The New Jersey Star-Ledger by Julie O'Connor - December 30, 2009
ELIZABETH, NJ -- An Elizabeth police sergeant who said he was punished after blowing the whistle on police corruption will get to keep his $600,000 jury award, an appellate court ruled today. The court upheld a 2006 verdict in favor of Sgt. John Guslavage, a decorated narcotics supervisor who said his bosses cast him into a demeaning desk job because he violated their code of silence, reporting a suspected drug-using cop to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office in 1999. Guslavage received a $600,000 award in a whistle blower lawsuit he filed against the Elizabeth Police Department and the city with harassment. Guslavage, now 67 years old and retired, referred requests to comment to his lawyer. Attorney David Ben-Asher said simply that his client felt vindicated for "the years of retaliation he experienced," and "we prevailed on all of the issues which the city raised." Attorney Edward Kologi, who represented the city of Elizabeth in the civil case with co-counsel Robert Varady, called the appellate ruling "totally erroneous." Kologi said Guslavage’s $600,000 award — plus more than $100,000 in interest — is an unfair burden on taxpayers, and the defense’s only recourse is to seek to take their case to the state Supreme Court. The defense attorneys had argued in their appeal that the sergeant didn’t qualify as a whistle-blower under state statute, since he suffered no loss or rank or pay, keeping his $100,000 annual pay check. The Conscientious Employee Protection Act, meant to protect whistle-blowers, does not apply "any time someone’s ego is bruised, because they might not get the perfect assignment that they want," Kologi said. He and Varady maintained Guslavage was disciplined for going outside the chain of command, but that was his only punishment. They said his allegations against the officer, who was never charged, were shown to be without merit. Guslavage, a 36-year veteran of the Elizabeth police department who once supervised the prestigious narcotics division, said he was buried in a basement desk job overseeing the evidence and property room just months after ratting out the suspected drug-using cop. The sergeant said he was belittled and driven into depression, suffering a nervous breakdown that led to 18 months of medical leave. Jurors in the civil case agreed he was targeted, harassed and punished by his superiors. The 1999 incident was the second of two claims Guslavage made against suspected dirty narcotics officers — in 1994, the sergeant went to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to report on cops he felt had cozied up to a reputed drug dealer. The jury ruled top officials at the police department acted appropriately in that earlier instance, when they chose to end their investigation into the matter. Those suspected officers were also never charged.
The only hope I'll have for New York whistle blowers of corruption will be after a few of the worst are hand-cuffed by the feds. Yup, I'm talking about you, Tembeckjian, Friedberg, Ochs, Broder, Lippman and Pfau. Just to name a few.
ReplyDeleteNot in New York, when you have corruption-allowing-for-friends Andrew Cuomo around.
ReplyDeleteHey 10:25am, what about useless OCA inspector general Spatz. She's totally useless, the queen of cover-up!
ReplyDeleteI agree 1000% about the OCA-OIG...total coruption and massive cover-ups... definitely going to be exposed!
ReplyDeleteSaw a federal judge swearing in a state judge whom he sought initial employment for years ago....problem is that federal judge is sitting on a case where that state judge plays a part in the allegations brought before that judge in federal court.
So what are the chances this case already stalled in federal court...is going to be properly adjudicated?
Where and when can there ever be an appropriate place to address judicial corruption...with multiple documents and facts to support and witness retaliation to bolster...that does not stink of OCA...collusion?
I just came upon this website. I can't believe all this-- I've been reading for 3 hours!! I had a problem with a Judge Thomas P. Griesa and read that even an attorney named Eleanor Capogrosso had a problem with him as this judge didn't want other judges served with legal papers April 10, 2008). You have to wonder what the heck is going on.
ReplyDeleteThe NY Times had a very interesting Editorial yesterday:
ReplyDeleteEditorial
Failed State
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/opinion/31thu1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
The point they make is that the NY legislature is soooooo bad, that since all the politicians are up for election next year, they should all be voted out of office.
Great idea.
just came upon this site, you are in for an addiction if you have been abused by the system........
ReplyDeletethe entire crew is disgusting and should be in jail, from our Attorney Grievance
Judicial Commission
lawyers and judges and maybe even our US Attorneys.........
so stalk slander and libel anyone you want in NY, just so you can deny all their rights and make them pay for it..........
common practice for the low lifes in New York and they get paid to do it!
oh I forgot, why don't we throw Cuomo
ReplyDeleteand the rest of our AG's in jail for protecting criminals, the one's claiming to have educated degrees.....
Jail for Andy!
retailiation is common practice one you witness crimes, and you will be worked every way they can.....
ReplyDeletethe thugs forgot one thing, as you spend your life violating my rights and trying to frighten the witness believing your got away with it..........
the thugs are no longer safe and neither are their families,
the real laws always take precedent
thug all they want
ReplyDeletethey will pay
Maziarz and Wojtaszek, handcuffs for you too........we the Decent Citizens of Niagara County are sick of being worked over by your
ReplyDeletepsychotic crew!
hey Georgie, could you please give
ReplyDeletesome more free money through the Senate finance committe to the Pendleton Liar's Club, it is their 40th+ victim, I mean anniversay........
and how does on qualify for the Civilian Medal of Honor, do we turn the corrupt bastards in and how much do we get through the Senate for such an act of bravery!
Happy New Years Corrupt Bastards!
ReplyDeleteSpread the money around and people will come forward with information on corruption. Almost all of Albany will be out of office and the jails would be full of the real criminals.
ReplyDeleteI am a OCA employee who reported corruption. I was rewarded by this action with a loss of money that when all is said and done will amount to be more than $500,000. In adition to the loss of income my whole life has been severly altered for the worse. My spotless resume is in the shitter. I will be lucky to get a job as a dog catcher when I apply for a job that requires a resume.
ReplyDeleteOCA is a ruthless, evil, corrupt, criminal organization. The only thing that keps me going is that I know that God doe`s not let evil go unpunised and that I will be rendered whole in Gods time.
As an ex OCA employee who did the exact same thing...as you see I am an ex also...and it was done after 30 yrs of their torture....you must not lose hope, as the fight with me continues and the information that has been gathered is indicting and astounding!
ReplyDeleteI know that the truth always prevails...as information they are not aware of is still to be served and processed.
I know OCA is troubled by what I have and where it came from...as my case is stalled in federal court, in it's 5th year...with no explanation from that court for the stall.
OCA continues to ban me ...now only from "visiting any employee" in any court in all 8 districts...another serious violation of my civil rights...as the executive director of this district stated in a federal deposition...I have still have friend in those courts....how the hell does he know, and what does that have do with my appearance in a public building that I have paid taxes for and worked in forever ..because that is not only unbelievable discriminationby by the NY justice system...but a big fat lie, as he and OCA have threatened and fired all 3 of my witnesses...so I HAVE MAINTAINED "NO' CONTACT WITH ANY OCA EMPLOYEE...to keep the crime syndicate OCA off the real heros of the court system...those who have the guts and glory to come forward to STOP THE SUBVERSION!
Hang in there...as there are those fighting this fight, that have experienced, non-OCA sources to continue to expose them.
Don't break, as that is the message that OCA is sending to all it's employees in possession of information...we will devastate you when and how we choose...and you will accept that or attempt to fight back at your greater demise..which they know 99% of the employees cannot take the battle and will cower to their power!
You are not alone...so many others are there still fighting...take action against them to multiply the strenght.
To 10:20,
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you said you case has been stalled for five years.
I too have papers pending in Federal Court against court employees and other related issues. They cannot tell me exactly where they are or what is being done.
I wonder how many others have cases that are being stalled?
My case slowly progressd for 4yrs,with OCA stalling and resisting and redacting extremely, for all those years..but things did go along with tremendous pressure.
ReplyDeleteAbout five months ago my atty went to work for the "state"...and then my case became stalled in federal court...with no word or response to a written request for status....all attempts to retrieve any status run dry and quiet like the desert.
So the waiting continues and the questions mount...as to why and what and who and whom and where and when......till the date they notify me....characterized as just....soon!
At least you new yorker have the guts to even post anonymously. In California, the austrian keeps everyone too scared to even post on message boards.
ReplyDeleteTake a look at a crazy case in the criminal courts building
8CA10541 that is straight out of Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia.
My ex-husband is a crazy Austrian...so I do know how to handle them...crush their egos...they become devastated.
ReplyDeleteFind some dirt that shows they are vulnerable and weak, either to female's not finding them attractive or aging body issues ...and he will be easily destroyed, as they seem to be true narcissists.
Post here on this blog...would love to hear about him!