Iaquinto's Trial in a nutshell:
[Perspective by james gunnard nelson]
The Board nixed Chockley's motion to open the public hearing. Chick moved to allow Iaquinto and Jim Kelly, Iaquinto's attorney, to respond to the allegations. Sam and his attorney responded. Kelly acquitted himself brilliantly. If you're ever in trouble, Kelly's well worth a call.
Chockley tried forcing Iaquinto to the microphone to answer "some pointed questions."
Sam's attorney leapt to the mic. His follow through knocked Chockley's position to the canvas. She didn't notice.
Jim Kelly: "If you don't have enough information to remove Mr. Iaquinto, your vote should be no. You should have conducted an investigation."
Chockley again demanded that Iaquinto answer questions. Kelly said Sam declined to answer. Kelly returned to his chair, no need to stick around.
Chockley plunged ahead. With Sam effectively a noshow at her show trial, Chockley ran down her list of facts or representations, the numbing pointillism of best practice internet conspiracy lawyering. But authority was not to be had. Instead, her arguments seemed plaintive, quibbles, nebulous nexus, temporal tangles, and in one exchange with the Board, textbook passive aggressive.
Eventually everyone was treating this as a trial, the public hearing that had not been convened. Even the Township Attorney dallied in that illusion. The electricity in the air was short circuited by Chockley's dour delivery and energy sapping verbal tic, "I guess." Her accusatory litany arrived with the verve of wet socks hitting the floor, like the gray-white blobs plopping onto David Lynch's Eraserhead Radiator Theatre stage, uncomfortable to watch, uncomfortable to hear.
I'm snarking but this was peak ugliness, power and position abused. Hometown, USA, at its personal worst.
< /perspective>
Here's a portable, clickable version of the Trial segment LiveTimeline
2/25/2020 Northfield Township Board Trial of Sam Iaquinto LiveTimeline
Scroll down for the stuck-to-the-webpage version of the LiveTimeline
This is a trail of breadcrumbs, not a complete transcription. Three segments in particular were untranscribed:
- Sam Iaquinto spoke in his defense beginnng at about twelve minutes in.
- Jim Kelly, his attorney, followed up, beginning about twenty minutes into this pseudo-trial phase.
- Chockley's accusatory regimen commenced the moment Kelly left the microphone.
[Darkness in Northfield Title Begins] [Cut to Camera 1] [Cut to Camera 2]
Motion to hold a special meeting on march 3rd to discuss offers for 75 Barker. That passed 5:1
- Dockett: I don't believe we should sell any Township property
- [Cut to Camera 1]
- [Establishing shot begins, 32 seconds before beginning of Chockley's motion to open a public hearing, timing may have changed]
Chockley: motion to adopt the balance of the Agenda
Chockley: Ok the next item on the Agenda is the Public Hearing to consider the removal of Sam Iaquinto [TRIAL TIMESTAMP] [00m56s] [= MEETING TIMESTAMP - 64m38s]
- Chockley: from the Northfield Township Planning Commission due to alleged malfeasance
- Chockley: and we have an opportunity for anyone who would like to speak at this time but I would like to
- Chockley: but I would like to, since I don't know if all of you are familiar with, uh
- Chockley: with the actual notice of charges, I'd like to read that
- Chockley: Pursuant to ....
- Chockley: Specifically it is alleged [that passive voice!]
- Chockley: So, um, I asked him if he would consider resigning and he refused to resign, so I did notice
- Chockley: This is the next step
- Chockley: I have someone who would like to speak
- Ken Dignan:
- 04m56s
- Twp Atty Fink: Madame Chair I think it would be appropriate, since you've opened a public hearing, to have members of the public speak, and you could address it when and if the Board deliberates
- 04m74s
- Chockley to Dignan: All right. Go ahead.
- Mary Devlin:
- Chockley: oh yeah, we have to vote to open a public hearing
- Dignan, waving his arms...
- Dignan grabs a mic off the nearby Board desk, Madame Supervisor; you did not open a public hearing. you did not have a vote to open a public hearing!
- Chockley: Thank you. Sit down.
- Dignan: Excuse me! Step back, Lady!
- Dignan: You know you're outta control!
- Chockley: I'd like to make a motion to open the public hearing.
- Chockley: Do I have a second?
- Manley: I'll support
- Mary Devlin is still attempting to speak at the public microphone
- Chockley: Motion by Chockley, support by Manley
- Chockley: to open a public hearing. all in favor say aye
- Chockley, entirely alone: Aye
- Chockley: Anyone opposed
- Chockley: I did say all in favor say Aye
- Mary Devlin: Should I go sit down and come back again?
- Chockley: Hang on Miss Devlin
- Manley: So, Yes or No?"
- Chick: I would like to hear Mr. Iaquinto validate that what he wants to say
- Chick: I was originally going to ask that the motion for a public hearing be removed as an agenda item
- Chick: but I think it's important that mr Iaquinto speak, so
- Chick: I will say no.
- 07m49s
- Otto: have his day in court, here.
- Otto: Okay; I too feel that Sam needs to have his day in Court
- Zelenock: No
- Otto: Because that's basically what this is
- Otto: But I am not gonna support the public hearing
- Otto: The answer is no.
- Manley: Ok; I'm voting yes, because I'm assuming the only way we can hear people speak is if we hold a public hearing.
- 08m29s
- Chockley: I'm going to vote yes for the same reason.
- Zelenock: No; I'm voting no.
- Zelenock: just because as Mr. Warburtin, I might have your name
- Zelenock: I think as a Board we should have been told about this as opposed to just getting it notified
- Zelenock: Because I think that's important. [applause]
- Dockett: No.
- Chockley: Ok
- Chockley: So no public hearing. i guess we can move on.
- Iaquinto's attorney Kelly: Madame Supervisor, We've requested an opportunity to address the Board. I'm not here as a member of the public.
- Iaquinto Attorney: I'm here as an attorney for the person who's accused of committing a conflict of interest.
- Iaquinto Attorney: which you have characterized as misconduct in office.
- Iaquinto Attorney: I do believe he's got a right to present his case and answer those charges
- Iaquinto Attorney: I'm here to do that. I'm here to do that pursuant to written notice to you.
- 09m46s
- Iaquinto Attorney: My client has a significant interest in clearing his name from charges that basically amount to a Felony in this state.
- Iaquinto Attorney: So he will be heard tonight.
- Iaquinto Attorney: We're not here as a member of the public
Chick: I'd like to make a motion to allow Mr. Iaquinto and his attorney to speak to the public
- Chick: to the charges
- Chockley: I'll second that
- Manley: Will members of the public speak too?
- Chockley: well no, I guess we're going to do this part first
- Chockley: but the public is here for the public hearing, so...
- Chockley: They will have an opportunity at the end, apparently
- Chockley: I would like to get a comment from our Attorney at this time
- 10m46s
- Dockett - Wait a minute
- Otto: To be honest we can't get comments
- Iaquinto rises and walks to the microphone [11m49s]
- Iaquinto begins
- Iaquinto Attorney Jim Kelly: [Sam's attorney begins stating his case][20m41s]
- [Audience Applause][33m38s]
- 33m38s
Otto: I would like to make a motion
- Otto: Since we're on number one
- Otto: not to remove Sam Iaquinto from the Northfield Township Planning Commission
- Otto: due to alleged malfeasance
- 33m54s
- Chockley: I don't think we've heard everything that needs to be heard about this
- 33m73s
- Chockley: The allegations turned back this way I don't believe are true
- Township Attorney Fink:
- Chockley: Can we vote to keep him without having a public hearing?
- Chockley: with some reasonable, I mean, the"
- Chockley: Can I ask Mr. Iaquinto some pointed questions?
- Township Attorney Fink: You have a motion on the floor.
- Township Attorney Fink: The Board can have a discussion. If it's part of your usual process to involve members of the community, then yes
- Chockley: I think it's important to our vote
- Chockley: to actually know from Mr. Iaquinto what happened
- Chick: Is this a Trial?
- Otto - Yeah, I do have some comments
- Otto: OK. There's a couple of things that a supervisor can and cannot do
- Otto: It solely stayed with the Township Board. It never went back to the Planning Commission.
- Chockley: Mr. Iaquinto I have some questions
- Chockley: Mr Iaquinto. I have some questions. Could you please come up to the podium?
- Chockley: Mr. Iaquinto...
- Iaquinto Attorney Jim Kelly: If you don't have enough information to remove Mr. Iaquinto, your vote should be no.
- Iaquinto Attorney Jim Kelly: You should have conducted an investigation
- Chockley: I have some questions for Mr. Iaquinto
- Iaquinto Attorney Jim Kelly: He declines to answer
- Chockley: That's unfortunate
- Chockley: Ok then I will have to state what I know, then[39m52s]
- Chockley:
- [47m25s]
- Otto: The Board has not made that decision
- Chockley: We can vote on if there was a potential conflict of interest, but it doesn't matter at this point
- Otto: No, no, that's not, the motion that's
- Otto: The motion that's on the table is not to remove Sam Iaquinto from the Township Planning Commission due to malfeasance
- Otto: That's the motion I call to order right now
- Chockley: Ok, that's the
- Otto: If there's no other discussion
- Chockley: I'm not finished
- 47m57s
- Dockett: She's calling the question
- Chick: Call the question
- Chockley: I'm not done
- Chockley: You interrupted me. Ok
- Dockett: Ok, I'm gonna ask
- Chockley: What I have to say...
- Dockett: for a bathroom break
- Chockley: Five minute break
- Chockley: [Meeting called back to order]
- Chockley: [Sort of]
- Chockley: All right, everyone, let's get back to business here
- Otto: We need to make a comment
- Chockley: I'd like to call this meeting back to order
- Chockley: There are consequences to decisions
- Chockley: And Mr Iaquinto made the decision to hide the fact that he had a purchase agreement on his Marina
- Chockley: with a marijuana establishment until the last possible moment
- 55m45s
- Chockley: And that's uh, that's too bad
- Chockley: But there's also even no expression of remorse
- 55m54s
- Chockley: There's just nothing.
- Chockley: This Board doesn't seem to care
- Chockley: doesn't seem to want to take a stand on what seems to be honesty and integrity
- Chockley: So, what about transparency? This Board talks about it a lot.
- Chick:
- Chockley: And I'm not seeing it.
- Chockley: So, we can move on
- Otto: Madame Chair
- Otto: I don't think you want to open that Pandora's Box about transparency here
- 56m16s
- [The audience erupts in Applause]
- Chockley: I have made every attempt to put the information in for this Board so this Board can make decisions
- Chockley: I didn't go around behind the scenes and try to make this secret
- Dockett: let us make our decisions . let's call the question
- Chockley: So now we have. Now we have a public hearing
- Dockett: Call the question
- Chockley: so we will call the question
- Chockley: yeah, what is the motion
- Otto The motion was made to not remove Sam Iaquinto from the Northfield Township Planning Commission due to alleged malfeasance
- Township Attorney Fink: [addresses the issue of proper parliamentary procedure]
- Fink: The motion has been made, Mr Dockett, and seconded, so you have a motion before you
- Fink: and I think the question's been called so I think you should vote on the motion
- Zelenock:
- Zelenock: My question for you, Mr Fink, is do you have any concerns with the language of the motion?
- 58m31s
- Fink: I think the motion clearly expresses the intent of Trustee Otto and the board
- Fink: And if the Board adopts it it clearly expresses the intent of the Board
- Zelenock: Thank you
- Zelenock: I guess we can have a roll call vote then
- Zelenock: What was the motion again
- Otto: Yes
- Dockett: Yes
- Chockley: No
- Chick: Yes
- Manley: No... Yes
- ?: Was that a Yes?
- Zelenock: So Yes, I want to vote to not remove him
- Zelenock: Yes
- 59m43s
- Manley: I'll save my questions to the end
- Chockley: that passed Five to One
- [Applause]
Chockley: I would like to make a motion to approve the January 11th, 2020 Board of Trustees meeting minutes
- Chockley: Motion passes 6:0
- Chockley: Motion to approve the payment of the open bills with the expected check run date of 2/26/2020
- 61m42s
- Chockley: for a total of One hundred twenty-eight thousand, eight hundred fifty-one dollars and 39 cents, from all funds in the municipal investment funds account.
- 61m51s
- Chockley: Do I have a second?
- Otto: I'll support.
- Chockley: Motion by Chockley, support by Otto
- Chockley: Any discussion
- Dockett...
