A government watchdog recently exposed the City of East Orange, which quietly settled a lawsuit with Uber driver Duane Dooley for $42,500.
The August 31, 2023, settlement stems from allegations that Dooley was arrested in retaliation for questioning a police officer about a double-parking ticket.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on October 30, 2018, when East Orange Police Lieutenant (now Captain) Raymond Garcia ticketed Dooley for double-parking and illegally picking up passengers, which Dooley vehemently denied.
Dooley claims that when he questioned Garcia about the tickets, Garcia arrested him for obstruction and added a charge for failing to exhibit insurance documents, despite Dooley’s insistence that he had provided them.
Dooley was later released after processing, and all charges against him were eventually dismissed.
In response to an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request, the city disclosed that Garcia, a 21-year veteran of the East Orange Police Department, earns a base salary of $137,747.15.
However, the city reported having no records of summonses or complaints issued against Dooley related to the incident.
The case, captioned Dooley v. Garcia, et al, was represented by attorney Kevin T. Flood of Hillsborough.
The settlement agreement includes a confidentiality clause, preventing the disclosure of the settlement terms and amounts, which has drawn criticism from some who believe it shields government officials from accountability.
However, despite the confidentiality clause, the public still retains the right to obtain copies of settlement agreements involving government agencies or officials.
It’s important to note that none of Dooley’s allegations have been proven or disproven in court.
The settlement agreement explicitly states that the payment does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by East Orange, Garcia, or any city employees.
This settlement raises questions about the circumstances surrounding the incident and the decision to settle rather than proceed to trial.
Without a trial, the truth of the allegations remains uncertain, leaving room for speculation about what truly transpired.