Posted on 07/13/2025 1:55:50 PM PDT by xxqqzz
A New Jersey couple scored a win in federal court, where a judge ruled they can move forward with key parts of their lawsuit accusing Ocean County prosecutors of malicious prosecution and defamation.
Salvatore and Jane Mattiaccio, owners of Level and Square Construction in Point Pleasant, allege that now-retired Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor William Scharfenberg used his position to pursue criminal investigations against them while operating a competing construction company, Beacon Homes of N.J.
On July 8, U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner issued a ruling in the case, dismissing many of the couple’s claims on immunity and procedural grounds.
The judge has ruled that several of those named in the lawsuit will remain in the case, while others have been dismissed.
The court allowed claims to proceed against four individuals affiliated with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as Beacon Homes of NJ.
However, the judge dismissed all claims against three other individuals and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office itself.
The ruling narrows the scope of the litigation but ensures that key allegations will continue to be litigated in federal court.
However, she allowed their allegations of malicious prosecution and defamation—stemming from a 2018 arrest—to proceed against Scharfenberg and several other defendants.
The Mattiaccios claim that Scharfenberg operated Beacon Homes from within the prosecutor’s office while employed as a prosecutor.
They also allege he failed to obtain required approvals for outside employment.
They also allege that his business interests motivated a series of criminal investigations and prosecutions against them, including charges stemming from a contract dispute with a customer in 2018. That case was later dismissed.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
It’s time to limit prosecutorial immunity from civil damages. It’s become ridiculous.
“It’s time to limit prosecutorial immunity from civil damages. It’s become ridiculous.”
You have to be careful. Filing lawsuits against government workers can get abused quite easily. Let’s say a honky is the prosecutor in LaHood (a little street talk there), and the honky is sued by a jack and the case goes in front of a DEI jury - guess what, the jack wins on tribalism grounds.
NJ corruption! I’m SHOCKED i tells ya’, SHOCKED ...
.
Everybody is always busting on Joysey for it’s corruption.
There is very little corruption in Jersey to see.
If you keep your eye closed, I mean…
I live in Ocean County.
Some years ago another prosecutor, James J. Holzophel and his wife ran a series of drug and alcohol rehabs here.
He’d bust ‘em, she’d cure ‘em and see how the money rolls in.
It’s what they do here.
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