On February 5, 2014, Penns Grove Borough (Salem County) Councilman Carl J. Washington, Jr. was either found guilty of or pled guilty to the offense of Failing to Possess a Driver License, contrary to N.J.S.A. 39:3-29.  The finding (on-line here), which resolved Logan Township (Gloucester County) Municipal Court Summons No. 0809-L-071877, required Washington to pay a $131 fine, $33 in costs and $25 as a “miscellaneous” amount.

The summons, however, charged Councilman Washington with the much more serious offense of Driving with a Suspended License, contrary to N.J.S.A. 39:3-40.  That summons, issued on September 25, 2013, is on-line here.

According to a January 27, 2014 memo (on-line here) from Logan Municipal Court Administrator Rita M. Weber, Washington had failed to appear for his court hearing and a warrant had been issued for his arrest. His February 5, 2014 appearance satisfied the warrant.

Washington was previously cited in Penns Grove on May 18, 2011 for the more serious Driving with a Suspended License offense. That summons, which is on-line here, shows that he was fined $1,006 plus $33 in costs and was sentenced to 10 days in jail.  On January 31, 2012, Washington’s conviction, fine and ten-day jail sentence was affirmed on appeal. (See order here.)

Chairman of the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy Project. Please send all comments to [email protected]