Today, most of you have undoubtedly read newspaper articles about charges being filed against Lawrence Township Police Officer Andres Mejia. The charges filed resulted from an extensive investigation under the direction of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. It is my understanding that the investigation into actions by this police officer's handling of a domestic dispute was prompted by facts revealed in an investigation by detectives in the Prosecutor’s Office into a murder occurring in Trenton in late August.
Since I have taken the initiative to
create a better line of communication between the municipal government and the
residents of Lawrence Township, remaining completely silent about this matter
is simply not an option if I am to have any credibility with you.
Of course, I cannot comment about the
facts of the investigation leading to the charges against this officer, nor can
I comment (more than I already have) about the ongoing civil action brought
against the Police Chief and the Township by a small group of police offices in the PBA at a time when their union contract
was being negotiated.
However, I can and I will continue
to defend the integrity and honesty of Police Chief Brian Caloiaro and the many
police officers who come to work each day honoring their oath and serving their
community. I also want to re-assure the
community that there is no truth whatsoever to the claims of corruption and
retaliation being made against myself and the Police Chief. None.
I hate having to issue a response to these claims, but I feel like you deserve
to hear from me and so do my family members and friends.
For members of the community that
may question the integrity and actions of the Police Chief and me because of comments by an attorney being paid to represent his clients, I simply ask
that you think for yourselves and reserve your judgment until these matters
conclude....until all of the facts and
evidence are made public for you to scrutinize.
Please be mindful of an inconvenient
fact that does not bode well for their attorney's claims: the criminal matter against this officer and
the other officers were investigated under the direction of the Mercer County
Prosecutor’s Office. The charges filed
against this police officer and the others were filed by the Mercer County
Prosecutor’s Office, not the Lawrence Township Police Department.
I understand conspiracy theories are all the rage right now
for all things political and otherwise, but I implore everyone to think this
through and don’t lose faith in the leadership of our Police Department or the
Township by unsupported claims. By now, you must know that I write probably more than I should, and I could offer much more to you about these matters within our police department, but you and I will have to settle for what has been written...and for the facts to come out in due time.
3 comments:
Please think more about all the residents of Lawrence township.
As a lawyer and former municipal judge, you are aware defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law. Placing blind faith in the leadership of government and especially that of an unelected, unaccountable administrator is gross. Yet, the elected officials are always quiet. Funny how that works...
Anonymous:
I think you may be confused. I am neither a Judge nor a member of a jury in the matters pending against Officer Mejia. I am, however, one of the individuals that his lawyer publicly claims to be corrupt and acting in retaliation against his client. If you think I have no right to defend my name and character in the face of baseless allegations, you would be very wrong. If you think as an appointed official I have no right to offer assurance to the residents of the community I serve that I am not a criminal or a petty human being, you would be very wrong. You do not need to remind me of the presumption of innocence. My article, on my blog, offered no commentary on whether this officer is guilty or not. It provided facts...clear facts...that I felt important to share with the community. If what I write makes you uncomfortable, you are free to not click on my blog and read what I have written. But I do ask that you follow this matter to its conclusion, and we can exchange some more thoughts with each other. I would find that very interesting.
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