Testimony Continues in Lawsuit Against Monticello Mayor Gordon Jenkins MONTICELLO, N.Y. -- Embattled Monticello mayor Gordon Jenkins back in court this week, in day two of a hearing stemming from a petition brought by residents of the village, aiming to have Jenkins removed from elected office. In 2007, then trustee, now Monticello Mayor Gordon Jenkins could have been arrested in DeHoyas Park for driving under the influence, he wasnt, said Lieutenant Mark Johnstone in court Wednesday. The door was open. I went up to him and he was extremely intoxicated to the point where he was drooling. He attempted to get back in his vehicle and drive away and I prevented him from doing it, said Johnstone. Day two of a hearing addressing a call from four village residents to have the mayor removed resumed. Johnstone is the same officer who would go on to arrest the mayor for DWI six years later. Defense attorney Michael Sussman aimed to show Jenkins has long been a target of the police department but attorney Kirk Orseck said the recent DWI is part of a long pattern of behavior that illustrates the mayor isnt fit to lead. We feel that we have been establishing there have been threats, there have been abuses of power and some serious misconduct, said Orseck, the Plaintiffs attorney. Monticello officer John Riegler also took the stand, testifying about the slew of racial insults hurled at officers on the night of the DWI arrest. In defense, Sussman established Jenkins had been handcuffed to a wall for more than thirteen hours that night, repeatedly asking for an attorney. With testimony concluding this week, the judge is expected to make a decision on whether the mayor can stay or go later this fall. We are on the cusp here of finally getting a casino or some other development in the area and we want to be able to attract businesses and investors without them having to worry that we have some sort of rogue in our executive offices, said Orseck. How many chances does somebody get? said Johnstone. A long road ahead for these plaintiffs. These types of cases aimed to have elected officials removed from office are rarely successful. - See more at: hudsonvalley.twcnews/content/news/771762/testimony-continues-in-lawsuit-against-monticello-mayor-gordon-jenkins/#sthash.sDVYuEtJ.dpuf
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 02:34:21 +0000
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