The following facts were taken from the Opinion of a United States District Court Judge denying Molinelli's motion to dismiss Barbara Harrington's lawsuit. How much of the public treasury will be used to protect the brazen and lawless misconduct that runs rampant in Bergen County NJ? How long will State Senator Paul Sarlo use "courtesy" to obstruct Molinelli's removal? How far does Molinelli have to go before our elected officials honor the oaths they swore?
In 1980, Plaintiff began her employment at the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office (“BCPO”), where she would then work for approximately thirty years. She served most recently as a data programmer for the BCPO, and her performance evaluations were positive.
During her employment, Plaintiff worked with and befriended David Martin. Mr. Martin is legally married to Defendant Speake-Martin, but the two have been separated since 2005. In 2012, Plaintiff moved into Mr. Martin’s home, where two of his and Speake-Martin’s children also lived. Speake-Martin was upset that Plaintiff moved in with Mr. Martin.
She expressed her displeasure to her good friend and former colleague, Defendant John Molinelli, who is also the Bergen County Prosecutor. On September 21, 2012, what would later be referred to as “the text-message incident” took place. While waiting in line at a supermarket, Plaintiff tried to send Mr. Martin’s children a text message by using the cellphone’s voice-dictation feature. Plaintiff wanted to ask the children where Mr. Martin was, but the cell phone also picked up the voice of another person waiting in line. As a result, the message referred to Mr. Martin and an “accident.” Plaintiff quickly sent a follow-up message to Mr. Martin’s children and spoke with them by phone; she apologized and assured them that Mr. Martin was fine. Speake-Martin read Plaintiff’s message on one of her kid’s phones. The next day, Plaintiff apologized to Speake-Martin for her error, explaining that it had been an accident. Speake-Martin, however, remained angry at Plaintiff, and she threatened to get her fired. Speake-Martin later spoke with Defendant Molinelli and insisted that he carry out her threat.
A few days later, on September 24th, Defendant Ardizzone, BCPO’s Chief Information Officer, instructed Plaintiff and Mr. Martin to attend a meeting. Various individuals were present in the office conference room, including Defendants Molinelli and Ardizzone, as well as David Nathanson (the Deputy Executive Prosecutor), Frank Puccio (the Executive Assistant Prosecutor), and Michael Trahey (from the Executive Office) (collectively “Defendants”). They instructed Mr. Martin to enter the room and told Plaintiff to wait outside in the hall. Defendants asked Mr. Martin about the text-message incident, and Mr. Martin explained what had happened. Defendants told Mr. Martin that Plaintiff was ill and potentially dangerous, and they informed him that Plaintiff was going to be taken to a psychiatric facility for seventytwo hours. Mr. Martin responded that Plaintiff did not pose any danger. Defendant Nathanson told Mr. Martin that if he defended Plaintiff, they would claim that Mr. Martin was himself delusional. Defendants soon instructed Mr. Martin to leave and send in Plaintiff. Plaintiff entered.
Defendants asked Plaintiff about the text-message incident, and she explained. Defendants then told Plaintiff to leave again and have Mr. Martin return. Mr. Martin reentered the conference room, and Defendants told him to inform Plaintiff that she was to be admitted to a psychiatric facility; they said the news would be better coming from him. Mr. Martin left and told Plaintiff about Defendants’ plan; she began to cry. Detective Patricia DeSimone escorted Plaintiff to the office library. Plaintiff was not permitted to leave the library, except to use the restroom once. While Plaintiff waited, Defendants drafted a letter addressed to her, which stated that she was being suspended from work with pay, and which informed her that she was to be transported to a psychiatric facility for evaluation. Approximately one hour later, Defendant Puccio gave Plaintiff the letter. That document is entitled “Suspension with Pay,” and it reads in part as follows: [E]ffective today, you are suspended with pay pending a psychiatric evaluation. The basis for this action is a concern for whether you are capable of functioning in this workplace without posing a danger to yourself or others in light of the events that [the named Defendants] and I discussed with you this morning. At the time of this writing, preparations are being made to have you transported to . . . a psychiatric facility for an evaluation in consultation with your private physician. (Compl., Ex. A). The letter is dated September 24, 2012, and it is signed by Defendant Molinelli. Detective DeSimone then drove Plaintiff to the Bergen Regional Medical Center (“the hospital”).
Mr. Martin met Plaintiff there. It was at this time, shortly before 1:00PM, that Plaintiff underwent an unwanted psychiatric evaluation. At the hospital, several people interviewed Plaintiff. A doctor spoke with Plaintiff and was surprised to learn that she had been brought there apparently due to sending an accidental text message. The doctor concluded that Plaintiff was not psychotic, posed no danger, and that she should be discharged. The hospital accordingly discharged Plaintiff shortly after 4:00PM that day. Plaintiff resigned from her employment with the BCPO effective May 1, 2013; she claims that she was forced to do so.The festering sore in Bergen County has infected the limb - it is time for an amputation.
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