MULLICA'S PAUL REGISTER HONORED

At the last Mullica Twp. meeting, Mullica Police Officer, Paul Register was honored for his involvement in the apprehension of an Egg Harbor City resident who has been charged in a home invasion in the Devonshire section of Mullica. The incident occurred on October 31, 2004 at Angelo's Farm Market and the suspect after entering the property fled in a car which he abandoned in the area of Darmstadt and Duerer and then fled on foot. He was then tracked by Officer Register and his dog Mello. Apprehended in Egg Harbor City, Jason Campos (27) was charged with Resisting Arrest and Burglary.

Strangely the burglary charge has been down-graded by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office to a charge of harassment and combined with other charges in Egg Harbor City against Campos. Burglary is an indictable offense and thus the criminal complaint goes to the Prosecutor's Office and Superior Court. Resisting Arrest is a "Disorderly Persons" charge and that category of Complaint would be heard in municipal Court rather than Superior Court. As the Burglary charge has been down graded to harassment that too is a Disorderly Person's offense and thus Campos will have these home invasion charges decided before a municipal Court Judge and would only be looking at a fine rather than jail time. Illegal acts are classified as felony, misdemeanors and disorderly person charges. Why was this down-graded?