A North Bergen Municipal Court judge has been charged with criminal sexual contact in connection to an incident that occurred in his private law office last month, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Earlier today, members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims
Unit arrested a North Bergen municipal judge after an investigation into an allegation that he grabbed a woman’s breasts without her consent, Suarez said in a statement
Nino Falcone, 78, of North Bergen, was arrested at approximately 7:20 a.m. in North Bergen. He was arrested without incident.
The investigation revealed that the alleged incident occurred on August 29th in Falcone’s private law office, located at 7807 Bergenline Ave. in North Bergen.
Falcone was charged on a complaint summons with one count of criminal sexual contact, a fourth-degree crime. After being processed on the Complaint-Summons, he was released on his own recognizance, officials said.
A hearing for his first appearance is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on October 3rd in Hudson County Superior Court, located at 595 Newark Avenue in Jersey City.
Township spokesman Phil Swibinski said they are awaiting for the New Jersey Judiciary to decide Falcone’s long-term employment future, though he has been suspended without pay for the time being.
“The alleged incident involving Judge Falcone did not occur on Township property or involve another Township employee or anyone connected with North Bergen Municipal Court. Judge Falcone has provided many years of dedicated and unblemished public service,” he said.
“We will follow the directives of the New Jersey Judiciary, which has jurisdiction over Municipal Court Judges, and we will refrain from commenting further while this case advances through the legal process.”
It sounds absolutely out of Character….Judge Nino Falcone has served our community for many, many years even before he was a judge! He was a member of the Board of Trustees at HCCC…always respectful and committed to the Hudson County community! It is sad to hear these allegations!!