On December 29, 2011, Franklin Township Municipal Court Judge E. Ronald Wright signed an Order directing the Bedminster Police Department to comply within ten days.
The provisions of said Order included the return of all of this publisher’s equipment and materials seized pursuant to a November 2009 search warrant executed by Bedminster Police Detective Nanci Arraial, and assisted by, among others, Westwood Police Detective Robert Saul Jr.
The Bedminster Police Department was first in default of the Court Order when it failed to comply within ten days. On January 11, 2012, Bedminster Police Department Dlt. Craig Meyer delivered the seized equipment to MrWestwood.com’s attorney in Westwood.
At that time, it was noted that the Bedminster Police Department failed to return both the copies of the data retrieved from the equipment, and all of the photographic images of the dwelling taken during the seizure, in violation of Judge Wright’s Order.
In court on January 26, 2012, this publisher’s attorney brought the Bedminster Police Department’s non-compliance with the Order to Judge Wright’s attention. As a result, Judge Wright ordered Bedminster Police Department’s Nanci Arraial to comply with the remaining provisions of his Order, and to provide proof of full compliance by way of certifications.
As of this date, the Bedminster Police Department is still in default of a number of provisions of Judge Wright’s Order, specifically: the return of all equipment undamaged and untampered with, and in the condition in which it was seized; the return of all copies of the data taken from the seized equipment, together with all photographic images of the dwelling/premises taken during the execution of the search warrant, and all copies of said data and images.
The returned property is still being examined, but a limited examination by this publisher reveals damage and tampering to the seized property; the data, images, and copies have not been returned either. The Bedminster NJ Police Department is in continued violation of Judge Wright’s Court Order.