Borough resident David Antebi, 82, pleaded guilty yesterday to a reduced charge stemming from his arrest during last summer’s health-insurance reform ”town hall meeting” in Piscataway.
Antebi had been charged with causing false public alarm, a third class felony, outside the Piscataway Municipal Building on Aug. 25, when Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.(D-6th District) was slated to lead a series of public meetings on proposals to reform health-care insurance.
Antebi was accused of saying he had a bomb while standing in line outside the municipal building. Antebi said he had been goaded into making a provocative statement durng an argument with some opponents of heath-insurance reform.
The charge was reviewed by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and subsequently remanded to Piscataway municipal prosecutor. Yesterday, Antebi pleaded guilty to a reduced charge and paid a $500 fine.
Antebi’s attorney, Kathleen Feeney of New Brunswick, said the reduced charge was “an ordinance violation involving boisterous public behavior.” She said Antebi was contemplating a civil lawsuit against the Piscataway police department for violating his civil rights.
Unfortunately, this publication has chosen NOT to print the whole story of that evening, one in which I presented my view. NOW, I choose to speak.
I chose to remain silent on this issue because I was a witness to what happened that day. I don’t believe trying things in the court of public opinion because you end up with a ton of bombastic and false accusations (against me) as were posted under the original article referenced below.
You should know that in Mr. Antebi’s OWN statement to the police (public record) he admitted to what he was charged with. The boisterous behavior (including a comment that he had a bomb, again – in the record) that he plead guilty to was the harrassment of myself. I WAS TOLD BY THE POLICE THAT I REALLY MIGHT NOT BE NEEDED BECAUSE THERE WAS ENOUGH IN HIS STATEMENT TO CONVICT HIM…you all should look up the public record.
BTW, Ms. Rosner, where were the witnesses to defend Antebi, the ones you said would be there in one of your posts under the original article? They weren’t there at court. They would have had to commit perjur in order to defend Antebi. However, the witnesses for the prosecution, myself and another were there EVERY court date because we knew the truth.
What you should also know is that I was NOT there as a member of a group, NOT a paid Republican Provacatuer. I am a Senior, retired on Disability and concerned about huge cuts in Medicare. I met two other people there of the same opinion, people that I NEVER saw before that night. I did notice a lot of UNION organizers there though.
Instead, people painted ME out to be the villian here; that I goaded Mr. Antebi into his terroristic style comment about having a bomb. He also said he was a member of the Nazi Party (again, witnessed)
Instead, it was Mr. Antebi setting the stage and contually harrassing me. I was simply there by myself, John Q. Public.
I did not act in an agressive or threating manner as Antebi charges. Rather, he kept asking me a questions repeatedly, questions I chose and not and had the right not to answer.
His attorney is considering filing a suit against Piscataway for violating his civil rights? Cut me a break. Where do I go to have my good name restored, after being trampled on by some 15 people in the original article, link below:
http://www.highlandparkmonitor.com/?p=247
James Fusco, I did not goad Antebi. He was badgering me. It’s on the record. Dianne Harrigan, it was NOT a false charge. Mary Walworth, I didn’t yell fire as you charge.
For those that “piled on” in the comments section, trying to “pillory me in public,” you really should know the ALL of the facts in the case before you make wild accusations. Calling me a “provocateur trained in dirty tactics” & saying “Mr. Granelli yelled fire” only illustrates that those on the left rely on Saul Alinsky’s “Rules For Radicals” and the “Politics of Personal Destruction” in order to demonize someone they really know little about.
The truth of the matter is that David Antebi did do something wrong that day. He did admit to the police that he said that “he had a bomb,” when he was arrested. In the end, Antebi pleaded guilty to a reduced charge which involved a significant fine. The facts of the matter are that he did something wrong that day.
But, worse than what he did at the Town Hall meeting; was the fact that he allowed another person to be “pilloried in public,” while trying to “Plan B” someone, saying “the butler did it.” That is shameful. It was reprehensible in that his actions allowed other people to wrongly attack that “butler.”
Not only on this website, but in the Asbury Park Press; did Antebi refuse to take responsibility. Not once, but twice did he point the finger at someone else.
Remember in the end; despite 5 months of stonewalling, Mr. Antebi plead guilty. He was guilty because the FACTS supported his guilt. No “spinning” and finger pointing would change that because there were witnesses to what he did.
I’m sorry Mr. Antebi, that you “lost your place in line” as you said. Maybe next time, you will not harrass people and say things like “you have a bomb.” Time after time in the media, you lied.
You rightfully should have been pulled out of line and arrested. However, you did not have to make it worse by wrongly point fingers at someone else who only wanted to attend a Town Hall meeting and instead ended up being harassed by David Antebi.
Simply put, You DON’T yell fire in a theater and you don’t say you have a bomb in a crowded line, NOT even jokingly.
A $500 fine plus the cost of a lawyer (at least a grand more). Mr. Antebi learned a valuable lesson he can use while teaching across the river at our state university. Lying doesn’t pay!
[She said Antebi was contemplating a civil lawsuit against the Piscataway police department for violating his civil rights.]
Please, please, please DO file a lawsuit. I’d love to know your liberal a$$ is forking out more money in a losing cause. Only when you realize that you, and you alone, were responsible for this whole debacle will you or your cronies understand the world doesn’t revolve around liars and blammers. Its time you fade into obscurity hippy-man.
Hi, Jim
Did you or did you not use the “b” word [bomb] as well, during that interchange with David?
Anne Barron, I POSITIVELY DID NOT use the Bomb word. That is verified by two witnesses. I’d take a lie detector test on that one.
How you got that idea, I’ll never know; unless Mr. Antebi or one of his supporters told it to you.
Quite the opposite, I was being antagonized (again witnessed) by Antebi several times and I tried to ignore him. EVERYTHING was of Antebi’s causation.
If he wants to continue to tell lies, I might just have to furhter consider a libel suit against him. It has already been discussed.