Pubdate: Fri, 18 Jan 2002
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2002 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Laura Mansnerus
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption)

LAWYER NO LONGER QUESTIONS STATE POLICE APPOINTEE'S CONDUCT

A defense lawyer who had questioned the conduct of Joseph J. 
Santiago, Gov. James E. McGreevey's nominee to head the New Jersey 
State Police, said yesterday he was now convinced Mr. Santiago had 
done nothing wrong in a trial of two police officers in December 2000.

In a letter to Mr. McGreevey on Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee of 
the State Senate said its main concern was a newspaper report at the 
time of the trial that Mr. Santiago, the director of the Newark 
Police Department, might have had an improper discussion with 
officers who were potential witnesses in the case of two Newark 
police officers accused of planting drugs on a suspect.

The committee also asked for more information on Mr. Santiago's 
record. In the last decade, he has had a disorderly persons 
conviction and a related lawsuit against him, a second charge pressed 
by a Newark police officer, a personal bankruptcy and at least one 
other lawsuit.

The defense lawyer, Joseph A. Ferrante of Newark, suggested at the 
officers' trial 13 months ago that the police director had acted 
improperly in admonishing other officers about their testimony.

"Some people thought it might border on intimidation," Mr. Ferrante 
said in an interview yesterday, "but in reality, after I spoke to him 
about it, he was just saying, `Be honest, if a guy did something 
wrong, don't say he's a great guy.' "

He added: "He has a zero-tolerance policy for police brutality. I 
think he'll be a great state police director." The two officers were 
acquitted of the most serious charges.

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee said that they had no 
response yet from the governor's office and had not scheduled a 
hearing on the nomination. Mr. Santiago has promised to provide any 
information requested by the committee.

Mr. Santiago has visited the governor twice in the last two days, 
although Mr. McGreevey has declined to discuss the visits. Late 
yesterday, Mr. Santiago was on his way to the governor's mansion, and 
did not respond to a message relayed to him by the mayor's office.

The state police unions, angry at the nomination of an outsider as 
superintendent, are deciding whether to formally oppose Mr. Santiago, 
union officials said. "Obviously he was not our first choice," said 
Sgt. Dennis Hallion, the president of the sergeants' union. "But 
until we know more, we're just leaving the door open," he added.

Mr. Santiago is supported by civil rights groups that say only an 
outsider, and a strong disciplinarian, can make the changes necessary 
to eliminate racial profiling by the state police. The issue has been 
especially volatile since two troopers who shot and wounded three 
unarmed men on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1998 pleaded guilty on 
Monday to reduced charges, in a deal sparing them prison sentences or 
probation.

"We've got to stop allowing the state police members to act as though 
the state police are their organization and their club," the Rev. 
Reginald T. Jackson, the executive director of the Black Ministers 
Council of New Jersey, said yesterday.

Mr. Jackson spoke at a news conference in Trenton at which the 
council protested the plea agreement and demanded new hearings on 
racial profiling. The troopers said in court that they had been 
coached by superiors to single out minority drivers.

A spokesman for Attorney General David Samson said yesterday that Mr. 
Samson had just received the transcript of the plea-bargain 
proceedings. "We will review the transcript and other materials to 
see if there is sufficient evidence of intentional criminal 
behavior," said the spokesman, Roger Shatzkin.

Mr. Santiago's disorderly persons conviction stems from a 1992 fight 
with a corrections officer at the Essex County jail. The officer, 
Sgt. Joseph Bruno, was a co-worker of Mr. Santiago's fiancee, who 
summoned Mr. Santiago when she got into a dispute with Sergeant 
Bruno, according to court documents.

Sergeant Bruno claimed Mr. Santiago had punched him repeatedly 
without provocation and knocked him down, causing a knee injury. Mr. 
Santiago contended the sergeant had shoved him first. Both men were 
convicted. Mr. Santiago was fined $1,000 and sentenced to 30 days of 
community service. Two years later, Mr. Santiago was charged with 
threatening a subordinate and convicted in municipal court, but the 
conviction was dismissed.
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