not to render an indictment does not change the facts or alter the conduct of the police officer," it read.

The charges against Browning stem from an incident on June 17 around 2 a.m. just outside a Bradley Beach tavern owned by Healy's sister that resulted in Healy's arrest for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Healy, who owns a home in Bradley Beach, claims he had intervened in an argument between a couple and when police arrived on the scene, he tried to help them sort things out.

Healy "refused direct orders to withdraw and leave the scene," became "verbally abusive" and "physically resisted arrest," according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office statement on the grand jury decision.

Healy claims Browning tackled him and pepper-sprayed him in both eyes while he was handcuffed on the ground. And when Maureen Healy raced to his defense, Browning swatted her to the ground, according to the mayor and his wife.

On Monday, the grand jury "no-billed" the indictable charges against Browning - official misconduct and aggravated assault. This prompted Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin to also drop two non-indictable complaints - simple assault and harassment - Healy and his wife Maureen lodged against the officer in August.

The charges against Healy - including an obstruction of justice charge added in August - will now be sent to the Bradley Beach Municipal Court for disposition, the prosecutor's office said.

"Unfortunately, the decision of the Monmouth County grand jury does not surprise me," Healy stated in his release. "As we move forward and as this matter proceeds through the justice system, my wife and I will weigh all of our options and continue to consult with our attorney."

Can you say "i told you so"
Those monmouth prosecutors don't fool around.

Whats interesting is that they even dismissed the minor charges against the cop which means the only person going up in front of a judge is Jerry Healy.The mayor and all his wittnesses/freinds testified and a Grand Jury did not believe them.

He has two option's, plead to something or get on the stand in open court and get asked a lot of very embarrassing questions.Both are bad for Healy.

COP IN THE CLEAR
No indictment in Bradley Beach scuffle with Healy
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
By KEN THORBOURNE
JERSEY JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A Monmouth County grand jury decided yesterday not to indict a Bradley Beach police officer that Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy had accused of unnecessary roughness, according to a statement released by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.

Healy and his wife Maureen had lodged complaints against Terry Browning, accusing the cop of second-degree official misconduct and third-degree aggravated assault - charges that could have sent Browning to jail if he was convicted.

But the grand jury "no-billed" the indictable charges, prompting Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin to dismiss non-indictable complaints Healy and his wife had also filed against Browning, according to the release.

The case stems from an incident that took place June 17 about 2 a.m. just outside a Bradley Beach tavern owned by Healy's brother-in-law and sister.

Upon leaving a family get-together, Healy, who owns a home in Bradley Beach, claims he saw a couple arguing outside the bar and tried to defuse the situation. When cops arrived, he said, he was just trying to help, but the police didn't see it that way.

According to the release, "Bradley Beach police allege that as they sought to conduct their investigation, Healy involved himself in the police investigation and refused direct orders to withdraw and leave the scene."

Healy became "verbally abusive" when he was advised he could be placed under arrest for disorderly conduct and then "physically resisted arrest and continued to argue with officers," the release stated.

The release acknowledges "Bradley Beach police used some force" to subdue Healy, "including the use of a chemical spray."

Two officers had responded to the scene, according to the release - Browning and Patrolman William Major. But all the complaints were filed against Browning.

Once arrested, Healy was taken to the Bradley Beach police headquarters and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, the release states.

Maureen Healy claimed that when she ran to her husband's defense, she too was shoved to the pavement by Browning.

Neither Healy, nor his attorney, Ralph Lamparello of Jersey City, returned phone calls yesterday to comment.

"'It was a thorough investigation," said Browning's attorney, Charles Uliano of West Long Branch. "Officer Browning is a good police officer who was simply doing his job and obviously the grand jurors, in evaluating the evidence, felt the same way."

The non-indictable charges against Healy - resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, along with a third charge of "obstruction of justice" added in August - would be returned to the Bradley Beach Municipal Court for disposition, the release stated.

No trial date has been set, a court spokeswoman said.

On June 19, Healy had requested the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office to investigate the matter and on Aug. 19, Healy and his wife signed complaints against Browning.
========================================

Grand jury rejects mayor's assault tale
Panel declines to indict Bradley Beach officer accused of roughing up Healy
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
BY MARYANN SPOTO
Star-Ledger Staff

A grand jury in Monmouth County voted yesterday not to indict a police officer accused of assaulting Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and his wife outside a Bradley Beach bar in June.

In announcing the "no bill," Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin said all charges against Bradley Beach police officer Terry Browning were dismissed and will not be sent to the municipal level for any action.

Meanwhile, Browning's charges that Healy resisted arrest and engaged in disorderly conduct remain active and will be sent to Bradley Beach municipal court for disposition, Valentin said. He said that on the advice of Bradley Beach municipal prosecutor Dennis Lavender, Browning filed an additional charge of obstruction of justice, which also is to be heard at the municipal level.

"The grand jury declined to return an indictment against Officer Browning," Valentin said. "Based upon all evidence available at this time, there is similarly no reasonable basis to allow the nonindictable charges against Officer Browning to proceed to trial in municipal court."

The Bradley Beach Police Department declined to comment.

In a statement released through his office, Healy said he and his wife were "disappointed that the police officer was not indicted for his egregious and brutal conduct."

"My wife and I have cooperated with the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and have completed our civic duties in testifying against the unnecessary force of Officer Terry Browning," Healy said. "The fact that the Monmouth County grand jury chose not to render an indictment does not change the facts and conduct of the police officer."

He said he and his wife, Maureen, are weighing their options on how to move forward.

Browning's attorney, Charles Uliano of West Long Branch, would not discuss specifics of the case.

"It was a thorough investigation," Uliano said. "Officer Browning is a good police officer who was simply doing his job, and obviously the grand jurors, in evaluating the evidence, felt the same way."

The June 17 incident stemmed from an argument between a young couple outside Barry's Tavern. Healy has said he tried to quell the argument as he was leaving the Main Street bar, owned by his sister, around 1:30 a.m. When police arrived, he said, Browning pounced on him, pushed his face into the ground and twisted his arm behind his back with no justification. Browning also sprayed the mayor in the eyes with a chemical.

Bradley Beach police alleged that Healy refused direct orders to leave the scene and became verbally abusive.

On Aug. 18, Healy signed complaints accusing Browning of official misconduct and aggravated assault -- indictable offenses -- and simple assault and harassment, disorderly persons offenses handled in municipal court.

Healy's wife claimed Browning pushed her to the ground, and she filed charges of official misconduct, simple assault and harassment. Thoser charges also were dismissed yesterday.

Valentin said the grand jury heard testimony from a number of witnesses during multiple sessions.

Maryann Spoto may be reached at mspoto@starledger.com

Healy is not going to sue the cop for one simple reason.The deposition he would undergo from a smart lawyer would be devastating.Ever been drunk and naked in public.ever hit your wife,give a pal a no show job ect.
The deposition is what got Bill Clinton.

Healy should hope the cop does not get indicted because he will surely be asked these Questions on the stand in open court.What a circus that will be.

Monmouth county is not like hudson,they will follow the truth no matter where it leads.The coverup may be worse than the crime.

HEALY'S SIDE
Mayor testifies against Shore cop in late-night scuffle
Thursday, November 30, 2006
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and his wife Maureen testified this week before a Monmouth County grand jury that is deliberating whether to return an indictment against the Bradley Beach police officer Healy claims roughed him up while arresting him this summer.

Healy, who owns a home in Bradley Beach, said he and his wife testified on Monday in Freehold against Police Officer Terry Browning.

Browning, Healy says, unnecessarily threw him to the ground, handcuffed him and then pepper-sprayed him in each eye during an incident that took place at 2 a.m. on June 17 outside Barry's, a Bradley Beach tavern owned by Healy's sister.

Healy claims he was trying to help police sort out a lover's spat when Browning turned belligerent. Healy said he was trying to explain what happened; cops said he was disrupting their investigation after they'd told him to butt out.

Maureen Healy alleges that when she rushed to her husband's defense, she too was shoved to the ground by Browning, causing her to scrape her ankle and injure a middle finger.

"I told them what occurred," Healy said about his testimony before the grand jury. "We'll see what happens."

The case being presented to the grand jury accuses Browning of official misconduct and aggravated assault, both indictable offenses that carry prison sentences if convicted, according to court officials. The grand jury process could take a couple of weeks since several witnesses are expected to testify, Healy said.

Browning didn't return a phone call seeking comment, and Peter Warshaw, the first assistant prosecutor in the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, left a voice mail Tuesday night saying there was "nothing new to report." He could not be reached again yesterday.

Several months ago, The Jersey Journal requested information about any previous complaints against Browning under the state's Open Public Records Act. Even though Bradley Beach's municipal attorney has instructed the police brass to turn over those records to the newspaper, police officials have so far failed to do so.

Healy was arrested during the incident on charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and obstructing the administration of law - all non-indictable offenses punishable by fines. These charges aren't likely to be presented to the grand jury, a court official said.

But these charges cannot be dealt with until the indictable offenses against Browning either go to trial or are knocked down to non-indictable offenses, in which case all the charges would likely be sent to the Bradley Beach Municipal Court for resolution, the official said.

If the grand jury returns an indictment against Browning, the non-indictable offenses against Healy could either be sent to the municipal court or dealt with by the judge presiding over the trial, the court official said.

Healy has filed the paperwork to protect his right to sue Browning in civil court, but said Tuesday he wasn't sure if he'd follow through with that suit.

Jersey City mayor charges Shore officer with assault
Friday, August 18, 2006
BY MARYANN SPOTO
Star-Ledger Staff

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and his wife have filed charges against a Bradley Beach police officer who they claim manhandled them after the mayor tried to quell a lovers' spat near a bar earlier this summer.

Lodging a complaint in municipal court Tuesday, Healy accused officer Terry Browning of aggravated assault, official misconduct and other charges in the June 17 incident.

Because the complaint involves indictable offenses, the matter now goes to Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin for review. He can either keep all or a portion of the case or send it back to the municipal court level.

Besides aggravated assault and official misconduct -- two crimes that are handled in state Superior Court -- Healy charged Browning with simple assault and harassment, disorderly persons offenses handled on the municipal level.

Healy's wife, Maureen, filed charges of simple assault, harassment and official misconduct.

According to the mayor, the incident began when he spotted an arguing couple on his way out of his sister's bar, Barry's Tavern on Main Street, around 1:30 a.m. Healy said a young man was on top of a car, yelling at a young woman standing on the sidewalk. In recounting the incident the following day, Healy said he told the young man to quiet down or police would respond.

Shortly after that, police did arrive. Healy said he was pounced on when he approached one of the officers, Browning, to tell him that the young woman had nothing to do with the fight.

In his complaint, Healy says Browning grabbed his right hand and "twisted his arm behind his back, threw him to the ground, pushed his face into the asphalt, knocked his glasses off, causing scrapes, cuts and bruising about his body."

Browning also committed aggravated assault, the complaint alleges, by knocking Healy's glasses off and by spraying him in the eyes with a chemical, causing him temporary loss of his sight.

These actions constituted "an unauthorized exercise of his official functions," the basis of the official-misconduct allegation, the complaint said.

Maureen Healy said Browning used his knee to hold her husband's neck and head to the ground. When she tried to retrieve his glasses, Browning pushed her, causing her to fall to the ground, she said. She said in the complaint that she suffered abrasions to her right ankle and a swollen, sprained middle finger.

Acting Deputy Police Chief Leonard Guida said at the time that Healy "involved himself in the investigation" after being warned he'd be arrested if he stayed.

Healy was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, two disorderly persons offenses.