Paterson councilman Michael Jackson gets two summonses in motor vehicle stop
By Jayed Rahman
Published: March 24, 2021
Councilman Michael Jackson was pulled over on Saturday morning and issued two summonses.
Jackson was ticketed for disregarding a stop sign and using a handheld cellular device while operating a 2017 Ford station wagon, according to the summonses.
“I’m going to challenge them. I wasn’t on my cell phone. I stopped at the stop sign. It’s the usual antics, you didn’t come to a complete stop,” said Jackson on Wednesday morning.
Jackson intends to challenge the summonses in court, he said.
A detective from the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office pulled over Jackson on Temple and Matlock Street at about 9:07 a.m.
A dashcam video shows Jackson’s vehicle driving on Temple Street. The vehicle continues without halting at the stop sign in front of the Christopher Hope Center.
Detective Luis Pagan activates his siren and lights and pulls Jackson over on Circle Avenue near Temple Street.
Jackson denies being on his cellphone when the officer approaches the vehicle. He then questions whether the officer has the authority to pull him over.
“It’s not a county road, is it?” asked Jackson.
“Does it matter if it’s a county road? I have jurisdiction over the county,” answers Pagan.
“You guys are normally only responsible for county roads, right?” Jackson is heard saying in the dashcam video.
“We’re responsible for policing the county itself,” answers Pagan.
The officer takes Jackson’s information. Returns to his interceptor. He then prints out the two summonses and hands them to Jackson.
Jackson had previous interactions with officers from the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office. He often found himself cited for driving with a suspended license in the past.
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