Offi cers’ Rights
Failure to exercise one’s rights may
expose law enforcement offi cers to
same ramifi cations as every
Tom, Dick, Harry and Jane
A law enforcement offi cer from Whitehall
Township, Pennsylvania was indicted less
than two weeks after shooting a suspect near
Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The
piece of information getting the most attention
locally and nationally in the media is that the
law enforcement offi cer allegedly told his
STUART fellow law enforcement offi cers at the scene
ALTERMAN of the shooting, “I fucked up”. The Lehigh
County District Attorney repeated this quote
verbatim in his press conference announcing
the indictment.
Perhaps, the law enforcement offi cer was counting on
the proverbial “blue wall of silence” and did not fear his
admission would be publicized.
Perhaps, the law enforcement offi cer was under acute
stress following a critical incident and did not appreciate the
ramifi cations of what he was saying.
Perhaps, the law enforcement offi cer was simply not
thinking about himself and his family when he said
something stupid, inaccurate and unnecessary.
Regardless of the reason behind the statement, that
admission, whether or not true, will make the task of
defending said law enforcement offi cer that much more
diffi cult for both his attorneys and union in the criminal,
administrative and civil cases.
Following a critical incident, all an involved law
enforcement offi cer needs to do is contact a PBA attorney.
Will contacting a PBA attorney guarantee no indictment
or criminal charges? No. Will contacting a PBA attorney
guarantee that the law enforcement offi cer will keep his
or her job or escape discipline? No. Will contacting a PBA
attorney guarantee that the law enforcement offi cer will
avoid civil liability? No.
The Law Firm of
Alterman & Associates, LLC
Stuart J. Alterman, Esquire
Jeffrey S. Ziegelheim, Esquire
Arthur J. Murray, Esquire
Proudly representing Law Enforcement and Public Safety for a combined 80 years
Contract Negotiation
Contract Arbitration
Grievances/ Arbitration
Discipline Defense
Whistleblower /CEPA
Hostile Work Environment
Pension/Disability Appeals
Criminal Defense
Workers Compensation
Personal Injury
Human Resource Issues
Civil Rights Litigation
Administrative
One Stop Shop for Public Safety
Alterman & Associates, LLC have been an approved law firm with the PBA Legal Protection Plan since its inception.
South Jersey Location
8 South Maple Avenue, Marlton, NJ 08053
(856) 334-5737
North Jersey Location
22 Church Street, Haledon, NJ 07508
(973) 956-1621
[email protected]
www.altermanandassociates.com
www.NJPoliceAttorney.com
www.NJCorrectionsAttorney.com
24
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ AUGUST 2018