Officer Says He's Not Guilty in Arrest of Politician

A New Jersey police officer has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of making a bogus drunken driving arrest of a politician last year.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Washington Township officer Joseph DiBuonoventura entered the plea Monday.

He could face decades in prison if he is convicted of official misconduct, falsifying records and other offenses. A prosecutor said a guilty plea would have been met with a recommendation for five years in prison.

The officer charged Assemblyman Paul Moriarty in July 2012 with drunken driving and other crimes. The former mayor of Washington Township said he had not been drinking and was wrongly accused. He produced a video that seems to back him up and the charges against him were dropped.

The officer is suspended without pay.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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