CONGRATULATIONS TO LT. THOMAS MONTELEONE WHO HAD HIS DISCIPLINE REVERSED IN THE OAL
Once again, Hudson County has spent taxpayers monies to discipline an officer who then appeals to the Office of Administrative Law. Hudson County lost the case and is now responsible for back pay and costs. This is a common theme in Hudson County Corrections which uses discipline as a form of harassment and retaliation on a frequent basis. Hudson County leads all the other Counties in the number of cases it takes to the Office of Administrative Law. Click to get the numbers.
This case had nothing to do with Lt. Monteleone but branched off an investigation into a Code called by another officer.
Internal Affairs charged Lt. Monteleone for not reporting that his "sister" (Charlene Porcuri) was in the jail against Policy which dictates that an officer is to notify the Administration in writing when a relative is incarcerated. Lt. Monteleone was charged on June 6, 2013 and had his Departmental Hearing in October. The Hearing Officer found him guilty and issued a 10 day fine.
Monteleone stated both during the investigation, the hearing and to the OAL that Charlene Porcuri is not his sister. Although Porcuri claims to have same father as Monteleone, Monteleone's father does not recognize her as his daughter and Lt. Monteleone does not know if his father ever married Porcuri's mother.
As stated by the OAL Judge, the County only produced Confidential Aid Caldwell to testify at Trial and he was not the one who conducted the investigation, Sgt. Lambos did. The County did not produce Sgt. Lambos or Charlene Porcuri to testify. They also did not produce any physical evidence that Porcuri was related to Lt. Monteleone. No Marriage Certificate and no Birth Certificate. In other words, their entire case was nothing but hearsay and as such was dismissed. Monteleone is entitled to his 10 days back and the County has to pay for his attorney on the taxpayers dime.
It is rumored that the County was going to use this discipline to skip over Monteleone for consideration for the promotion to Captain..... how convenient.
The officer at the center of the code accused Monteleone and Lambos of instructing Porcuri to start a fight with her?
