Opinion ID: 2106864
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Hoboken arrest

Text: Another item indicating a lack of candor on McLaughlin's Candidate Statement concerned a 1994 Hoboken disorderly persons arrest. [3] Notably, the panel found that applicant's explanation of this arrest arising from his involvement in a peaceful political protest was disingenuous. Further investigation by the panel revealed that McLaughlin's brief rendition of the incident set forth in his application was incomplete and misleading. JoAnn Italiano, Staff Investigator for the Committee on Character, described her investigation into the incident as follows: On March 22, 1995, at approximately 7:00 pm, I telephoned Detective Richard Burgos [the arresting officer in the disorderly conduct offense] from the Hoboken Police Department in reference to his arrest of Mr. McLaughlin on April 30, 1994. Detective Burgos recalled the incident and stated Mr. McLaughlin was on the front steps entrance of the Hoboken Police Department at around 2:30 am. He was accompanied by a couple of friends. They were on the steps waiting for a friend who was arrested earlier in the evening. Mr. McLaughlin appeared very intoxicated and was using abusive language while blocking the main entrance to the police department. This incident occurred during the weekend, early Sunday morning, and Detective Burgos stated their [sic] is alot [sic] of pedestrian activity entering and exiting this entrance. When Detective Burgos told Mr. McLaughlin and his friends to leave, his friends apologized and left, while Mr. McLaughlin continued to block the entrance and use abusive language. After several attempts to get Mr. McLaughlin to leave and he refused he was placed under arrest and charged with [a violation of N.J.S.A. ] 2C:33-2 (b) [of the] disorderly persons act. In a motion in Hoboken municipal court challenging the arrest, McLaughlin stated that the incident began when, for lack of anything better to do, he launched into a monologue consisting mainly of jokes about police officers' fabled fondness for donuts. He related that [a] few minutes later, when I was nearing the apex of my comic ability, Detective Burgos approached me and told me to take my `comedy act somewhere else.' McLaughlin was charged with a disorderly persons offense for using offensive language and failing to leave when asked. The trial court ruled that the offensive language charge was unconstitutional, and offered the prosecutor an opportunity to amend the charge. The charge was amended to reflect a failure to move at the direction of a police officer. The amended charge was eventually dismissed, however, because the arresting officer failed to appear at subsequent hearings.