Well, at long last, the case of my damaged campaign signs has been before a judge and settled. However, I am really disappointed with the outcome of this whole case.

Since Oct. 16, 1998 this case has been postponed and stalled until final disposition on Feb. 23.

Each time I appeared in Court for each and every postponement had many conversations with the district attorney's office whereby I indicated I did not want this case pled down to a lesser charge.

The ADA Christine Fexas after a conversation prior to trial date of Dec. 10, 1998 tried to convince me to let them plead and the DA's office would ask for restitution for damaged signs and since Salvatore Rinaldi did not have a record they would accept 100 hours of community service. Mr. Courtney is on probation for two drunk driving convictions and would be charged with disorderly conduct.

However when I arrived in court she advised me that her supervisor indicated no plea as there would be an investigation by the police special investigative unit as to whether this was a political issue. I never heard from them at all, no phone call, nor letter regarding their investigation. Mr. Courtney's attorney was Eric Rosenblum (Rep. District leader, head of Nassau Co. Hospital Public Benefit Corp.). He was quite upset over this and stated his client did nothing and the incident never happened. Mr. Bruce Barkett, Rinaldi's attorney made many jokes about the whole case with other lawyers in the courtroom not realizing I was present.

Both men were suspended from the Levittown Fire Dept. for six months because of this behavior. However Mr. Rinaldi continued to work on staff for Joe Mondello and still works for the Republican party. During the holiday season I decorate my house with lights and Christmas sculptures and each time after I was in court my house was vandalized. Items stolen, Christmas lights torn down off my fence and dragged into the street. Lights taken off building and bushes and trees and statues stolen. No one else in the neighborhood had any problems. The men were observed by my neighbors and my son's girlfriend on the front lawn numerous times. However no car was around to take a plate number and when seen they disappeared down the dark street. I feel it was in retaliation for pursuing the issue in court.

Their cases were postponed two more times 12/22/98 and 2/9/99 and set for trial on 2/23/99. Each time I was present in the courtroom. Each time the case was presented before a different judge and postponed. On 2/23 by the time I parked my car (three blocks away) and stood outside in the freezing cold on a long line to get in the courtroom, I found that Judge Quinn heard this case first and made his decision. I guess because of the stature and political affiliation of the attorneys and seeing for the first time I was not in court on time they immediately pursued this case and because I was not able to make a victim's statement they were able to reduce the charges as follows: They both received ACOD/ An unsupervised conditional discharge for one year (which meant if they got in any trouble even a traffic ticket they would be brought before the court to answer these charges of Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree. If not the charges were dismissed). They only had to pay restitution for the damaged signs. I feel they got off lightly and because of the small slap on the wrist they would again do the same thing during another election.

When I found out I spoke to the DA's office and expressed my concern over the reduced charges especially since the vandalism continued at my home after the first instance. I feel if I didn't attend court each time from the beginning it would have been dismissed altogether. My witnesses were never called to court and I only received on notification of the issue for the first trial appearance of 12/10/98. The special investigative unit of the police department did a very poor job considering I never heard from them nor did anyone else.