A South Jersey police officer cleared of charges that he made a bogus drunken-driving arrest of a state lawmaker is fighting his suspension.
The South Jersey Times reported that Washington Township officer Joseph DiBuonaventura's attorney argued in court Monday that his suspension without pay shouldn't be tolerated.
DiBuonaventura faced 14 counts, including official misconduct, in connection with the 2012 arrest of Assemblyman Paul Moriarty. All charges against the lawmaker were dismissed in 2013.
A jury acquitted the officer on all counts last month, but he remains suspended without pay.
Township attorney Patrick Madden says personnel charges levied by the department against DiBuonaventura implicate dishonesty, which he says validates the suspension.
But DiBuonaventura's laywer, Jacqueline Vigilante, argues his suspension without pay is unlawful.
