Lawsuit: Hammonton Police promoted Chief's "favorite" so that he could retire at increased pension.

In a lawsuit filed in July, a Hammonton Borough (Atlantic County) Police Sergeant alleged that the Borough created a new police lieutenant position so that a police sergeant, who was a favorite of Police Chief Robert Jones, could fill it.  According to the suit, the new lieutenant actively served in his position only five months before going out on extended medical leave in November 2012 and then retiring on October 1, 2013.  This, according to the complainant, "greatly benefited the new lieutenant as he was able to retire at the position and salary rank of lieutenant for the purpose of his pension calculation in October of 2013."

After the new lieutenant's retirement, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, Sergeant Joseph A. Maimone, Jr., stood next in line for the now vacant lieutenant position. Maimone claims that Chief Jones, who is allegedly angered by Maimone's past complaints about the former lieutenant's promotion, has thus far refused to promote him.  According to Maimone, Chief Jones has recently decided to "return to 'the old structure', meaning reducing the number of lieutenants back down to two and extinguishing the [Maimone's] entitlement to the lieutenant's promotion."

Maimone's lawsuit, Maimone v. Hammonton Borough, Docket No. ATL-L-4749-14, is on-line here.  Maimone is represented by Louis M. Barbone of Atlantic City.