Charges Against “Leroy Truth” Dismissed in Secaucus Court — Another Embarrassing Loss for Union City Police..AGAIN

SECAUCUS, NJ — In another courtroom defeat, all charges against investigative journalist Leonard “Leroy Truth” Filipowski have been dismissed by the Secaucus Municipal Court.

The charges — filed after incidents tied to Union City public meetings — included:

Disrupting a public meeting Defiant trespass Disorderly conduct

Every single charge is now gone.

⚖️ Another Case Falls Apart

This wasn’t just one case.

Charges brought forward by Officer Ivis Arias and Sgt. Jasen Bellamy have now both been dismissed, continuing a pattern where cases against Leroy Truth fail to hold up in court.

This isn’t random.

Multiple cases tied to his activism and reporting have reportedly ended the same way — dismissed or dropped. While a full official count of outcomes isn’t independently confirmed in one place, the repeated results are hard to ignore.

👉 At some point, it stops looking like coincidence.

The Secaucus Municipal Prosecutor commented during the court hearing stating that “we must stop trying to chill free speech with these charges”, as charges were being dismissed.

🚨 Officer Arias and Sgt. Bellamy Under Fire

This case puts a spotlight directly on Officer I. Arias and Sgt. Jasen Bellamy, whose charges ultimately collapsed in court.

Critics are now raising serious concerns about both officers, particularly when one is a supervisor, especially when it comes to:

– Understanding basic constitutional rights

– Proper handling of public meetings

– Knowing the limits of police authority in First Amendment settings

Let’s break it down simply:

– Police cannot remove someone just for speaking out.

– They cannot stretch disorderly conduct laws to cover criticism

– They cannot use trespass charges to bypass constitutional protections

Those are not advanced legal concepts — those are fundamentals.

👉 When both officers’ cases get dismissed, the question becomes unavoidable:

Were these arrests based on law — or poor judgment? Do these officers actually understand the law they were enforcing or were they enforcing their feelings?

Officer Arias is also the mistress of Captain Omar Hernandez, who ordered the first arrest of Leroy Truth for “disrespecting the commissioners” in a public commissioners meeting. Another charge that has been previously dismissed on constitutional grounds.

⚠️ Bigger Questions About Leadership and Influence

Beyond the officers themselves, critics are pointing to larger issues inside the department, including:

– Allegations that enforcement actions in political settings are being pushed from higher up.

– Concerns that officers are being placed in situations without proper legal guidance or training .

– Ongoing questions about internal relationships and influence.

These concerns have not been proven in court — but they continue to resurface every time another case falls apart.

And now, it’s happening again.

🏛️ This Isn’t Just About One Case

These incidents all stem from public meetings — places where people are supposed to challenge government openly.

Yes, there are rules.

Yes, meetings need order.

But the law is clear:

👉 You cannot punish someone simply for being critical or outspoken during their public comment time.

That’s where the line is.

And based on the outcome in court, that line may have been crossed.

🎯 A Pattern That’s Getting Hard to Ignore

Leroy Truth has consistently criticized Union City leadership, including Mayor Brian Stack.

Some see him as a watchdog.

Others see him as disruptive.

But here’s what actually matters:

👉 The charges are not sticking.

And now, with cases tied to both Officer Arias and Sgt. Bellamy dismissed, the pattern becomes even harder to dismiss as coincidence.

📉 A Bad Look for Union City Police

No matter how you look at it, this is a problem.

When multiple officers bring cases that don’t survive in court, it:

– Wastes public resources

– Damages the department’s credibility

– Raises serious concerns about training and decision-making

And when it happens repeatedly — it becomes more than just a mistake.

👉 It becomes a pattern.

🧠 Bottom Line

This case is over.

The charges are dismissed.

But the real issue remains:

👉 Why do these cases keep failing — especially when brought by multiple officers like Arias and Bellamy?

Chief Walter Laurencio needs to take a closer look at officers abusing the criminal justice system with frivolous charges. At the end of the day it falls under his watch.

Until that question is answered, every future arrest tied to public criticism will face the same scrutiny — from the public and from the courts.

What’s the score now with total criminal charges dismissed…Leroy wins 28-0 in court so far!