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Tocchet Defense Undeterred by Harney Guilty Plea
Thursday, Aug. 3rd, 2006
NEWARK, NJ — Rick Tocchet's defense team has released this statement:
"This afternoon’s guilty plea by disgraced New Jersey State Trooper James Harney was entered under a negotiated plea bargain with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. By the terms of that bargain, which greatly limits the punishment Harney will receive for his crimes, the former Trooper agreed to implicate Rick Tocchet and to assist in his prosecution. Harney, who resigned from the State Police earlier this week, did not make his accusation as a law enforcement officer. He is not a concerned citizen acting out of a sense of civic duty. Rather, the former Trooper is an interested party who has implicated Rick Tocchet as part of a bargain with the prosecution. Under that bargain, the Attorney General’s Office agreed to drop the most serious charges against Harney, charges that could have subjected him to consecutive state prison terms and kept him behind bars for many years. The AG’s Office also agreed to advise the sentencing judge of Harney’s cooperation against Tocchet and to permit Harney to argue for “any legal sentence,” including probation. To hold up his end of the bargain, Harney must help legitimize “Operation Slap Shot,” the state police investigation that supposedly uncovered a multi-million dollar, organized-crime connected gambling ring run by and for NHL players.
Although the state police first charged Harney and Tocchet in early February, Harney’s guilty plea and his public implication of Rick Tocchet comes just two days after the Arizona Republic quoted an NHL source as stating that he would be surprised if Tocchet were indicted. Tocchet, who has been on an unpaid leave of absence since Operation Slap Shot was announced nearly six months ago, remains hopeful that the Attorney General will elect not to seek his indictment. If an indictment is returned, however, Tocchet will vigorously contest any charges brought against him."
"This afternoon’s guilty plea by disgraced New Jersey State Trooper James Harney was entered under a negotiated plea bargain with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. By the terms of that bargain, which greatly limits the punishment Harney will receive for his crimes, the former Trooper agreed to implicate Rick Tocchet and to assist in his prosecution. Harney, who resigned from the State Police earlier this week, did not make his accusation as a law enforcement officer. He is not a concerned citizen acting out of a sense of civic duty. Rather, the former Trooper is an interested party who has implicated Rick Tocchet as part of a bargain with the prosecution. Under that bargain, the Attorney General’s Office agreed to drop the most serious charges against Harney, charges that could have subjected him to consecutive state prison terms and kept him behind bars for many years. The AG’s Office also agreed to advise the sentencing judge of Harney’s cooperation against Tocchet and to permit Harney to argue for “any legal sentence,” including probation. To hold up his end of the bargain, Harney must help legitimize “Operation Slap Shot,” the state police investigation that supposedly uncovered a multi-million dollar, organized-crime connected gambling ring run by and for NHL players.
Although the state police first charged Harney and Tocchet in early February, Harney’s guilty plea and his public implication of Rick Tocchet comes just two days after the Arizona Republic quoted an NHL source as stating that he would be surprised if Tocchet were indicted. Tocchet, who has been on an unpaid leave of absence since Operation Slap Shot was announced nearly six months ago, remains hopeful that the Attorney General will elect not to seek his indictment. If an indictment is returned, however, Tocchet will vigorously contest any charges brought against him."
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