LONG BRANCH — Charges pending against a city man for the past six years were thrown out recently, according to his attorney, Barbara Gonos.
According to Gonos, charges against Vincent Lepore were dismissed by Judge Mark Apostolou of Eatontown Municipal Court earlier this month.
On July 21, 2005, Lepore was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing the administration of law. If convicted, Lepore faced up to seven months in prison.
At the time of his arrest, Lepore was handing out anti-eminent domain fliers in the vicinity of a motor vehicle accident on Second Avenue and Garfield Court and stopped what he was doing to notify the city police department when the accident occurred. He then resumed distributing the fliers.
At the time, the city public safety director alleged that Lepore had become disorderly and disruptive. Lepore contended he was wrongfully arrested for his anti-eminent domain views.
Gonos’ request for a change of venue to Eatontown Municipal Court was granted, and the case was heard in 2007.
Gonos, West Long Branch, said in an interview last week that she was informed recently that all charges had been dismissed.
“The charges were dismissed,” she said. “The case is over, he’s not guilty, and it’s all over.
“Vince had his day in court, and justice was served.”
She also said that two witnesses who testified on Lepore’s behalf reaffirmed her faith in the justice system.
“My faith in the justice system was reinforced by this case,” Gonos said. “There were two senior citizen independent witnesses who came forward to testify what happened [at the scene] on Vince’s behalf.
“They just came forward because they wanted the truth to be told, and I was most impressed that had occurred.”
Gonos said she doesn’t know the exact reason for the dismissal, but she felt her client was not guilty from the beginning.
“All we needed to know was that the charges were dismissed,” she said. “He was not guilty; what he was accused of doing he did not in fact do.”
Contact Kenny Walter at [email protected].