I know nothing about politics or policing and the two never mix..........stick that in your pipe and smoke it! (Confirms a similar issue on another thread under the heading of property seizure)

Indecision on Troy's legal bills

Thursday, April 12, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The Jersey City City Council balked Monday at shelling out more money to defend former Police Chief Robert Troy in six lawsuits still pending against him.

The $50,000 limit specified in a contract with Morristown attorney Domenick Carmagnola has been exhausted and the lawyer is asking for $35,000 more to keep working, city officials said.

But before they'd agree to keep paying, several council members said they needed a better idea about the prospects of winning or settling the cases.

"We are asking you to take a look at how to resolve this," Ward F Councilwoman Viola Richardson told Corporation Counsel William Matsikoudis.

Though Troy is named in six lawsuits, he's really a principal defendant in three of them, Matsikoudis said. And now's not the time to settle, he said.

"The demands (of the plaintiffs) are outrageous and the claims I believe are false," Matsikoudis said.

The council decided to withdraw the resolution to continue to pay Carmagnola pending a "closed door" meeting with council members next week.

Troy - who served as the city's top cop from December 2004 to July 1, 2006 - was accused in separate complaints filed in 2005 by Sgt. Valerie Montone and Police Officer Marisa Johnston, of failing to stop sexually discriminatory acts against them and punishing them for political reasons.

Last year, eight police sergeants accused Troy of not promoting them because he didn't want to promote Montone, who by October 2004, ranked No. 5, on the promotion list.

Also last year, Detective Mark Razzoli filed a lawsuit accusing Troy of demoting him because he supported Assemblyman Lou Manzo for mayor during the November 2004 election.

Carmagnola has called the allegations against Troy baseless.