During a Tuesday night hearing, Hillside Mayor Angela Garretson was found guilty of three traffic tickets she claimed were political retribution.
Union Township Municipal Court Judge Kelly A. Waters found Garretson guilty of disregarding an officer's hand signals, of improperly passing other cars stopped at a construction work site and using a cellphone while operating a motor vehicle.
However, she was not found guilty of a charge of obstructing traffic and a fifth summons, driving through a safety zone, were previously dismissed.
The judge, however, imposed a total of $717 in fines and court costs.
The tickets arose after an incident on July 12, 2015, when Hillside police Officer Matthew Casterline, was working an overtime assignment at a construction and directing traffic through on Hillside Avenue near Hilldale Place.
Casterline who issued the summonses the following day, witnessed Garretson drive her white SUV around a lane of cars stopped for the construction work. Casterline claims she ignored his hand signals to stop and noticed she texting on a cell phone.
Once Garreston stopped, the two briefly spoke at the scene, but she was allowed to continue driving.
Garretson's attorney plans on filing an appeal arguing Casterline issued the tickets in political retribution over the mayor's battle with the Hillside Police Chief Panarese. Casterline, then president of the police union, had openly spoken in support of the chief.
The judge, however, stressed her decision was based on the statements from a construction worker who testified that he saw the white SUV coming down the wrong side of the road, passing a stopped lane of cars, and ignoring the officer's hand signals to stop.
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