Hudson County 'road rage' attorney facing new ethics charges

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Attorney facing "road rage" incident in Jersey City has resigned from Bayonne Little League coaching job

Wednesday, April 13, 2011
By CHARLES HACK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

An attorney with the Hudson County Law Department who is charged with assaulting a woman during an apparent road rage incident and then smashing a car window with a baseball bat has resigned as a Bayonne Little League coach, officials said yesterday.

John Collins, of Tottenham Court in Jersey City, who is also a Jersey City Municipal Court public defender, has been suspended without pay from his county job pending the outcome of the criminal trial, county officials said.

Collins appeared in court Friday on charges he punched a woman in the face and smashed the driver's side window of the car she was in with a baseball bat during an apparent road rage incident on Thursday at 11:49 p.m. at 14th and Washington streets in Jersey City, according to reports.


Full JJ piece?.

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index ... 02675926294160.xml&coll=3

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I don?t know what I would do without my morning dose of JJ!

Well, I like the fact that he was against the pipeline...

Neverleft makes a good point - how do WE try to make change around here. It's nice to complain on chat boards but that doesn't improve the quality of life. Fulop only has so much bandwidth to work on things.

Let's look at others who've acted like idiots and gotten slaps on the wrist because they "know people": Healy's woman punching son (in progress), Willie Flood's drug dealer kid, Vega's light sentencing, that council guy who pissed all over the concert goers in DC, and I'm sure there are tons of others.

If anyone know what steps can be taken to make changes around here, please post or Fulop if you are reading this perhaps you can explain what citizens can do to try and reduce the banana republic govenerning that goes on....

anyone have a picture of this guy so I know who not to sit next to at the bar?

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I have read a few comments from newcomers in the past asking how old-timers just let this ?stuff? go on and on. Here is a perfect example of the ?stuff? that is going on right in front of our eyes?how do WE (newcomers and old-timers) stop this BS!!

Here is the piece about this fine JC/HC employee?s last ?incident?. If a brother pushed a cop he would be dead or beat to a pulp. I guess this guy really did ?know people? he got the charge downgraded to a city ordinance violation. What a joke!

JERSEY CITY

Jersey City police charge public defender - one of about 20 who work for city - with assault on cop and disorderly conduct after incident at tavern

Friday, August 06, 2010
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A public defender in Jersey City Municipal Court - who allegedly boasted he "knew people" - was arrested on charges he assaulted city police officers after brawling outside a Downtown bar yesterday, officials said.

John Collins, 35, of Danforth Avenue, was arrested at 1:05 a.m. outside O'Connell's Bar on Montgomery Street and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and obstructing a government function, reports said.

Collins told the officers they "had no idea who the (expletive) he was" and said he "knew people," reports said, adding that he told the officer he worked in the court.

While being booked, Collins "continued to be verbally abusive to the arresting officers, making threats about his 'connections' and how he could affect the officers' careers," reports said.

Officers responding to the bar on a report of a fight were speaking to the man Collins had apparently been in a scuffle with when Collins approached waving his hands and yelling at the 45-year-old Pavonia Avenue man, reports said.

Collins, who was "visibly highly intoxicated," pushed one officer in the chest twice and brushed away the arm of another officer who was attempting to keep him back, reports said.

When two officers escorted Collins a short distance away, he began pounding on the glass window of the bar and was telling the officers to "lock him up," which they did, reports said.

A few hours before his arrest, Collins had spoken against a proposed gas pipeline at a Jersey City City Council meeting a few blocks away at City Hall.

Last night, city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill confirmed that Collins is one of about 20 public defenders used by the municipal court.

JJ piece from August 2010?

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerse ... 81076881300900.xml&coll=3

I love the JJ with my morning cup of joe! You will too!

Every Jersey City resident knows that you should never stop at a red light, that's just crazy.

Yeah, but this isn't even about being a reject from the private sector or some political hack. This man is dangerous!

Last year according to the JJ, he gets into a fight in a bar, gets arrested, shoves some cops, and exclaims, "he knows people". Magically, those charges go away.

I mean, he is what drunk driving and assaults people with a deadly weapon. What is his posture from now on as a public defender...take this deal or I'll kill ya'?

Is Hudson County and JC the dumping ground for reject public administrators and senior executives ?

Every public department appears to have egocentric, self righteous individuals that believe they are above the law.

Dump his sorry ass in prison and don't let him blame alcohol for his behavior....if so, what about a DUI charge !

So, let me get this straight- the guy is driving erratically late at night- walks up to a couple in a car, punches a woman in the face and takes out a baseball bat and bashes the car.

What is there to review Hudson County and Jersey City with respect to this man's continued employment as an attorney serving the public at taxpayer expense?

I think a maniac like that ought to be pressing license plates like the one this poor couple fortunately identified to bring this clown to justice.

View Larger Map Jersey City public defender charged with punching woman and attacking car with bat in road rage incident Saturday, April 09, 2011 By MICHAELANGELO CONTE JOURNAL STAFF WRITER An attorney in the Hudson County Law Department made his first appearance in court yesterday on charges he punched a woman in the face and smashed the car window with a baseball bat during an apparent road rage incident in Jersey City Thursday, officials said. John Collins of Tottenham Court, who also works as a Jersey City Municipal Court public defender, is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal mischief, according to the criminal complaint. In August, Collins was arrested outside a Jersey City bar and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and obstructing a government function. Yesterday his attorney, George Taite, said he believed that matter was downgraded to a city ordinance violation. The incident on Thursday occurred when a couple driving north on Washington Avenue noticed a man in a silver Mercedes behind them driving erratically. The couple stopped at a red light at 14th Street, and the male driver waved to the motorist behind him, thinking it was someone he knew, police reports said. The driver of the Mercedes exited his car and approached the couple's car yelling, reports said. When the woman passenger exited the vehicle, the driver of the Mercedes punched her in the face and then got a metal baseball bat from the trunk of his car and repeatedly hit the couple's car, breaking the driver's side window as he tried to get the driver out, police reports said. When the light changed, the couple was able to drive off, but they managed to get a license plate number on the Mercedes, police said. The driver suffered cuts from the shattered glass, but he refused medical attention, police reports said. Collins is charged with simple assault for punching the woman, causing "pain across her nose and face," the complaint says. Collins is also charged with a weapons offense for arming himself by taking the bat out of the trunk of his vehicle, the complaint says. Finally, he is charged with criminal mischief for striking the victims' vehicle with the bat multiple times, causing a dent, paint damage and the broken window, the complaint says. The charges are based on statements made by the victims and the woman's injuries, as well as damage to the vehicle observed by responding police officers, the complaint says. Collins' position as a lawyer in the county law department will remain unchanged at least until Monday when the office will review the criminal charges, County Spokesman Jim Kennelly said yesterday. Yesterday Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale set Collins bail on the new charges at $20,000 or 10 percent, and by 4 p.m. Collins had posted. Taite entered a plea of not guilty. Jersey City Spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said Collins continued employment as a public defender is under review by city officials and the public defender's office.