Ocean County Prosecutor Fired Detective Because Of 'Credibility Issues," Not Pending Lawsuit: Report

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato did not fire a detective in his office over a lawsuit the employee filed against him, but after an administrative disciplinary hearing on other matters, said a spokesman for the prosecutor's Office, according to nj.com.

Coronato fired Steven Mecka, a detective in the office since 2004, last month after the hearing, said his attorney George Cotz.

But spokesman Al Della Fave said the administrative charges against Mecka were heard by a retired Superior Court judge and were pending since last year, before Mecka filed his suit in April 2016.

"Among the findings of the independent hearing officer's review into Detective Mecka's case, it was clear to Prosecutor Coronato that there was a serious credibility issue on the part of Detective Mecka," Della Fave said. "A detective's credibility is imperative to his ability to function within a policing agency. It was for this reason among other findings that Prosecutor Coronato chose to terminate Detective Mecka's employment with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office."

Both Mecka and Detective Juan Pastrana said in separate lawsuits Coronato passed them over for promotions. They also claimed they were pressured to falsify reports and when they tried to report alleged misconduct by some of their co-workers.

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