For some reason, participating in Hoboken civic affairs and/or local politics comes with a high risk of getting sued.
Fortunate Defendants will have the city, state or federal government pick up their legal tab. All others, too bad.
Nowadays, lawsuits filed against the City aren't the old-fashioned 'friends suing friends' type, where 'friends' split the judgment (allegedly). Lawsuits in the Reform era come with risk to Plaintiffs because Defendants (the City) no longer automatically settle. Nowadays Defendants fight back and may even file a counterclaim.
Nevertheless, some wannabe Plaintiffs still see a pot of gold in suing the City- it's the Hoboken way!
So, GA's been wondering what 2017 will bring to some of Hoboken's most publicized civil and criminal cases...
On that note, here are updates and predictions for five notorious cases pending in federal or state court.
(1) U.S.A. vs Julio Alvarez, et. al
On March 9, 2016 the Southern District of New York charged 4 individuals including former Hoboken City Council President, Christopher Campos with bank and wire fraud charges for allegedly perpetrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain $7 million in car loans. On September 23, 2016, a pretrial conference was held.
PACER's summary read, in part:
"Entry for proceedings held before Judge Denise L. Cote: Status Conference as to Julio Alvarez, Christopher Campos, Geuris Ramos held on 9/23/2016....15 months from arrest to trial! Lightning speed, by SLAPP- suit standards.
Defendant #2 CHRISTOPHER CAMPOS present with attorney Lee Vartan...
Court reporter Martha Drevis present.
Defendants are arraigned and each plead not guilty as charged in 16cr0395. Government informed the Court that it has turned over all discovery to the defendants. Any defense motion defendant shall be due March 24, 2017. Govt's opposition due March 31. Trial date set for June 5, 2017....
Bail continued as to each defendant..."
GA 2017 Prediction: Not a thing. May justice prevail!
(2) Carmelo Garcia v Everybody
Here is what I learned from "Carmelo's Revenge- the lawsuit(s)"
White! White! White!
Did you know these whiter-than-white whiteys function as a "unit" called "the Enterprise"?
click to read
To no avail.
According to an Earwitness, mediation ended when Garcia asked for $2.4 Million- half from the City and half from HUD (HHA). That was last March or February.
As you know, the HHA filed in its own lawsuit against Carmelo! POW! The HHA complaint alleges numerous procurement improprieties.
GA's 2017 Prediction: Garcia's case and the HHA's will be consolidated. It will go to trial and Garcia will LOSE.
(3) David Liebler's "First Amendment" case
That one is chugging along in NJ District Court. All Defendants are being represented by the City, except for Beth Mason whose attorney is Nicholas A. Grieco, Esq. of Inglesino, Webster, Wyciskala & Taylor, LLC. Liebler's attorney is Charles X. Gormally, Esq. with Brach Eichler LLC.
What's new?
A proposed "joint discovery agreement" was filed this past October. GA read it...
Folks, can you spell "EMAIL witch hunt"? Stan G. is Ground Zero.
From the agreement:
Liebler seeks "all emails and other correspondence between any of the defendants and/or Mr. Grossbard relevant to this action..."
Hey Dave, that one could really bite you in the ass!
GA note to Defendants: (1) Get the communications between Liebler and his cartoonist- both email and texts, (2) subpoena Facebook for deleted postings, you'll find ones like this:
 |
| Wow! Talk about malice! |
Did you know that all parties are requesting a confidentiality agreement for email discovery, except Liebler?
Thanks, Dave!
Get your copies of Liebler-emails at a courthouse near you! If the case continues; a settlement conference is being scheduled in February; proposed conference dates are February 7, 9 or 16. Stay tuned.
GA 2017 Prediction: the case will not settle. Liebler wants those emails. Real bad. He does not understand his own exposure. He will find out.
(4) Plaintiff "X" v City of Hoboken
This one has been filed. The Plaintiff is a well-known longtime Hoboken politico. A full-court media roll-out prior to the 2017 mayoral race is certain. Trial attorney is Steve Kleinman, Beth Mason's go-to attorney.
GA's 2017 Prediction: Ka-BOOM. That's the sound of yet another ill-conceived legal venture blowing up in someone's face. Like everything else out of her brain-trust, this one splatters all over Plaintiff and all others involved.
(5) Bajardi v Pincus
You know, GA is a party and cannot say much. I can say, it is not over! Nearly five years and counting.
Many folks don't know the Bajardis have an appeal pending to overturn the judgment.
The Bajardis have also just filed an 'interlocutory appeal' to overturn the Honorable Judge Rose's order granting sale of their condo to pay the judgment.
GA's 2017 Prediction: This litigation will end, for good in a manner that cannot be appealed by a higher court. Defendants will proceed on collecting their judgments, including additional fees awarded for filing 2 frivolous appeals, and other gratuitous motion practice. That's my prediction!
And there you go, folks. Time will tell if GA got any of these right.
Liebler will get his ass handed to him in court!!!! Lol!!! Hoboken will cry Bravo! when Stan sues him for malicious abuse of process! Dave, Lane and Kim can be roommates in a cardboard box when they all lose their condos!
ReplyDeleteDoes he understand discovery is a two way street?
DeleteThese blatant politically inspired lawsuits have lost much of their impact they may have once had with the general voting public in Hoboken as most people don't follow the inside machinations of a ever decreasing small number Old Guard fanatics and wack-job wannabe's.
DeleteThe Zimmer Administration secret election November surprise is that they have year after year made Hoboken a better place to live.
The sweeping victory of recent B.O.E. elections I think are a clear indication of the new voting patterns in Hoboken.
After Angel Alicea's suit and after the way the slapp suit was propped up for years with nothing to serve as the basis of a trial, I never assume common sense will win.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it does. Lawsuit losers Chief Falco and PIO William Campbell come to mind. Carmelo's first lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice.
DeleteWho could #4 be?
ReplyDeleteA wrestling fanatic?
A guy famous for his hair?
A downtown bar owner who rented a video truck ?
You are verrry warm.
DeleteBeth's gift to Stick... a lame ass lawsuit to hurt Zimmer and she got a jackass to file it.
DeleteGive us a hint 8:47!
DeleteUnder the US census, Melo, being of Portuguese descent, is considered Hispanic. Hope it backfires in Garcia's racist face.
ReplyDeleteCountess' lawyer is "X's" trial attorney? What a coincidence. Such a coincidence. Maybe "X" lose his house like Bajardi. WHO is this FOOL!
ReplyDelete6) Petro will go into the year as an ahole who would rather fight whatever he currently thinks of as Kids First than do anything for children who have the misfortune of growing up in the midst of his scorched earth.
ReplyDeleteHe will end 2017 as an ahole who would rather fight whatever he currently thinks of as Kids First than do anything for children who have the misfortune of growing up in the midst of his scorched earth.
Word is the Barjardis threw Petro under bus in their appeal. I haven't read it myself but word is they blame him.
DeleteYes, indeed they did.
DeleteYeah they did. They want to retry the case. Anthony Petrosino is gonna take the fall. He set the bloggers up, they pointed the finger at him. Lol. That's what I hear anyway.
DeleteI look forward to reading it if it is ever posted to scribd.
DeleteBut if they knew all along it was him, then why didn't they just out him and make it all stop?
DeleteI don't know the law on this or anything, but common sense tells me that if Petro is making people believe I'm doing something, and those people are in turn "ruining my life" as the Bajardis so claimed, then why not go after Petro to begin with (tell him to out himself or out him if he won't)? Seems weird to go after the 3rd parties who were made to believe it was the Bajardis doing something if it was really someone else who was behind it all?
The definition of a conspiracy. How did the Bajardis know that prosbus/CuriousGal was Petrosino? If they were "defamed" by those names, why didn't they sue Petrosino? And, why didn't Petrosino ever answer when we asked him if he was Lane Bajardi or Kim Cardinal? All three of them knew. It's called a defamation trap. A set up. I'd throw Petrosino in on the slapp back.
DeleteDid anyone else get a fucking "personal" Holiday card from Stick the Dick? Mine popped up in my mail box today - after the holidays. Dumbass - he can't even get the cards delivered on time. I am not going to mention the utter waste of glossy paper, postage and printing costs associated with his preening mailer. Why doesn't he try and conserve costs and address the disproportionate taxes that we pay to the County in exchange for bubkis. And no, I am not being Scrooge. Just tired of the idiotic way the Old Guard gouges every penny they get their greedy little hands on. Nice try sticking his home address at Marine View on the envelope - as if he actually paid for the damn thing. That is just a reminder that he is squatting in a tax abated affordable housing unit on the 22nd floor while he packs away over 125k in annual income from the government teat (i.e., our taxes) and takes away a housing opportunity from a really deserving family. And this jackhole wants to be mayor?
ReplyDeleteMy vile Queen! You got one, too? I was feeling all special until I read the envelope: "Current Resident"
DeleteHey, it's an election year.
I think after Freeholder Romano yearly double digit Hudson County tax increases on Hoboken taxpayer with very little being returned to the City he will have a very hard time running for mayor. Also he most certainly face a landslide of very embracing questions about his
Deletepersonal finances. i would predict the odds are high he will back out of a run for Mayor.
Garcia will have an interesting year. That's all I'm gonna say.
ReplyDeleteHow much is his townhouse worth ?
Delete