Manzo thinks Rone decision may apply to Healy

Former Assemblyman Lou Manzo, a potential Jersey City mayoral hopeful for next year, thinks he might have a short cut to kicking Mayor Jerramiah Healy out of office.

Manzo plans to hire an attorney through his public advocacy office to review whether a judge’s decision that Newark Councilwoman Dana Rone should forfeit her office after her obsruction of justice conviction parallels that of Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who was convicted of disorderly conduct over a 2006 incident in Bradley Beach.

“My advocacy office is actually going to review it and see if it does apply. And if it does, we’re going to take a civil action on it,” said Manzo.

New Jersey law states that public officials convicted of a crime in which they have abused their powers of office should forfeit their positions.

Healy has unsuccessfully appealed his conviction twice. And today, the Jersey Journal reported that Healy lost an attempt to press charges of aggravated assault and official misconduct charges against the Bradley Beach police officer who arrested him.

Manzo, however, said that Healy may have kept appealing because he realized that the law could make his hold on the mayor’s seat vulnerable.

Healy has contended that his case is different from Rone’s. Whereas she appeared on the scene of a Rutgers University traffic stop involving her nephew and used her power as a councilwoman to call in Newark Police, Healy said he was acting as a private citizen “outside of his official capacity.”

Manzo countered that a witness at Healy’s trial last year said that he yelled “I'm the mayor of Jersey City," while police officers had him on the ground.

“I think the witnesses bare it out as saying he’s the mayor of Jersey City,” said Manzo.

Healy could not be reached for comment.