Judge Calls Union County Democrat Defendant "Outstanding"

Roselle Council President, Jamel Holley, who also double dips as a Union County employee, has been granted admission into a pretrail invention program (PTI) by Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier.  See story at PolickerNJ.com.   Plainfield Today correctly predicted the outcome.

Holley can serve out his PTI sentence by politically promoting himself and working at his own non-profit agency, the Jamel C. Holley Civic Association.  No joke. 

Judge Billmeier glosses over what the Appellate Court called "“rampant statutory violations”.  The Appellate Court also pointed to evidence of Bullock campaign workers, in some instances, appearing to have cast the ballot for the voter".

The NJ Attorney General's Office saw things a little differently as well and charged Holley with tampering with absentee ballots and stated "“The defendant’s conduct was not a mere technical violation,”  “His conduct violated one of the core requirements of our democracy, the secret ballot”. 

Judge Billmeier merely shrugs off  the Appellate Court's findings as well as the Attorney General by simply stating:

1.  Holley wasn't familiar with the absentee voting system.

2.  Holley was just being overzealous.

Therefore, according to this Judge, violating the law can simply be squared by ignorance. 

Holley, at the time of the alleged ballot tampering, worked  in the legislative offices of Lesniak,Cohen & Cryan.  Holley had three lawmakers at his fingertips to guide him through the process of securing and delivering absentee ballots.

Another defense raised by Holley's lawyer was that "Unlike other recent corruption cases, there was never any allegation that Mr. Holley receved monetary favors in exchange for his assisting (council candidate) Rosemarie Bullock".

Holley's lawyer may be correct that no actual money was exchanged, but shortly after the "incident", Holley lucked out and was hired by the County, which is run by the Union County Dem. Machine, the same outfit Holley belongs to.

Holley serves as Council President of Roselle and works for Union County.  Whatever Holley's duties are, may they not be as arduous as lawfully securing absentee ballots.