Newsclipping summary:

FEAR-List Bulletin posted by John Paff, 9/18/95

As the federal civil rights trial brought by James Giuffre draws nearer, the press is starting to consider how much Bissell's forfeiture greed is going to cost the county taxpayers. Giuffre is claiming that Bissell extorted two building lots from him worth over $170,000, by having him consent to forfeiting the lots in exchange for a dismissal of criminal drug charges. The building lots were later sold at a "public" auction for $20,000 to a close friend of the prosecutor's chief of detectives.

The county has offered Giuffre $200,000 and Giuffre has countered for $500,000. A Rutgers law professor has speculated that if Giuffre wins at trial, he could be awarded up to $3 million in punitive damages. The county politicians originally agreed to indemnify Bissell and the other defendants for any punitive damages that may be awarded, but reversed themselves after this decision caused a public outcry.

The county's legal bill (all the defendants in the case have separate attorneys, and all are being paid by the taxpayers) so far is over $255,000. If the case goes to trial, which is expected to last four weeks, the county's additional legal expense is expected to be nearly $800,000.

The trial is expected to begin on October 16th, in U.S. District Court, Trenton, before Hon. Anne E. Thompson.