Showing posts with label Paterson NJ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paterson NJ. Show all posts

January 23, 2016

Supreme Court Of The United States Hears Free Speech Case




[From Court]
Question
Does the First Amendment prohibit the government from demoting a public employee based on a supervisor’s perception that the employee supports a political candidate?

Facts of the case
Jeffrey Heffernan was a police officer for the City of Paterson, New Jersey. A fellow police officer observed Heffernan picking up a campaign sign for the mayoral candidate running against the incumbent. When a supervisor confronted him, Heffernan claimed that he was not politically involved, could not vote in the City of Paterson, and was picking up the sign on behalf of his mother. Heffernan was demoted to a walking post because his actions were considered to be “overt involvement in political activities.” Heffernan sued the City of Paterson and claimed that the City had violated his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech association. However, the City filed a motion for summary judgment on Heffernan’s free association claim. The district court granted the City’s motion for summary judgment because there was no evidence Heffernan associated himself with the political candidate at issue. Heffernan admitted himself, that he was not associated with the candidate, therefore there is no evidence of a violation of free association. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed.

https://www.oyez.org/cases/2015/14-1280
Heffernan v. City of Paterson
ORAL ARGUMENT - JANUARY 19, 2016



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http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/heffernan-v-paterson-and-an-absurd-first-amendment-doctrine

JANUARY 20, 2016
Heffernan v. Paterson and an Absurd First Amendment Doctrine
BY GILAD EDELMAN

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http://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/430076/dancing-dark-heffernan-v-city-paterson

Oral Arguments in Heffernan v. City of Paterson: Dancing in the Dark
by JONATHAN KEIM
January 20, 2016 4:42 PM

January 30, 2015

Paterson NJ Student Attacks Teacher After Cell Phone Was Confiscated



Student Fights Teacher After Cell Phone Confiscated

[From article]
A ninth-grader at John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson was arrested Friday and charged
with assaulting a teacher in a classroom.
The attack, captured on video, shows the teen slamming the 62-year-old educator to the floor in front of other students in an effort to get his cellphone back.
City school officials confirmed that criminal charges have been filed against the student, who has been suspended from school.
Someone in the classroom recorded the assault, which officials say took place at about 1 pm on Tuesday, and the video has been posted on YouTube.
[video was removed]
The 23-second video shows the 16-year-old with his arms wrapped around the teacher, knocking him into an empty desk. The student then wrestles the teacher across the front of the classroom before slamming him to the floor. The teen then reaches down and wrests something from the teacher before breaking away when someone in the classroom yelled: “Security.”
[. . .]
“What strikes me is that the teacher never even defended himself,” said Lee McNulty, a retired JFK teacher who has been vocal recently with criticism about violence and disorder in the high school. “That just shows how much teachers are afraid of losing their job.”
“It’s troubling that in our society today students think that inside a school they can put their hands on each other and teachers as well,” said Jonathan Hodges, a veteran school board member. “I went online trying to find this video and I found numerous videos of teachers being attacked by their students.”

http://www.northjersey.com/towns/paterson/paterson-freshman-charged-with-assault-after-classroom-attack-on-teacher-1.1239201

Paterson freshman charged with assault after classroom attack on teacher
JANUARY 23, 2015, 4:52 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015, 11:27 PM
BY JOE MALINCONICO
PATERSON PRESS

July 8, 2014

Twelve-Year-Old Girl Shot Dead in Paterson, NJ


[From article]
Rincon was at a family gathering Saturday night when she, another girl and a boy left to go to a nearby store, but they turned back after discovering it was closed.
They trio was passing the scooter back and forth about a block from the get together when the shots rang out, police said. Rincon immediately collapsed and lying unresponsive on the ground.
Police do not believe she was the intended target, but have not publicly disclosed much else about the incident.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2682752/Girl-12-dead-stray-bullet-strikes-head-riding-scooter-one-block-home.html

Girl, 12, dead after stray bullet strikes her in the head while riding a scooter only one block from home
Genesis Rincon was shot Saturday night in the temple by a stray bullet
The 12-year-old was riding a scooter with two friends - they were unharmed
Police do not believe she was the target and have possibly linked the murder to another shooting earlier in the evening
Daily Mail (UK)
By RYAN GORMAN and ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 19:39 EST, 6 July 2014 | UPDATED: 04:09 EST, 7 July 2014

February 8, 2014

Paterson NJ Increases Debt To Pay Pensions



[From article]
Last year, Paterson borrowed about $2.3 million to cover retirement checks for 28 police officers and firefighters. In 2012, the city bonded $3 million for 34 retirees, and in 2011 it borrowed $4 million for 50 severance checks. The city is paying a total of more than $560,000 in interest on the bonds for those three years and the proposal for 2014 will add another $141,900 in interest costs. 

http://www.northjersey.com/paterson/Severance_plan_for_Paterson_cops_and_firefighters_puts_four-year_tab_at_11_million.html?page=all

Retirement plan for Paterson cops, firefighters puts four-year tab at $11 million
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2014, 2:26 PM
BY JOE MALINCONICO
PATERSON PRESS

November 20, 2012

Major Drug Bust, Paterson, NJ

http://www.northjersey.com/news/passaic_morris/passaic_news/Officials_announce_arrest_of_head_of_heroin_operation.html

Officials announce arrests in Paterson-based heroin operation
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2012, 12:30 PM
ASSOCIATED PRESS

August 13, 2012

Paterson NJ Drug Dealers Kept Woman, 44, Hostage



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2188321/Nancy-Rodriguez-Duran-Woman-alive-boyfriend-kept-padlocked-room-decade.html

Pictured: The woman discovered padlocked in a room by her boyfriend 'to prevent maintenance men seeing her in nightgown'
Nancy Rodriguez Duran was discovered during a police drugs bust
Alleged member of violent Latin Kings street gang pleaded not guilty to kidnapping
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 13:35 EST, 14 August 2012 | UPDATED: 13:07 EST, 15 August 2012

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2187899/Woman-alive-boyfriend-kept-padlocked-room-decade-New-Jersey.html

Woman, 44, discovered by chance during drugs bust after being kept in padlocked room 'for a decade'
Police had been searching Michael Mendez's New Jersey apartment for drugs when they found her
Alleged member of violent Latin Kings street gang charged with kidnapping and held on $1m bail
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 16:10 EST, 13 August 2012 | UPDATED: 17:25 EST, 13 August 2012

December 19, 2009

Lambert Castle Stairs Restored


http://www.northjersey.com/news/passaic_morris/passaic_parks/120109_Renovation_of_Woodland_Parks_Lambert_Castle_tower_nearly_complete.html

Renovation of Woodland Park's 'Lambert Castle' tower nearly complete
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Last updated: Tuesday December 1, 2009, 9:02 PM
BY RICHARD COWEN, STAFF WRITER
The Record