$2.75 Million Settlement Reached In Renowned Late Crabber's Fall From Jersey Shore Dock $2.75 Million Settlement Reached In Renowned Late Crabber's Fall From Jersey Shore Dock
$2.75 Million Settlement Reached In Renowned Late Crabber's Fall From Jersey Shore Dock The family of a popular Monmouth County crabber who died after falling through a dilapidated dock is reportedly receiving a $2.75 million settlement. Patrick Shopp of Port Monmouth was walking along the dock at the Belford Seafood Co-Op in early 2020 when a broken board dropped him six feet onto the deck of his boat, according to The New Jersey Law Journal. He suffered a perforated colon, among other injuries, which required various surgeries over the following 15 months, the law journal reported. Shopp, considered one of the Bayshore’s best crabbers, reportedly died of complications at Ri…
Montgomery County Settles Lawsuit Over Police Encounter With Elementary School Student: Reports Montgomery County Settles Lawsuit Over Police Encounter With Elementary School Student: Reports
Montgomery County Settles Lawsuit Over Police Encounter With Elementary School Student: Reports Montgomery County has come to a settlement agreement after a police officer was caught on his body-worn camera berating and insulting a 5-year-old boy, telling him he deserved to be beaten after he ran away from school, reports The Washington Post. The County will pay out $275,000 after the child's mother sued the county last year after the 2020 incident. She claims that the insults from the authority figure left her son with PTSD, making him fear he would be hurt after one of the officers was heard saying "I hope your momma let me beat you", the outlet continues. The settlement states that…
NJ Man Paralyzed In Police Incident Will Get $10M NJ Man Paralyzed In Police Incident Will Get $10M
NJ Man Paralyzed In Police Incident Will Get $10M A New Jersey man paralyzed in a 2014 police encounter will get $10 million in what might be the largest police brutality settlement in state history. Xavier Ingram was being chased by police for an outstanding warrant and driving violation, when he tripped and fell on a Camden street, NJ Advance Media reports citing his attorney. That's when a Camden County police officer stepped on his neck, cracking it audibly, the outlet said. Ingram blacked out and came to in a hospital bed, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. The settlement reached last week still needs approval from a…
Clark Mayor Who Used Racial Slur Apologizes Clark Mayor Who Used Racial Slur Apologizes
Clark Mayor Who Used Racial Slur Apologizes A mayor in New Jersey has apologized for using a racial slur that was captured on secret video recordings, NJ Advance Media reports. Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso stated in a nearly five-minute video that the remarks were a "mistake" and that he is "embarrassed and ashamed," adding that he has changed. The Republican politician was accused of using the N-word and the term "spooks" to describe Black people, as well as criticizing female officers, the outlet says. Even after NJ Advance Media revealed that the township hid the 2020 recordings from the public eye in a legal settlement, payin…
Sandy Hook Families Reject Alex Jones Settlement Offer Sandy Hook Families Reject Alex Jones Settlement Offer
Sandy Hook Families Reject Alex Jones Settlement Offer The relatives of the Sandy Hook school shooting victims in Connecticut have quickly and sharply shot down an offer from far rightwing talking head Alex Jones to resolve his defamation lawsuit. Jones, the host of the conspiracy theory and disinformation Infowars website, offered to pay $120,000 to each plaintiff suing him for defamation as he continues to assert the massacre never happened. Eight families of the shooting victims declined the offer. In November 2021, a judge found the Infowars host guilty by default in multiple defamation cases that were brought to him by members of the vict…
Family Of NJ Man Shot Dead By Officer At Dorney Park To Get $950K In Settlement Money Family Of NJ Man Shot Dead By Officer At Dorney Park To Get $950K In Settlement Money
Family Of NJ Man Shot Dead By Officer At Dorney Park To Get $950K In Settlement Money The family of a New Jersey man shot and killed by an "inexperienced" police officer directing traffic at Dorney Park will receive $950,000 reached in the settlement of a wrongful death suit, The Morning Call reports. Joseph Santos' two adult sons and 11-year-old daughter will receive a portion of the settlement, aside from law firm costs and fees, according to a copy of the settlement obtained by The Morning Call. Santos' estate administrator, Juliana Valenzuela, agreed to end the lawsuit on Sept. 14, according to the settlement. South Whitehall Township Officer Jonathan Ros…
Men Drop Sex Assault Suits Against Retired Bergen Judge Turned Fox Analyst Andrew Napolitano Men Drop Sex Assault Suits Against Retired Bergen Judge Turned Fox Analyst Andrew Napolitano
Men Drop Sex Assault Suits Against Retired Bergen Judge Turned Fox Analyst Andrew Napolitano Two men have dropped their lawsuits accusing disgraced former Bergen County judge turned Fox News analyst Andrew Napolitano of sexually assaulting them. Napolitano, who was fired from Fox last August amid accusations of sexually harassing employees, had already made headlines this week for selling his condo at Trump International Hotel & Tower on Central Park West. Then came reports, first published in the New Jersey Law Journal, that Charles Corbishley and James Kruzelnick had withdrawn their suits accusing Napolitano of sexual abuse three decades apart. Napolitano also dropped a lib…
Family Of Bicycle-Riding Bergenfield Boy Killed In Crash With Bus Gets $1.6M Family Of Bicycle-Riding Bergenfield Boy Killed In Crash With Bus Gets $1.6M
Family Of Bicycle-Riding Bergenfield Boy Killed In Crash With Bus Gets $1.6M The family of a 9-year-old Bergenfield boy who was killed when his bicycle collided with a commuter bus 2½ years ago has reportedly settled a negligence lawsuit for $1.6 million. Alvin Maracallo was headed in the same direction on West Church Street when the driver of the New Jersey Transit bus turned left onto Veterans Plaza, hitting him as he entered the crosswalk shortly before 4 p.m. May 27, 2019. He and the bicycle hit the front wheel, then went under the bus and were run over, police said at the time. Security video from a nearby firehouse shows a good Samaritan rushing to help the b…
Hudson Valley Counties To Receive Up To $94 Million To Combat Opioid Crisis Hudson Valley Counties To Receive Up To $94 Million To Combat Opioid Crisis
Hudson Valley Counties To Receive Up To $94 Million To Combat Opioid Crisis Hudson Valley counties are set to receive up to $94 million to help combat the opioid crisis. New York Attorney General Letitia James said in an announcement on Tuesday, Oct. 5, that the funds come from settlements from a March 2019 lawsuit against the manufacturers and distributors responsible for the crisis. James shared a list of figures representing the minimum and maximum amounts each county could receive from settlements with Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, Cardinal Health, Amerisource Bergen, and Endo. Hudson Valley: $51,729,983.90 – $94,455,606.10 Dutchess County: $3,682,781.87 …
$8.5M Settlement Reached In Pepper Spray Death Of Philadelphia Inmate $8.5M Settlement Reached In Pepper Spray Death Of Philadelphia Inmate
$8.5M Settlement Reached In Pepper Spray Death Of Philadelphia Inmate The family of an inmate who died after pepper spray was used on him at a state prison in 2019 will receive an $8.5 million settlement -- the largest settlement for a state prison death in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections filed the agreement for Tyrone Briggs' family on Tuesday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.  Briggs -- who had asthma -- was arrested at 15 years old for raping a girl two years his junior at gunpoint.  He was facing up to 30 years in the State Correctional Institution at Mahanoy, when a corrections officer tried to break up a f…
New Details Released On NY's $1.1 Billion Settlement With Nation's Biggest Opioid Distributors New Details Released On NY's $1.1 Billion Settlement With Nation's Biggest Opioid Distributors
New Details Released On NY's $1.1 Billion Settlement With Nation's Biggest Opioid Distributors New York has reached a $1.1 billion agreement with three of the nation's largest opioid distributors to help curb and prevent drug use across the state. Attorney General Letitia James announced an agreement with McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc., and Amerisource Bergen Drug Corporation — three of the nation’s largest drug distributors — that will deliver up to $1.1 billion to New York state to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic.  Earlier report: NY, Other States Reach $4.5B Settlement With Purdue Pharma Over Its Role In Opioid Epidemic The agreement is the largest m…
Sealed Deal Ends Suit Over Suicide Of Accused Double Murderer In York County Prison Sealed Deal Ends Suit Over Suicide Of Accused Double Murderer In York County Prison
Sealed Deal Ends Suit Over Suicide Of Accused Double Murderer In York County Prison A lawsuit over an accused double murderer who hanged herself while imprisoned ended recently with a settlement. At the end of Feb. a deal between the York County Prison and the executor of the estate of Veronique Henry was settled and sealed by the order of  U.S. Middle District Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson. Henry, 32, of East Manchester Township, had hanged herself in her cell at York County Prison in September 2016 shortly after her husband Paul Henry III, 40 at the time, and her were charged with two murders during a home invasion. The couple was accused of killing Danielle …
Suit Against Camden Officer Who Punched Man 12 Times In Viral Video Settled For $300K Suit Against Camden Officer Who Punched Man 12 Times In Viral Video Settled For $300K
Suit Against Camden Officer Who Punched Man 12 Times In Viral Video Settled For $300K A man who was punched 12 times in the head by a former Camden police officer during an arrest was awarded a $300,000 settlement for a suit filed against the officer, NJ.com reports. Authorities were responding to reports of a man with a gun on Feb. 22, 2018, when then-officer Nicholas Romantino slammed now 35-year-old Edward Minguela to the ground and repeatedly punched him, the outlet says. Romantino, then 27, said Minguela was resisting arrest and pulling his hands away -- but the call turned out to be bogus: Minguela was not found in possession of a weapon. The officer was later pl…
Morris Motorist Who May Lose Leg From Head-On Crash With Passaic Driver Gets $1.5M Settlement Morris Motorist Who May Lose Leg From Head-On Crash With Passaic Driver Gets $1.5M Settlement
Morris Motorist Who May Lose Leg From Head-On Crash With Passaic Driver Gets $1.5M Settlement A nursing assistant who may end up losing a leg from a head-on crash with a Passaic County driver in Morris County reportedly has won a $1.49 million settlement. Melissa Van Orden, now 47, of Budd Lake was driving home from work on southbound Route 206 in Andover when an oncoming Volkswagen crossed the double-yellow center line and slammed head-on into her Hyundai Santa Fe shortly after 7 a.m. on Dec. 22, 2019, authorities said. Both Van Orden and the Volkwagen driver, Enrico Stampone, now 27, of Totowa, were airlifted to Morristown Medical Center, responders said at the time. Va…
Award Reduced For Man Who Spent 27 Years In Prison For A Murder He Didn't Do Award Reduced For Man Who Spent 27 Years In Prison For A Murder He Didn't Do
Award Reduced For Man Who Spent 27 Years In Prison For A Murder He Didn't Do After many appeals and legal actions, a man who was wrongfully incarcerated for 27 years has come to an agreement with the city he says put him there. On Wednesday, Dec. 9, news broke that Mark Schand, 55, of Hartford, and the City of Springfield will settle on giving $6.5 million to Schand for the part the city’s police played in the conviction. Schand was initially awarded $27 million in his suit against Springfield - $1 million for each year of false imprisonment - but upon appeal and negotiation, Schand will get $6.5 million, according to Fox61. The lesser amount did not come as a shoc…
Putnam County Exec Hits Back At DA For Outrage Over $12M DiPippo Case Settlement Putnam County Exec Hits Back At DA For Outrage Over $12M DiPippo Case Settlement
Putnam County Exec Hits Back At DA For Outrage Over $12M DiPippo Case Settlement Putnam's top elected official spoke out against a statement made by the county's district attorney’s statement over the $12 million settlement for Anthony DiPippo, who was twice convicted of raping and murdering a 12-year-old before being acquitted at a third trial. The acquittal in 2016 came after DiPippo served two decades behind bars. On Friday, Aug. 14, following the announcement of the multi-million dollar settlement, Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy issued a scathing statement condemning the decision. Earlier story - $12M DiPippo Rape, Murder Case Settlement Decision 'F…
Ex-Murphy Campaign Volunteer Settles $1M Lawsuit Against State, Governor After Rape Allegation Ex-Murphy Campaign Volunteer Settles $1M Lawsuit Against State, Governor After Rape Allegation
Ex-Murphy Campaign Volunteer Settles $1M Lawsuit Against State, Governor After Rape Allegation A former volunteer with the Murphy for Governor campaign whose rape allegations led to state legislative reforms settled a lawsuit against New Jersey and Gov. Phil Murphy’s campaign for $1 million, both sides announced Friday. Katie Brennan accused Al Alvarez, a former Murphy campaign adviser, of raping her in her apartment in 2017 after the pair left a gathering with other campaign members. Brennan went public with the allegations in 2018 before suing last year. Murphy's campaign and the state of New Jersey will pay $1 million, with $600,000 going to a charity of Katie Brennan’s choic…
Family Of Essex County Mom Paralyzed By Falling Pole Gets $125M Verizon Payout Family Of Essex County Mom Paralyzed By Falling Pole Gets $125M Verizon Payout
Family Of Essex County Mom Paralyzed By Falling Pole Gets $125M Verizon Payout In what is reportedly the largest settlement in New Jersey history, the family of an Essex County mom who was paralyzed by a falling utility pole will get $125 million from Verizon, reports say. West Orange mom Maria Moser Meister, 50, was waiting for a bus on her way to work when a the pole fell in Union City on Jan. 23, 2017, NJ.com reports. The pole, which was co-owned by Verizon through an agreement with PSE&G, was rotted at the base and snapped after 43 years, causing lifelong injuries to Meister’s body and head. As a result of the incident, Meister suffered from multiple spinal a…
Ex-Morris County Priest, Admitted Child Sex Abuser Dies In Nursing Home Ex-Morris County Priest, Admitted Child Sex Abuser Dies In Nursing Home
Ex-Morris County Priest, Admitted Child Sex Abuser Dies In Nursing Home Former Morris County priest James T. Hanley, who admitted to abusing at least a dozen children in Pompton Plains and Mendham throughout a 14-year period, died in a nursing home last week. Hanley, 83, previously served a decade as a pastor at St. Joseph’s Church in Mendham before he was defrocked in 2003, Paterson Diocese attorney Kenneth Mullaney said. The Diocese of Paterson then gave out nearly $5 million in settlements to 21 of Hanley’s accusers in 2004, reports say. Mullaney did not say which nursing home Hanley died at, or whether he died of COVID-19 -- complications like many other N…
Newton Man Awarded $2.65M Following West Milford Pothole-Prompted Motorcycle Crash Newton Man Awarded $2.65M Following West Milford Pothole-Prompted Motorcycle Crash
Newton Man Awarded $2.65M Following West Milford Pothole-Prompted Motorcycle Crash A Newton man was awarded $2.65 million nearly four years after he was seriously injured during a motorcycle accident in West Milford, reports say. Roger Gates, now 67, hit several potholes and collided with a van when riding his motorcycle on Oak Ridge Road the evening of April 14, 2016, NJHerald reports. Gates, who is no longer able to work, sustained serious upper-body injuries from the crash, including multiple fractured ribs, a fractured back and shoulder blade, a collapsed lung, torn neck ligaments and nerve damage to his bladder, bowel and groin areas.  He had to undergo several…
NJ: Morris County Dentist Who Exposed Patients To Heart Infection Can Resume Practice This Year NJ: Morris County Dentist Who Exposed Patients To Heart Infection Can Resume Practice This Year
NJ: Morris County Dentist Who Exposed Patients To Heart Infection Can Resume Practice This Year A Morris County dentist who exposed more than a dozen patients to a heart infection that killed one of them agreed to a five-year license suspension and thousands of dollars in penalties, authorities said. Because the move includes time already in suspension, John Vecchione will be allowed to begin a probationary period on Aug. 31, provided he follows certain conditions and demonstrates his "fitness and competency to resume practice," Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said. Vecchione was temporarily suspended from practice in August 2016 amid allegations that he failed to mai…
Trump Pays $2M To Eight Charities For Repeatedly Breaking Laws, NY State AG Says Trump Pays $2M To Eight Charities For Repeatedly Breaking Laws, NY State AG Says
Trump Pays $2M To Eight Charities For Repeatedly Breaking Laws, NY State AG Says President Donald Trump has dished out $2 million to resolve a civil lawsuit that alleged illegal activities during the 2016 election. On Tuesday, Dec. 10, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that the president has paid the $2 million court-ordered judgement to various nonprofit organizations for using charitable assets during the presidential primary in 2016. The court order was part of James’ lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation and its directors, which include Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump that was filed in 2018. The payment was ordered la…
Trump Ordered To Pay $2M To Settle Lawsuit Alleging He, Children Repeatedly Broke Charity Laws Trump Ordered To Pay $2M To Settle Lawsuit Alleging He, Children Repeatedly Broke Charity Laws
Trump Ordered To Pay $2M To Settle Lawsuit Alleging He, Children Repeatedly Broke Charity Laws President Donald Trump will be shelling out $2 million to resolve a civil lawsuit that alleged illegal activities during the 2016 election. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Thursday, Nov. 7, that the New York State Supreme Court ordered the president to pay $2 million to various nonprofit organizations for improperly using charitable assets during the presidential primary in 2016. The court order comes as part of James’ lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation and its directors, which include Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump that was filed in 2…
Man Hit By Bus In Newark's Ironbound Settles Lawsuit For $1.2M: Reports Man Hit By Bus In Newark's Ironbound Settles Lawsuit For $1.2M: Reports
Man Hit By Bus In Newark's Ironbound Settles Lawsuit For $1.2M: Reports A Newark man who was hit by an NJ Transit bus while crossing a city street three years ago accepted a $1.2 million award to settle his lawsuit against the agency, according to published reports.  Jose Rodrigues-Marques, 52, was crossing Ferry Street on March 19, 2016, when one of the bags of groceries he was carrying burst open. When he bent down to retrieve the items, an approaching bus honked but did not stop in time and struck him, his attorney said.  Rodriques-Marques suffered knee, back and spine injuries and had only partly recovered after more than a year and a half, when h…
Man Hit By NJ Transit Bus In Summit Gets Nearly $13M Settlement: Report Man Hit By NJ Transit Bus In Summit Gets Nearly $13M Settlement: Report
Man Hit By NJ Transit Bus In Summit Gets Nearly $13M Settlement: Report A man who suffered traumatic brain injuries and was left disabled after he was hit by a bus three years ago was awarded a $12.75 million settlement, The New Jersey Law Journal reported this week.  Jason Gillespie was crossing Summit Avenue Nov. 2, 2016, when an NJ Transit bus hit him in the crosswalk. He suffered multiple serious injuries and had to be placed in a medically induced coma.  The driver, Ronald Lewis, was found to have cocaine in his system. NJ Transit argued that it was therefore not liable because the driver was guilty of willful misconduct. If Lewis were guilty of …
Woman Hit By Car In Summit Gets $1.4M Settlement Woman Hit By Car In Summit Gets $1.4M Settlement
Woman Hit By Car In Summit Gets $1.4M Settlement A woman who suffered serious injuries when she was hit by a car in Summit three years ago has settled for $1.4 million, the woman's lawyer said Thursday.  A driver trying to retrieve a ticket for a parking lot at DeForest and Woodland avenues July 12, 2016, accidentally stepped on the gas, crashing through the gate, according to the plaintiff’s attorney, Kathyrn Schwartzstein of Morristown. The vehicle hit the woman, a 59-year-old Union County resident,  as she was crossing the lot. She suffered injuries that required extensive rehabilitation as well as left shoulder replacement.…
Sex-Harassment Case Involving Ex-Principal Settled By Nanuet School Sex-Harassment Case Involving Ex-Principal Settled By Nanuet School
Sex-Harassment Case Involving Ex-Principal Settled By Nanuet School A teacher who accused longtime Nanuet High School Principal Vincent Carella of rape and sexual harassment has reportedly reached a settlement with the district and will drop her million dollar lawsuit. The teacher, who currently no longer has an assignment in the district, will collect her $109,000 annual salary, as well as union-mandated raises through June 2022, according to a lohud report. She will also receive health benefits and thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees. As part of the settlement, the teacher agreed to formally resign from the district on the day her contract expires in …
Passenger In Car During Fatal Shooting Of Pace Football Player DJ Henry Gets $75K Settlement Passenger In Car During Fatal Shooting Of Pace Football Player DJ Henry Gets $75K Settlement
Passenger In Car During Fatal Shooting Of Pace Football Player DJ Henry Gets $75K Settlement A former Pace University teammate of Danroy “DJ” Henry, who was shot and killed by a Pleasantville police officer has reached a settlement with the former officer. Former Pleasantville police officer Aaron Hess, who was off-duty in Pleasantville, called to report a disturbance outside Finnegan’s on Oct. 17, 2010, where members of the Pace football team were celebrating after their homecoming game. Hess remained at the scene, and when Henry was instructed to move his vehicle out of a fire zone, the former police officer alleged that it had struck him, he landed on the hood of the car and he …