New Jersey Appeals Court Upholds Dismissal of Racketeering Charges Against George Norcross and Five Others
A New Jersey appeals court has upheld the dismissal of racketeering charges against prominent Democrat George E. Norcross III and five others, effectively clearing them of allegations of exploiting government programs and intimidating business rivals in Camden.
The three-judge panel of the state Superior Court's appellate division confirmed a lower court's decision to dismiss the indictment against Norcross, his brother Philip Norcross, former mayor Dana Redd, longtime personal attorney Bill Tambussi, executive John O'Donnell, and Cooper University Health Care board member Sidney Brown.
The charges, brought by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin in February 2022, alleged that the group of defendants had collected millions of dollars in state tax credits through illicit means and used intimidation tactics to secure waterfront property deals.
However, the appeals court found insufficient evidence to support these allegations, with judges questioning the state's argument that tax benefits extended the statute of limitations. The panel also disputed prosecutors' claims that Norcross and his associates pressured government officials and rivals into securing lucrative projects along Camden's waterfront.
A wiretapped conversation between Norcross and a rival developer, Carl Dranoff, was cited as evidence in the indictment, with prosecutors alleging that Norcross threatened to "fuck you up like you've never been fucked up before" if Dranoff did not relinquish his rights to a property. However, the appeals court deemed this evidence insufficient.
The case spanned between 2013 and 2019, during which time Norcross was accused of intervening in the sale of a waterfront complex he had hoped to use for Cooper Health's $3 billion expansion. Norcross' attorneys argued that he engaged in "hardball business negotiations" and routine city politics to secure the waterfront deals.
The acting attorney general, Jennifer Davenport, has announced that her office is reviewing the appellate division's decision, which brings an end to a two-year saga.
A New Jersey appeals court has upheld the dismissal of racketeering charges against prominent Democrat George E. Norcross III and five others, effectively clearing them of allegations of exploiting government programs and intimidating business rivals in Camden.
The three-judge panel of the state Superior Court's appellate division confirmed a lower court's decision to dismiss the indictment against Norcross, his brother Philip Norcross, former mayor Dana Redd, longtime personal attorney Bill Tambussi, executive John O'Donnell, and Cooper University Health Care board member Sidney Brown.
The charges, brought by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin in February 2022, alleged that the group of defendants had collected millions of dollars in state tax credits through illicit means and used intimidation tactics to secure waterfront property deals.
However, the appeals court found insufficient evidence to support these allegations, with judges questioning the state's argument that tax benefits extended the statute of limitations. The panel also disputed prosecutors' claims that Norcross and his associates pressured government officials and rivals into securing lucrative projects along Camden's waterfront.
A wiretapped conversation between Norcross and a rival developer, Carl Dranoff, was cited as evidence in the indictment, with prosecutors alleging that Norcross threatened to "fuck you up like you've never been fucked up before" if Dranoff did not relinquish his rights to a property. However, the appeals court deemed this evidence insufficient.
The case spanned between 2013 and 2019, during which time Norcross was accused of intervening in the sale of a waterfront complex he had hoped to use for Cooper Health's $3 billion expansion. Norcross' attorneys argued that he engaged in "hardball business negotiations" and routine city politics to secure the waterfront deals.
The acting attorney general, Jennifer Davenport, has announced that her office is reviewing the appellate division's decision, which brings an end to a two-year saga.
, i mean imagine having millions of dollars in tax credits just handed out like candy and no one can touch you for it? its wild how these guys were able to wriggle their way out of this racketeering charge so easily...i guess you could say they knew the system pretty well 
. on a more serious note, i wonder what really went down with that wiretapped conversation between Norcross and Dranoff - did he really just make up some threats or was it all just a big bluff?
... what if there were other tapes or recordings that weren't released during the trial? or what about other developers who might've had similar experiences with norcross? maybe they should be looking into some of those guys too 
. I'm not saying they're innocent or anything, but this verdict seems pretty clear cut to me 
. It'll be interesting to see if the AG's office decides to appeal or move on from this one 
. The appeals court made some great points about the lack of evidence against them 
. And let's be real, those business negotiations can get pretty intense 
. I'm all about fairness and due process, so it's awesome that the court saw it that way 
. Now let's move on from this drama and focus on the real issues in Camden 
.
. And that wiretapped convo between Norcross and Carl Dranoff? seems legit to me 
. I mean, who hasn't threatened someone before or after a deal doesn't go their way, right? Anyway, the appeals court made some good calls, imo 
. I'm all for giving people a second chance, especially when it comes to politics 
.
I mean, you'd think that the government would crack down on people using racketeering charges for personal gain, but nope! It just seems like George Norcross and his crew got away scot-free. The wiretapped convo between him and Carl Dranoff was supposed to be super incriminating, but I guess it wasn't enough? 
and now everyone gets a pass 
i think it's time for jennifer davenport to focus on some real corruption cases instead of chasing after these rich dems 
and whats up with these wiretapped conversations that are supposed to be proof but end up being like "he just yelled at someone in a meeting"... 
. The wiretapped convo between Norcross and that rival dev is pretty sketchy, don't you think? It sounds like he was trying to strong-arm Dranoff into giving up his rights 
. Guess we'll just have to keep an eye on this and see what happens next 
... You gotta wonder what really went down in Camden with all these rich guys getting away scot-free 
. And now they're saying there's not enough evidence? Like what? Come on 
. I remember when we were younger, we used to trust our law enforcement more... now it feels like they're just taking bribes or something 
.
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The fact that Norcross and his associates were accused of exploiting government programs and intimidating business rivals just shows the lack of trust we have in our leaders...it's like, what even is the point? 
. All those years and millions of dollars are just being written off as 'hardball business negotiations' and 'routine city politics'? 
. It's like they were looking for some other explanation or trying to spin this in a way that makes Norcross look like the victim 
. Was it all just some good old-fashioned politicking, or was something fishy going on? We might never know for sure now 
but if you can't prove it then I guess you just gotta shake the trees 
. i mean, what if thats just how they roll?