Ex-prosecutor gets big settlement in battle against Christie

[Laxman]

Source: Newark Star-Ledger

A former Hunterdon County assistant prosecutor who claims he was fired for alleging that the state dismissed an indictment because it involved supporters of Gov. Chris Christie has received a $1.5 million settlement in his six-year legal battle.

The money given to Bennett Barlyn brings an end to a lengthy, expensive whistleblower case that has cost New Jersey taxpayers more than $3 million in legal fees.

Though the settlement was technically reached in June, it wasn't finalized until last week.

Barlyn — who is now a schoolteacher — told the Associated Press that the settlement is a "private vindication."

He added that the events that led to his suit were "perhaps the first, but clearly not the last, instance of the Christie administration's deliberate misuse of its political and legal authority."

Read more: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/10/ex-prosecutor_gets_big_settlement_in_battle_agains.html#incart_river_home

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Good for Ben Barlyn, he deserved a big settlement. (Although its only 1/2 of what Christie's administration paid to their friends at Gibbons' law firm to defend the case) The only problem is that we'll never know now what the grand jury transcripts said.

[JustAnotherGen]

1. He totally deserved that win!

I'm willing to have my state taxes increased to right a wrong!

[Laxman]

4. I Just Wish....

that more of this sordid incident would have been aired in public. Mr. Barlyn was very brave and very determined in taking on a very vindictive and corrupt administration. He deserves every penny.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. I think cracking that nut in Trenton

In Full - won't happen until he is out of office.

I just hope he is in such a disgrace when we finally get rid of his ass that he never shows his face in 'public life' again.

He's awful.

Just awful.

And the damn fools down the street voted for the jackass twice.

[Botany]

2. I hope that the people of N.J. put enough pressure on their elected leaders that they ......

..... impeach and remove Christie from office because you have this case, the lane closures
on the GWB, and the use of Hurricane Sandy relief funds for political purposes.

[Laxman]

3. You're Just Scratching The Surface.....

there's just so many things Christie and his crew have done wrong. This incident was actually the very first entry in the Christie Crime Digest. So much has gone on since then.

[usaf-vet]

5. The decimal point is in the wrong place..

it should be 15.0 million that is what he deserved for having to deal with the bully. Good for him for winning.

[SunSeeker]

6. Good. Although it appears this episode drove Barlyn out of practicing law.

He is now a school teacher, as the article notes. The legal field sorely needs people like Barlyn. But I don't blame him for leaving.

[Laxman]

8. The Coverage Of This Story....

by WNYC can be found here: http://www.wnyc.org/story/former-prosecutor-turned-whistleblower-settles-15-million-lawsuit-new-jersey/

Former NJ Prosecutor Turned Whistleblower Settles $1.5-million Lawsuit

he state of New Jersey has settled a whistleblower lawsuit brought by a former prosecutor who alleged that the state dropped a case against a sheriff and her subordinates in order to protect supporters and allies of Gov. Chris Christie.

Ben Barlyn was a prosecutor in Hunterdon County when he secured an indictment against the county sheriff and others in 2010 for alleged abuses of power — like providing a fake sheriff's badge to a prominent Christie campaign donor.

The state's Christie-appointed attorney general, however, dismissed the indictment against the sheriff, who was herself a close supporter of Lt. Governor Kim Guandagno. Barlyn says he was fired after complaining that the indictment was thrown out for political reasons.

Tuesday, the state settled the case for $1.5 million. WNYC's Sean Carlson talked about the case with Barlyn, who is now a middle school teacher in New Jersey.

Well worth 4 minutes of your time.