Bayonne, NJ — In a stunning and controversial move, Hudson County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Espinales-Maloney has overturned a $500,000 jury verdict awarded to Sincerrae Ross, a former City Hall employee who sued the city for creating a hostile work environment. The jury had found in Ross’s favor after she detailed her ordeal working under the administration of Mayor Jimmy Davis — only to have the victory snatched away in a courtroom reversal that has shocked legal observers, employee advocates, and residents alike.

Ross’s attorney, Juan Cervantes, expressed outrage at the judge’s decision, telling Hudson County View, “My client is devastated. She has endured years of emotional distress and retaliation, only to have justice denied after a jury of her peers stood by her.” (Hudson County View, April 2025, source)

The city has been notably silent on the matter, with Mayor Davis’s administration refusing to issue any official comment. But this is not the first time Bayonne has been embroiled in costly and embarrassing employment lawsuits — nor is it the first time Judge Espinales-Maloney has been at the center of controversy.

In 2023, Bayonne settled two lawsuits with another former city employee, whistleblower Stacie Percella, for a total of $450,000 — including a headline-grabbing “sexting” case that directly implicated Mayor Davis. Importantly, it was Judge Espinales-Maloney who dismissed Percella’s lawsuit in 2020, only to have the appellate court later reverse her decision, paving the way for the settlements (Hudson County View, Sept. 2023, source).

These repeated patterns of rulings favoring the city administration — followed by reversals at the appellate level — raise deeply troubling questions about the impartiality of the local judiciary. Critics are increasingly pointing to what they see as a bias by Judge Espinales-Maloney toward City Hall and Mayor Davis’s administration, undermining employee rights and discouraging whistleblowers and victims of harassment from stepping forward.

Legal experts warn that the chilling effect of such judicial reversals could be profound. “When a jury speaks after hearing all the evidence, and a judge unilaterally erases that verdict without compelling grounds, it sends a dangerous message that the courtroom is not a level playing field,” said a legal scholar familiar with employment litigation, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Adding fuel to the fire, Ross’s case shines a harsh light on Bayonne’s broader workplace culture under Davis. The administration has weathered repeated accusations of cronyism, retaliation, and mismanagement, often spending taxpayer money to settle disputes rather than address systemic problems. But with judges repeatedly tossing out these claims at the trial level, only to be overturned on appeal, the community is left questioning whether justice is truly being served in Hudson County’s courtrooms.

Community advocates are now calling for an investigation into the judiciary’s handling of municipal cases, and some are demanding that the New Jersey Supreme Court review the pattern of reversals linked to Judge Espinales-Maloney. “This isn’t just about one judge or one mayor — it’s about the integrity of our system and whether ordinary workers can have faith that the law protects them,” said a spokesperson for a local government accountability group.

As for Ross, her fight for justice is far from over. Her legal team has signaled plans to appeal the judge’s decision, determined to hold the city accountable and to send a message to other municipal employees that their voices matter — even when powerful forces attempt to silence them.

Citations:

Hudson County View, “Bayonne settles 2 lawsuits with ex-employee, including Davis sexting case, for $450K,” Sept. 2023, source Hudson County View, “Ex-Bayonne rec department employee sues city, wins $500K in hostile workplace case,” April 2025, source

Is Matt Platkin the Attorney General… or Brian Stack’s personal clean-up crew?

What happens when a journalist is attacked, robbed, and nearly silenced — all caught on multiple high-definition security cameras — and brings undeniable video evidence to New Jersey’s top law enforcement officer?

If you’re Leroy Truth… the system doesn’t protect you.

Instead, Matt Platkin allegedly protects the man who attacked you — because he’s politically connected.

THE ATTACK: JANUARY 23rd, 2024

Investigative journalist Leroy Truth had just spoken publicly at his first Union City Board of Commissioners meeting, directly confronting the alleged corruption of Mayor and State Senator Brian Stack — when he was suddenly attacked moments after leaving City Hall by none other than Mayor Brian Stack’s right hand enforcer and the secretary of the Union City, New Jersey Board of Education Justin Mercado 

Who is the attacker?

Justin Mercado, a known political enforcer and close ally of Brian Stack.

Mercado was seen on video:

Attempting to punch Leroy in the face twice, Stealing Leroy’s phone, Trying to smash the phone to destroy video evidence, And waving the stolen phone in Brian Stack’s face, allegedly on Stack’s orders, bragging about the “prize.”

Sources say Stack wanted the phone to identify Leroy’s confidential whistleblowers, but he never got them — because Leroy never brings source phones into New Jersey

“They thought they could beat me into silence and steal the evidence,” said Leroy.

“But I don’t back down — I double down. And I will never stop exposing every last one of them.”

THE COVER-UP: MARCH–APRIL 2024

Leroy filed six separate criminal complaints in Union City for:

Assault, Robbery, Theft, Attempted destruction of property, And intimidation of a journalist.

All complaints — with multiple angles of HD surveillance video — were handed to New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin.

And then?

Platkin’s office killed the investigation.

They ruled “NO PROBABLE CAUSE.”

No charges. No explanation. No justice.

Let that sink in.

Three high-definition videos. Multiple eyewitnesses. An attack on a journalist.

And New Jersey’s AG says… “no probable cause”?

This isn’t incompetence — it’s corruption.

According to sources inside the AG’s office, Brian Stack personally told Platkin to shut it down.

Let’s remember: Stack isn’t just a mayor and state senator — he’s also the Chair of the NJ Senate Judiciary Committee. That means he has influence over judicial appointments — including those Platkin may need.

This is banana republic-level interference — and Platkin bent the knee.

WHY THIS MATTERS:

Probable cause is the lowest bar in the legal system. It means “is there any evidence a crime may have happened?”

In this case? There’s more than enough:

Video proof from three angles, Violent assault, Stolen property, And political motive.

Matt Platkin didn’t uphold the law — he upheld corruption.

THIS IS BIGGER THAN ONE CASE.

Matt Platkin is now under growing public scrutiny for:

Obstructing justice in the Mercado attack, Covering up criminal complaints tied to Brian Stack’s political machine, Refusing to act on over 3,600 corruption allegations filed by Leroy Truth from across New Jersey, Disappearing multiple sexual assault complaints filed by women against Union City city workers, which were taken over by Platkin’s office and then vanished without follow-up.

These are not coincidences.

These are coordinated cover-ups.

THIS ISN’T A JUSTICE SYSTEM.

THIS IS A POLITICAL CRIME SYNDICATE IN SUITS.

And we’re blowing the doors off it.

“I will continue to investigate, expose, and confront the most dangerous cartel of corruption in New Jersey history,” Leroy declared.

“That means Senator and Mayor Brian Stack, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Attorney General Matt Platkin, Senator Paul Sarlo, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez, known attacker and robber Justin Mercado, and Union City Police Chief Anthony Facchini.

Every one of them will be held accountable — because justice is coming, and it’s wearing a mic, not a badge.”

WE DEMAND A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION.

The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office must IMMEDIATELY open a criminal probe into:

Matt Platkin’s obstruction of justice, Brian Stack’s alleged criminal orders, The entire network of Hudson County political corruption and cover-ups.

REPORT THIS CRIMINAL CONDUCT NOW:

FBI Tip Line: 1-800-CALL-FBI

THE COVER-UP IS THE CRIME.

Leroy has declared, “I will not stop. I will not be silenced. I will not forget.”

Justice is coming — and it looks like “The Truth” is just getting started.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez, once hailed as the first Latina prosecutor in New Jersey, has become one of the state’s most controversial and distrusted law enforcement figures. Over her decade-long tenure, Suarez has built a reputation not as a fearless prosecutor—but as a political operator entangled in backroom deals, cronyism, cover-ups, and favoritism.

Suarez’s alleged corruption reaches the highest levels of New Jersey politics, with critics accusing her of operating as a shield for Union City Mayor and State Senator Brian Stack, who also chairs the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee.

A Web of Political Contributions and Conflicts of Interest

One of the most damning and underreported aspects of Suarez’s career is her financial support to Brian Stack’s political machine. According to official records from the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), Suarez has previously contributed to Stack’s political campaigns.

This direct financial tie between a sitting prosecutor and the most politically powerful mayor in her jurisdiction is not just inappropriate—it’s a textbook example of a conflict of interest that would never be tolerated in a well-functioning justice system.

Suarez’s office has repeatedly been accused of declining to bring meaningful charges against Union City officials and police officers connected to Stack, fueling the perception that the prosecutor’s office has been captured by political interests.

The Rodriguez Scandal: Watered-Down Charges to Protect Stack’s Allies

Perhaps the most glaring example of Suarez’s alleged favoritism is the case of Union City Police Sergeant Ruben Rodriguez.

Rodriguez was charged in December 2023 with filing a false police report about being assaulted, a mere fourth-degree crime (Hudson County View, Dec 2023).

However, legal experts and insiders argue that Rodriguez should have been charged with far more serious crimes:

– Official misconduct (a second-degree offense under New Jersey law)

Should be civilly liable for false arrest and false imprisonment; and charged internally for conduct unbecoming of a public employee.

Instead, Suarez’s office downgraded the matter to a slap on the wrist, raising loud accusations that Rodriguez was shielded because of his loyalty to Stack’s political empire.

The Ray Vasquez Cover-Up

Another explosive example involves Hudson County Undersheriff Ray Vasquez, who was accused of falsifying police records—a crime that, under normal circumstances, would trigger a full investigation and severe administrative and criminal penalties.

Yet Suarez’s office failed to meaningfully prosecute or discipline Vasquez, further fueling accusations that the prosecutor uses her discretion to protect political insiders and silence damaging investigations.

Clashes with Leroy Truth: The Activist Suarez Can’t Silence

Hudson County corruption watchdog investigative journalist Leroy Truth, has been one of the few relentless public figures to call out Suarez’s alleged misconduct.

For months, Leroy Truth has accused Suarez of running a corrupt, politically compromised prosecutor’s office, pointing directly to her relationships with Stack and her record of declining to prosecute politically sensitive cases.

In a widely circulated video, Leroy Truth blasted Suarez for “turning a blind eye to Union City’s cesspool of rape, corruption, and unchecked abuse of power,” naming her as a central enabler of the region’s political rot.

A Disgraced Bid for U.S. Attorney Blocked by the Biden Administration

Suarez’s ambitions for power reached beyond Hudson County. In 2021, she sought the prestigious post of U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, with powerful backing from Sen. Bob Menendez.

But her candidacy quickly collapsed under the weight of public outrage and ethical baggage.

According to New Jersey Globe (Dec 2021) and New Jersey Monitor (2024), Suarez was passed over by the Biden administration after public criticism over her refusal to prosecute a rape case involving a senior staffer to Governor Phil Murphy.

National media—including coverage in outlets like the New York Times—noted that Suarez’s nomination stalled in part because of concerns over her prosecutorial record, her entanglements with political power brokers, and questions about her ethical judgment.

A Broken Justice System Under Federal Scrutiny

As public trust in Hudson County law enforcement collapses, demands for a federal investigation into Suarez’s conduct have reached a boiling point.

Activists, legal experts, and watchdog organizations argue that Suarez’s network of political alliances, history of campaign contributions to officials she oversees, and pattern of selective prosecution have compromised the integrity of the justice system.

They call on the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI to open a formal investigation into:

Suarez’s campaign donations to Brian Stack Her pattern of reducing or declining charges against political allies Her handling of cases involving police misconduct Her failed and highly controversial bid for U.S. Attorney

Without federal intervention, critics warn, Hudson County will remain trapped in a cycle of corruption, cover-ups, and political impunity.

Conclusion: Hudson County Deserves Better

Esther Suarez has become, in the eyes of many, the ultimate symbol of what’s broken in Hudson County politics. Instead of standing as a champion of justice, Suarez is seen as a gatekeeper for the powerful, a fixer for the political class, and a roadblock to accountability.

For the sake of public trust, law enforcement integrity, and the rule of law, the time has come for federal authorities to launch a sweeping investigation into her office, her record, and her political alliances.

Sources and Articles Cited:

Hudson County View: Union City Police Sergeant charged with filing false report

New Jersey Globe: Suarez withdraws as candidate for U.S. Attorney

New Jersey Monitor: Adviser testifies about Menendez schemes

ELEC Reports: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission