Shirley J. Shortway-English Pleads Guilty to Criminal Fraud.

April 28, 2010 at 7:18 P.M. Attempts to access this site earlier today were obstructed. I will direct my response to persons who "cooperated" with my adversaries. Additional essays focusing on child molestation and more corruption in New Jersey will be posted soon.

Peter J. Sampson, "Former Councilwoman Receives One-Year Probation: Ex-Hawthorne Official Collected Disability Benefits While Working," in The Star Ledger, April 27, 2010, at p. 13.

"The former Hawthorne Councilwoman Shirley J. Shortway-English apologized to her family and the community yesterday, telling a federal judge she made a 'very big mistake' when she continued to collect $17,000 in Social Security income disability benefits while working in her family's restaurant."

This is worse than working off the books. Presumably it was only in one name that Ms. Shortway-English collected state money. There is no suggestion in this article that multiple names were used to scam several disability payments on the basis of the same injury, which is not an unusual "event" in New Jersey. Even teachers have been known to do such things, working in a school board in one jurisdiction while collecting benefits in another.

No, I never did that "stealing" nor did I help someone else to do such a thing. However, "I have reason to believe" that such scams are routine for the politically-connected in Trenton and Jersey City, also for one or two Union City lawyers. I wonder who was paying Terry Tuchin and for what services he was paid? ("Terry Tuchin, Diana Lisa Riccioli, and New Jersey's Agency of Torture.")

"Shortway-English, 57, made the apology to US District Judge William H. Walls in Newark moments before he sentenced her to one year of probation for the theft."

I have seen young African-American men sent to prison for six months for sitting in a car that had been stolen or "borrowed" by a classmate from a family member. Think about the harm to such a young man's self-esteem and sense of identity, future prospects and chances in life because of such a stupid incident, usually where the young person may not really know of the theft or what was going on.

An elected official, possibly a lawyer who is 57 years-old, may get a walk and no damage to a professional "situation" after stealing almost $17,000 and maybe more that we don't know about -- yet.

Who is "unethical," Stuart? ("Jaynee LaVecchia and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey" and "Stuart Rabner and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey" then "New Jersey's Office of Attorney Ethics" and "Law and Ethics in the Soprano State.")

Judge Walls viewed "the episode as an 'aberration' in an otherwise good life." ("New Jersey is the Home of the Living Dead.")

Whatever.

" ... 'She's not by any stretch of the imagination a dedicated law-offender,' he said."

Naah, it was just one of those things, judge. What are ya gonna do? She wasn't going to fool the Corleones!

" ... 'She's been punished pretty much already,' defense attorney JOSEPH AFFLITO [a.k.a. "pinstripes"] told the judge in arguing that his client should be spared any prison time."

It is unconfirmed whether this defendant plans to run for the local school board after her probationary term is ended.