Suspension For Middlesex County Sheriff's Officer Upheld

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ — On Tuesday of this week, a New Jersey administrative law judge ruled that Middlesex County Sheriff Mildred Scott was correct in giving a 10-day suspension to a sheriff's officer who lied and said he was sick so he could attend a wedding.

The Middlesex County Sheriff's officer is Luis Suarez, who appealed his 10-day suspension.

Suarez was suspended in 2020: At the time, he was two weeks into his three-month working test period as a newly promoted sergeant in the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office.

That was when he lied about being sick so he could attend a wedding. This was after he was denied permission to switch shifts with another officer, according to this legal filing on the matter.

Although Suarez, a ten-year officer with an unblemished disciplinary record, had vacation and personal leave time he could have used to attend the wedding, he did not want to draw on those days as he had two pre-paid vacations planned for the end of the year, according to court filings.

One of Suarez's subordinate officers was also present at the wedding.

An investigation ensued in which Suarez admitted having called out sick to attend the wedding.

In 2020, Suarez appealed his 10-day suspension to NJ's Civil Service Commission, arguing that the ten-day penalty was too severe, and that others guilty of similar infractions were treated less harshly.

But on Tuesday of this week, Administrative Law Judge Sarah Crowley upheld the suspension.