Washington Twp. Officer Indicted in Moriarty DWI Arrest

Officer Joseph DiBuonaventura was formally charged with official misconduct and related offenses for his arrest of N.J. Assemblyman Paul Moriarty on suspicion of drunken driving.

Moriarty: 'I Had Not Been Drinking'; Police Allege 'an Odor'

Three Washington Twp. officers alleged in official reports the smell of an alcoholic beverage emanating from N.J. Assemblyman Paul Moriarty at his July 31 DWI arrest.

State Assemblyman Paul Moriarty has repeatedly claimed he was framed by a Washington Township police officer since his drunken-driving arrest on July 31, 2012. "I had not been drinking. I was driving safely and appropriately," Moriarty said Friday afternoon in his first statement to Patch since his arrest. "Watch the video. The tape doesn't lie." But arresting officer Joseph DiBuonaventura and at least two other officers signed investigative reports in which they indicated they smelled alcohol in the police station room where Moriarty was processed on the DWI charge. Documents Washington Twp. Police Department released to Patch Media Corp. last week included a supplementary report from Cpl. Nick Myers, who assisted DiBuonaventura at the …

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Moriarty Arrest Triggered by Tip from Cop's Cousin?

Police reports released to Patch show that the July 2012 arrest of NJ lawmaker Paul Moriarty may have been kicked off by a call from a car salesman to his detective cousin.

Compelled by a court order, Washington Township police last week released to Patch Media Corp. dashboard camera videos from the July 31, 2012, DWI arrest of New Jersey Assemblyman Paul Moriarty.  Reports included in the release reveal that a call to the personal cell phone of a Washington Township detective from his cousin may have set in motion the events that led to Moriarty's arrest. It started when Det. Martin Calvello got a tip from his cousin, Ernie Calvello, that Moriarty was possibly drunk at the Turnersville Nissan dealership where he works as a sales manager. "Ernest Calvello informed me Mr. Moriarty was inside the dealership causing a problem with a salesperson and was possibly under the influence of alcohol," Det. Calvello …

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Judge: Washington Twp. Must Release Moriarty Arrest Video

Patch Media Corporation wins a lawsuit against Washington Township for violating open public record laws surrounding state Assemblyman Paul Moriarty's July arrest.

Washington Township, Gloucester County, violated open public records laws when officials refused to release police dashboard video of Assemblyman Paul Moriarty’s drunken-driving arrest, a judge found Friday.  Washington Township must turn over the complete video of the traffic stop and subsequent arrest, as well as other records in the case within two weeks, Assignment Judge Georgia M. Curio ruled, saying the public’s right to access the video trumps counterarguments. Curio heard the case in state Superior Court in Bridgeton, where she sits.  Patch Media Corporation sued Washington Township’s police records custodians and township attorney John Armano after they denied requests made under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) for the arrest …

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Arresting Officer Suspended in Moriarty DWI Case

Joseph DiBuonaventura, the Washington Township police officer who arrested Assemblyman Paul Moriarty for a DWI in July, has been suspended since October 22.

The Washington Township police officer who arrested Assemblyman Paul Moriarty on the charge of driving while intoxicated on July 31 has been suspended with pay since October 22, Police Capt. Richard Leonard told Patch by email. The suspension was handed down the same day a municipal court judge ruled there was probable cause on 13 of 27 criminal complaints Assemblyman Paul Moriarty filed against the veteran police officer in connection with the legislator's July 31 arrest. According to a report by South Jersey Times that appears on NJ.com, DiBuonaventura was processed on Friday, Nov. 9, at the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office facility in Woodbury. He was required to turn in his badge and all police department equipment. A so-called …

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Washington Twp. Police Release Details on Moriarty DWI Arrest

The Fourth Legislative District assemblyman was arrested Tuesday afternoon on the Black Horse Pike.

Washington Township Police Department on Wednesday issued a brief, official press release about the Tuesday arrest of Assemblyman Paul D. Moriarty on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Officer Joseph Dibuonaventura stopped Moriarty at 3:53 p.m. at 5651 Black Horse Pike, in Washington Township's Turnersville section. (Moriarty indicated in a statement last night that Dibuonaventura accused him of cutting off the officer's police cruiser in an intersection.) During the traffic stop, Moriarty was placed under arrest on the charge of driving while intoxicated. He subsequently refused a blood-alcohol content test at the police station. In addition to the DWI charge, Dibuonaventura cited Moriarty for refusal to submit to blood-alcohol …

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