Monroe police officer sues township to have his disciplinary hearing made public

MONROE – A veteran township police officer has gone to court to request that his hearing on disciplinary charges be open to the public.

Anthony Trohalides, a sergeant, has also asked for a court reporter to transcribe the hearing, according to his lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Middlesex County on May 25.

The township has rejected both of Trohalides’ requests.

Judge Michael Toto has scheduled a show cause hearing on the suit for June 24.

Trohalides was notified on March 23 of the charges, including falsifying a police report, in connection with an incident on Oct. 6, according to court papers. The other charges are conduct unbecoming a police officer, failure to comply with directives, failure to properly supervise subordinates, failure to follow department radio procedure and failure to respond to a radio call or leaving a police vehicle without advising a desk officer.

The township is seeking Trohalides' dismissal.

The discipline notice included in court papers say the charges came after Trohalides, acting as road supervisor, used a cellphone to ask for assistance in a vehicle stop where a random plate check found the driver was wanted on a $1,000 warrant.

When the other officer said he was on the way to check an abandoned 911 call, according to court papers, Trohalides allegedly ordered the other officer to leave that call and assist him instead.

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Trohalides followed the driver to her home and waited in his vehicle until the other officer arrived, court papers say.

When the other officer was driving to the vehicle stop, he received another call saying a traffic light was not operating properly, but Trohalides allegedly told him "not worry about it," according to court papers.

When the other officer arrived, Trohalides stayed in his vehicle and ordered the other officer to perform the vehicle stop, court papers say, and the other officer eventually arrested the driver on the warrant.

The discipline notice alleges that Trohalides failed to notify dispatch of his location and failed to tell dispatch when he left the vehicle to assist in the arrest.

After the other officer filed a report at headquarters, the discipline notice charges that Trohalides, "willfully" and without the other officer's permission, changed the report and removed any reference to his involvement in the arrest.

The unauthorized alterations "made it appear as if the other officer was the primary officer on the motor vehicle stop," the discipline notice alleges.

The lawsuit, filed by Trohalides' attorney Charles Sciarra, stems from a disagreement with the township over the nature of the municipal hearing on the charges. In the lawsuit, Sciarra says the hearing officer, Assistant Business Administrator Kevin McGowan, and Vikrant Advani, the township's attorney, have been "professional and courteous" throughout the case.

But on May 13, the lawsuit says, both sides "hit a curious snag" that required the court's intervention, the lawsuit says.

Sciarra asked for an open public hearing on the charges and asked how to handle hiring a court reporter. But, according to the lawsuit, the township rejected those requests.

Sciarra wanted a full transcript of the hearing because, as Monroe is not a Civil Service municipality, any appeal would go to Superior Court where a verbatim record would be needed.

Advani said the township would permit a court reporter only if Trohalides waived his right to supplement the record on appeal, which Sciarra argues is not permitted by law and precedent.

According to the lawsuit, Sciarra would not agree to that and filed the lawsuit.

The township has yet to file a response in court to the lawsuit.

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Monroe NJ police officer sues to have disciplinary hearing made public