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Sean Courter, Bloomfield Police Officer Accused Of Official Misconduct, Conspiracy, Tampering With Records, False Swearing

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The law firm of Clark and Clark, LLC is representing Sean Courter, a Bloomfield police officer indicated on multiple serious charges. Below are media mentions for the case.

Bloomfield police officers Sean Courter and his attorney Ryan Clark, Orlando Trinidad with his attorney Frank Arleo appeared before Essex County Superior Court Judge Michael Ravin in Newark, NJ 7/21/14 Ed Murray/The Star-Ledger
Bloomfield police officers Sean Courter and his attorney Ryan Clark, Orlando Trinidad with his attorney Frank Arleo appeared before Essex County Superior Court Judge Michael Ravin in Newark, NJ 7/21/14 Ed Murray/The Star-Ledger

Video Feed from NJ.com.  Video Description:  Two Bloomfield police officers have been indicted on conspiracy and misconduct charges after a dashboard video from a police cruiser raised doubts about the officers’ account of an arrest they made, according to Essex County prosecutors.


Bloomfield cops call for official misconduct charges to be dismissed, say they were treated unfairly.  Bill Weichert, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 17, 2014

Saying their case was unfairly presented to a grand jury, two Bloomfield police officers today called for the dismissal of official misconduct and related charges against them in connection with a 2012 arrest.

In a hearing in a Newark courtroom, attorneys for Officers Orlando Trinidad and Sean Courter argued the presentation leading to their indictment was unfair, in part because grand jurors were consistently told the officers were liars.

Courter’s attorney, Charles Clark, said the process was a “one-sided presentation with the goal ultimately of making sure these two were indicted.”

Indicted officer defends his actions during traffic stop.  Daniel Jackovino, Essex News Daily, September 14, 2014

In a telephone interview, Charles Clark, the attorney for Courter, was asked why his client kept telling Jeter to take his hands off his gun while Jeter’s hands, according to Trinidad, were under his stomach and Courter must have known where his own gun was located.

“It was Courter’s sensory perception,” Clark said. “A jury would have to determine that. The issue is whether Courter perceived that this guy tried to take his firearm. If he believed that, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Clark said his client wrote in his report that there were two video disc recordings.  “Why didn’t the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office have the second disc?” Clark asked. “It means you went to the grand jury without reviewing the evidence.”

Clark said Jeter had refused a breath test and was charged with a DWI.  “No one has explained that,” he said.

A spokesperson for the municipal court said they could not comment on the matter.

Grand jury indicts two BPD officers over traffic arrest.  Daniel Jackovino, Essex Daily News, September 14, 2014.

BLOOMFIELD — An Essex County grand jury handed up an indictment on Jan. 31 charging Bloomfield police officers Sean Courter and Orlando Trinidad with conspiracy, official misconduct, tampering with public records, false documents and false swearing. Trinidad was also indicted on one count of aggravated assault.

Lawsuit moved to federal court over alleged misconduct by Bloomfield cops.  By Bill Wichert, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 12, 2014

NEWARK — Bloomfield officials have transferred a lawsuit to federal court in regard to allegations township police used excessive force in wrongfully arresting a man in 2012 and then conspired to cover up the officers’ misconduct.

The transfer comes as two of the officers involved in the case — Sean Courter and Orlando Trinidad – seek to dismiss the pending criminal charges against them.

Calling his June 2012 arrest an act of “racial profiling,” Marcus Jeter, who is African-American, filed the lawsuit in June in New Jersey Superior Court against the township and 10 police officers at the time of the incident, including Courter and Trinidad.

Bloomfield cops seek to dismiss charges against them; former suspect sues. Jason Moussab, Bloomfield Life, July 24, 2014.

After charges against him were dismissed, Marcus Jeter has filed a lawsuit against Bloomfield Township regarding his June 2012 arrest.

Meanwhile, police officers Sean Courter and Orlando Trinidad sought Monday to dismiss charges against them that stemmed from the incident.

NJ man alleges ‘racial profiling’ in 2012 assault by Bloomfield cops, lawsuit says.  Bill Wichert, The Star Ledger, June 22, 2014.

NEWARK — Saying he was beaten by Bloomfield cops in an act of “racial profiling,” an African-American man alleges in a new lawsuit that township police wrongfully arrested him and conspired to cover up the officers’ misconduct.

The lawsuit comes as two officers face pending criminal charges related to the June 2012 incident, and a retired officer awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to tampering with records.

… In an email, Courter’s attorney, Charles Clark, said: “Our position is that Officer Courter acted appropriately at all times and we anticipate the truth will eventually win out. The police did not call themselves to Jeter’s girlfriend’s house on the night in question.”

NJ lawyer says dashboard cam exonerates man. Jeff Frankel, Fios1 News, March 3, 2104.

“My client believes [Jeter] has Courter’s weapon because he has his two hands hidden and he believes there is a weapon,” Toscano said of Trinidad’s apprehension of Jeter. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news; Officer Trinidad is fighting this to the end.”

Bloomfield officers deny charges in dash cam case. Hasime Kujak Special to Bloomfield Life,February 27, 2014

Courter’s attorney, Charles Clark, told Bloomfield Life that Courter and Sutterlin responded to a disturbance at Jeter’s home.

Jeter opened an upstairs window and yelled, “Come and get me,” to the officers, Clark said Tuesday. Jeter then jumped out the window, got in his car and attempted to leave the driveway.

Courter asked Jeter to stop and show his identification, but Jeter refused, Clark said.

“[Jeter] says, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong,’ and takes off,” Clark said. The lawyer also stated Courter smelled what he believed to be alcohol emitting from the vehicle.

Clark said the recording from Trinidad’s dashboard “does not show criminal activity [on the officers’ part]. I’ve watched it a couple of times.

“This ‘smoking gun’ existed since June 7, 2012. It was checked into evidence by Sean Courter,” Clark said.

Bloomfield mayor alleges police ‘cover up,’ vows to ‘purge’ police department of ‘bad officers’. Seth Augenstein, The Star Ledger, February 25, 2014.

BLOOMFIELD — Alleging a “cover up,” the town’s mayor has vowed to “fight to purge” the township’s police department of “bad officers.”

Mayor Michael Venezia made the statement on his Facebook page Monday, in the wake of an indictment of two Bloomfield police officers on conspiracy and misconduct charges after prosecutors viewed recordings from two dashboard cameras showed officers hitting a suspect during a June 2012 arrest on the Garden State Parkway…

Courter’s attorney, Charles Clark, said today that his client would not be pleading guilty – and would go to trial, because he’s innocent. The prosecution is “misguided” on this case, Clark said.

“It’s going to come out, and it’s going to come out soon,” the defense attorney said.

Both officers have been suspended without pay since April 2013, their lawyers confirmed.

2 Bloomfield cops indicted after dashboard video shows them hitting suspect. Lisa Rose, The Star Ledger, February 24, 2014.

NEWARK — Officers Orlando Trinidad and Sean Courter, both 33, were arraigned Friday in Superior Court in Newark on charges of conspiracy, official misconduct, tampering with public records and false swearing, Essex County prosecutors say. Trinidad also faces an aggravated assault charge.

Both officers were indicted in late January. They each pleaded not guilty and were released on their own recognizance after their court appearance Friday.

Bloomfield police chief retires, takes leave early amid controversy within police department.  Eunice Lee, The Star Ledger, January 14, 2014.

BLOOMFIELD — Goul, who was appointed police chief in Jan. 2011, took an early leave amid controversy within the police department involving the disputed military leave of two officers.

According to the report, Goul said the two officers may have been targets of politically motivated individuals, who he did not name, involved in the Internal Affairs investigation regarding the military leave.

Bloomfield cops look to dismiss official misconduct charges related to 2012 arrest.  Bill Wichert, The Star Ledger, July 21, 2013.

NEWARK — Two Bloomfield police officers are looking to dismiss official misconduct and related charges against them in connection with the June 2012 arrest of a man on the Garden State Parkway.

Officers Orlando Trinidad and Sean Courter are planning to file a joint motion to dismiss the indictment or suppress certain evidence from being used at their trial, said Frank Arleo, the attorney representing Trinidad, after a brief court hearing today.

The post Sean Courter, Bloomfield Police Officer Accused Of Official Misconduct, Conspiracy, Tampering With Records, False Swearing appeared first on Freehold NJ Criminal Defense Attorneys.


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