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The Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli called Marcia Ringel’s statement last night at the Village Council meeting a “slanderous personal attack”

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file photo Village Council by Boyd Loving

The Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli called Marcia Ringel’s statement last night at the Village Council meeting a “slanderous personal attack” 

The Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli called Marcia Ringel’s statement last night at the Village Council meeting a “slanderous personal attack” on the Village Attorney Mathew Rogers according to videotape of the meeting on the Village website. He added “perhaps he can sue you”.

We know that Mr. Rogers can’t sue Ms. Ringel. A standard defense to defamation is privilege. When the defendant is a certain type of public official or the statement was during certain official proceedings, the
statement was “privileged” and therefore the plaintiff cannot successfully sue for slander.

However, Ms. Ringel may be able to sue Mr. Pucciarelli for slander. Ironically, after Mayor Aronsohn admonished the tone of Ms. Ringel’s statements and asked everyone from now on to “put aside accusations” and also “put aside personal attacks”, Mr. Pucciarelli could not stop himself. He said Ms. Ringel is “a very angry person” and is “loose with the truth”. I think Mr. Pucciarelli himself would agree he committed slander.
I guess it’s up to Ms. Ringel to decide if she wants to sue or just get an apology for this slanderous personal attack by Mr. Pucciarelli. We will see at the next meeting or before. To paraphrase, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the Village Council.”

Watch our elected officials in action here:

https://www.ustream.tv/recorded/49862179

Ringel statement begins shortly after 9 minutes.

Pucciarelli response begins at around 13 minutes. He goes into a spin like John Belushi in one of the characters he used to do during the news segment of SNL where he fell off his chair at the end.

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Residents and Council Class Over Councilwomen Hauck’s Selective Skype Appearances at Council Meetings

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file photo Boyd Loving

Residents and Council Class Over Councilwomen Hauck’s Selective Skype Appearances at Council Meetings

Mayor Paul Aronsohn, Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli, and Village Attorney Mathew Rogers each got nasty with Village resident Marcia Ringel during last night’s Village Council Work Session. Mr. Pucciarelli went so far as to raise one of his arms and point a finger aggressively at Ms. Ringel as he addressed her from his seat on the dais.

All of this came after Ms. RIngel suggested that Mr. Rogers’ professional opinion regarding the legality of Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck’s July 1 meeting participation by Skype was result driven (i.e., votes needed to ensure outcome of election for Mayor and Deputy Mayor) as opposed to being based on an existing Village ordinance or precedent.

This blogger finds it somewhat amusing that just prior to Ms. Ringel being publicly thrashed for suggesting there was only one reason for the July 1 Skype connection, Councilwoman Hauck had been officially recorded as being absent from the meeting at which the thrashing was taking place.

It was convenient for Ms. Hauck to connect by Skype to the July 1 meeting, but not convenient last night?

And a upstanding citizen of this community is verbally abused in public for suggesting that politics may have played a large role in the incident?