Hudson County Superior Court Assignment Judge Jeffrey Jablonski said in an amended order made public today that YouTube gonzo journalist Leroy Truth will not be awarded legal fees in his case against the City of Union City.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“This amended order is issued to correct an inadvertent inclusion of the award of counsel fees and costs. Since this court denied the Plaintiff’s request for emergent relief, counsel fees and costs are not recoverable. This requested relief is denied, without prejudice,” Jablonski wrote in the amended order.
His decision was otherwise the same as the initial one issued on August 16th, where Truth, whose real name is Leonard Filipowski, lost a motion for for temporary restraints, though won legal fees and a review of the criminal complaints against him, as HCV first reported.
In an August 20th letter to Jablonski, Mauro Tucci, a member of Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC who is representing Union City Mayor Brian Stack in the matter, raised this concern.
“At the hearing on August 16, the Court decided that Plaintiff’s compensatory claims would be addressed ‘following the resolution of the equitable aspects of the complaint,’ which is reflected in the Order. The Order also refers, however, to Plaintiff’s claim for legal fees and costs, which we do not recall being addressed during the course of the hearing,” he wrote.
“We would respectfully request, therefore, that the Court modify its Order dated August 16, 2024 to reflect that legal fees and costs were not awarded at this time, but rather that the Court has deferred the issue to be considered at a later date in connection with Plaintiff’s compensatory claims.”
The previously set deadlines in the case remain: all written discovery is due by November 1st, all depositions must be completed by December 10th, and a plenary hearing “to resolve the open factual and legal issues” is set for January 21st, 2025 at 9 a.m.
Mario Blanch, counsel to Filipowski in the matter, could not be immediately reached for comment.
After being arrested at a board of commissioners meeting last month, Filipowski wasted little time in filing a lawsuit alleging civil rights violations and wrongful arrest.
A self-described First Amendment auditor, Filipowski has been a persistent thorn in the side to Stack, also the state senator of the 33rd Legislative District, since December and the situation has only escalated since his arrest.
Stack, who has blamed North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco, a longtime political adversary of his, for Filipowski’s sudden interest in Union City (both have denied this repeatedly) said in a mailer last month said the “intensified harassment” has included death threats.
Not big on some First Amendment auditor tactics but this case is egregious and L. Truth needs to win this case pronto so the issue of legal fees can be properly adjudicated.
Time to move Hudson County out of the mid-20th century whether they like it or not.
Leroy Truth is a self-serving, ambulance-chasing gadfly whose 15 minutes of fame expired a long time ago. In his latest crap posting on Facebook, he teases that Long/time NJ State Senator and Union City Mayor Brian Stack might endorse Trump for President. I hope Mr. Stack utilizes all legal options avaito him against this pseudo/journalist Leonard Flipowski.