Jury acquits fired Paterson cop Spencer Finch; lawyer calls him a 'hero'

PATERSON — Minutes after a Passaic County jury acquitted Spencer Finch on Thursday afternoon, his lawyer called the former Paterson police officer “a hero … who saved lives” by intervening in a volatile domestic dispute.

“This is exactly what innocence looks like,” Finch’s lawyer, Eric Kleiner, said outside the courtroom. “He was acquitted of every single bogus charge they trumped up against him.”

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Kleiner said Capt. Susan Bonds in the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office should be fired for her role in the case against Finch and that Mayor Andre Sayegh “should be impeached” for terminating the 17-year veteran officer before the case went to trial.

Kleiner said Finch would not comment to the press after the verdict, noting that his client still faces an indictment in a different excessive force case that the attorney said is even weaker than the one that resulted in the acquittal.

Chief Assistant Passaic County Prosecutor Peter Foy walked away from the courtroom in silence, saying nothing when news reporters asked for his reaction to the verdict.

The verdict represented vindication for Finch, who had turned down a plea bargain from the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, which would have resulted in his conviction on some of the charges.

Instead, Finch chose to prove his innocence at his trial, which went on for more than three weeks and ended with a not guilty verdict after the jury deliberated for about three hours.

Finch’s mother — who was a constant presence in the courtroom with her husband and another son — cried out loud as the foreman announced that the jury of eight men and four women had acquitted Finch of official misconduct, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, tampering with public records and perjury.

“I told you, Mom, no worries,” Kleiner said to Finch’s mother as the family embraced after the announcement. “You got a good jury. You’re OK.”

None of the jurors who rendered the verdict was willing to discuss the decision with the media. But one of the jury alternates who sat through the entire trial said he disagreed with the verdict. “I’m actually stunned,” said the alternate, who said he would have voted to convict Finch.

Activists in Paterson react

Paterson activists expressed their displeasure with the verdict.

“Justice for victims of police violence in Paterson and in this country has seldom been found through the courts,” said Black Lives Matter leader Zellie Thomas. “These constant miscarriages of justice only further the mistrust the community has with the justice system.”

Activist Corey Teague said the jury’s decision illustrated why New Jersey needs to create civilian complaint review boards to investigate alleged police misconduct. “I think it's a disgrace,” Teague said of the verdict.

Paterson Policemen's Benevolent Association President Angel Jimenez said he was happy Finch was “given a fair trial.”

“Sometimes, use of force when it’s executed doesn’t look pretty,” Jimenez said. “But the jury made its decision based on the facts, not feelings.”

What did the videos show?

Two video recordings of the May 26, 2021, incident figured prominently in the case — one from the body camera worn by another Paterson police officer at the scene and a second from a security camera in the hallway of the city apartment building where the incident happened.

The recordings showed Finch intervene while the other officer was talking to the man, who was screaming in the hallway, arguing over the phone with the mother of his two children who was inside one of the apartments.

The videos showed Finch slap the man, after which a fight ensued. Finch has testified he hit the man, Brandon Cosby, because Cosby made a fist and seemed ready to strike him.

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Finch and Martinez eventually handcuffed Cosby and positioned him seated on the floor in the hallway. The videos showed Finch hit Cosby in the face with his knee. Finch testified he did so because he thought Cosby was about to head-butt him in the groin area and try to escape.

“The guy made a move at him,” Kleiner said after the verdict. “What’s Spencer supposed to do? Wait for him to hit him in the scrotum?”

When asked if Finch is going to try to get his Paterson police job back, Kleiner said the employment case is being handled by a different lawyer.

Kleiner praised Superior Court Judge Marilyn Clark, who presided over the trial, and the jury for their fairness.

Bonds, the prosecutor’s captain targeted by Kleiner in his post-verdict comments, did not respond to a message on her office phone seeking her comments about the criticism. Sayegh’s chief of staff did not immediately respond when told that Kleiner harshly criticized the mayor.

It was not clear what impact Thursday’s verdict would have on the other case against Finch. Cosby has a lawsuit pending against Finch, the Paterson Police Department and city officials.

Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ Spencer Finch acquitted in excessive force case