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NJ Transit is seeking a gag order against a high-profile New Jersey attorney who’s representing a woman suing the agency for racial discrimination, saying a tweet the attorney recently posted threatens to taint the jury pool.

The request for a gag order comes as New Jersey government has come under heavy criticism for requiring employees who complain of harassment and discrimination to sign confidentiality agreements, and after Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law prohibiting employment or contract agreements that bar “concealing the details relating to a claim of discrimination, retaliation, or harassment.”

“This has never happened to me before and I’ve been involved in high-profile cases for 40 years,” the attorney, Nancy Erika Smith, who frequently represents whistleblowers, said in an interview.

At issue is a Sept. 8 tweet from Smith.

“A race discrimination & retaliation trial scheduled for November in Essex County will show why PTC [positive train control] is delayed: corrupt & dysfunctional management refused to give the PTC job to the most qualified person- leaving it vacant for months” Smith wrote, linking to an op-ed in The Record that was critical of the agency.

On Sept. 17, NJ Transit filed a request in Superior Court in Essex County that a judge bar Smith “from making any further extrajudicial statements on social media and/or to the press during the pendency of this lawsuit concerning NJT and/or Defendants’ character, credibility or reputation.”

“As a well-known attorney, Ms. Smith’s public statements run afoul of the rules that govern attorney ethics and this Court and they have the ability to potentially taint and improperly influence future jurors,” attorney Karol Corbin Walker, who represents NJ Transit, wrote.

Walker went further, saying the tweet was “a blatant and intentional attempt on Ms. Smith’s part to taint potential jurors against Defendant in the upcoming trial” and that Smith’s client should have to pay attorneys fees and other expenses incurred by the gag order request.

The lawsuit dates back to January 2017, when Smith’s client, Pia Wilson, a high-ranking NJ Transit supervisor, filed her second discrimination lawsuit against the agency. Wilson had been the lead plaintiff in a 2014 racial discrimination lawsuit against NJ Transit that was settled for $3.65 million. The 2017 lawsuit claims Wilson was punished for bringing the case. A trial date is set for November, Smith said.

Neither Walker nor the NJ Transit press office immediately responded to phone calls and emails seeking comment.

Smith said she is confident the gag order request will fail, and argued it’s against the law to try to keep her quiet.

“It’s outrageous when companies try to shut victims of discrimination up. It’s even more outrageous when the government does it. And in New Jersey, it’s specifically against the law,” Smith said.

Smith said her tweet referred to allegations in a lawsuit that are already public.

“If it’s public, I can discuss it. I can talk about my case. And a public body trying to shut me up is truly extraordinary,” Smith said, adding that prosecutors often hold press conferences to discuss ongoing cases.

“[Attorney General Gurbir] Grewal has press conferences. Every prosecutor does,” she said. “You want to talk about affecting a jury pool?” 

RED BANK — NJ Transit Police have identified the woman who was struck and killed by a train in Red Bank last Saturday, Oct. 17, as Helen Yang, 35, of Holmdel.

Yang was struck and killed by a New York-bound train around 8:10 a.m. just before the Red Bank station.

Yang was the second person to be killed by a North Jersey Coast Line train in just a matter of a few days. A male pedestrian was fatally struck around 4:45 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15 by a northbound NJ Transit train in Hazlet.

He has yet to be identified. https://themonmouthjournal.com/woman-killed-by-nj-transit-train-in-red-bank-identified-p10114-73.htm#:~:text=OCT%20%2C22%20%2C2020-,RED%20BANK%20%E2%80%94%20NJ%20Transit%20Police%20have%20identified%20the%20woman%20who,before%20the%20Red%20Bank%20station.

A New Jersey Transit train struck and killed a man early Thursday in Monmouth County, causing North Jersey Coast Line service to be temporarily suspended for an investigation, officials said.

The incident occurred west of the Hazlet train station and service in both directions was shutdown as NJ Transit police investigated, according to Jim Smith, a transit spokesman.

There were no injuries among the 20 passengers and crew members aboard Train 3204, which departed Long Branch at 4:45 a.m. and was due to arrive in Penn Station at 5:58 a.m., Smith said.

https://www.nj.com/monmouth/2020/10/nj-transit-train-strikes-kills-person-north-jersey-coast-line-service-suspended.html

NJ Transit and Coach USA do not like a person to seek for justice for the passengers and pedestrian deaths or serious injury because,
Proverbs 29:27 unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.
You cannot keep blaming the victims for their deaths and cover-up with corruption NJ Transit and Coach USA because-Job 12:22 He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.

Isaiah 1:17 ESV / 48 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful
Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.

Exodus 21:12 Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.

http://soullityjournalists.blogspot.com/2020/09/nj-transit-or-coach-usa-attorney-asking.html



https://njtransitandcoachvictims.blogspot.com/2020/09/memorial-list-for-nj-transit-and-coach.html

John Hagans, 50, was allegedly struck by a pickup truck on Avenue C near 25th Street at about 10:20 p.m on September 11, 2020. Hagans was trying to cross Avenue C, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said.

The driver of a dark-colored vehicle fled the scene and moments later a NJ Transit bus ran Hagans over while he was already on the ground. That driver notified police, Suarez said.

Just less say allegedly the truck struck the pedestrian. It does not give the bus driver the right to run over the person too.  The bus driver had should go around the body or stop. I do not believe anything NJ Transit spokesperson or prosecutor's witness they find. They would lie for the bus driver and the bus company to dodge vehicular homicide charges.  We do not know if the man was alive when the truck struck him. The pedestrian could have been seriously injured. The bus weighs more than a pickup truck, and it could have killed. We would never know because the bus company, prosecutor, and NJ Transit spokesperson will not tell the citizens the truth. I think this is a classic deviation for the spokesperson to get the attention of the bus driver's and the bus company's lack of training.

A lawsuit will not rectify the killing epidemic caused by NJ Transit reckless bus drivers.  Any bus driver kills a person should go to jail, be fired from their job, pay for their attorney fees, and not get their pension. We, as taxpayers and commuters, are paying for the lawsuits and the bus driver salaries. If there is no repercussion for the bus driver's deadly action, they will continue to get a slap on the wrist. And continue to kill a person. A bus is, like a gun, and a careless person is operating it.

The family has to pay for a funeral while the bus driver gets a paycheck for running over a person.  I believe both people should go to jail, but I know that the bus driver will walk away from a free man. Shake my head! I give my condolences to the victim's family.

Have you lost someone to NJ Transit/Coach USA deadly bus driver or train engineer, or do you work with victims' families? Help us remember New Jerseyan, who died in the hands of NJ Transit/Community Coach USA dangerous bus driver or train engineers. Share their story with JUSTICE FOR NJ TRANSIT AND COACH USA VICTIMS.

If you lost someone in the hands of NJ Transit or Coach USA victims deadly bus drivers and train engineers or work with families who have, NJ Transit or Coach USA victims

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Why media not report that the governor/legislature are not publicly commenting about NJ Transit and Coach USA bus riders getting hurt or killed?



Each day I will remember the lives killed by an NJ Transit and Coach USA deadly bus drivers and train engineers.

I need to shine the light on these increasing deaths being swept under the rug.

The mainstream news outlet reports only a few of these crashes, but we need all of them reported to keep a running record of NJ Transit and Coach USA increasing deaths on pedestrians, passengers, and motorists.

The Governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, and each town's Mayor show no interest in signing a bill to hold these bus drivers accountable for these ongoing deaths and life-changing injuries inflicted on passengers and pedestrians. New Jersey needs to report the death underscores then adopted a plan like New York's Vision Zero programs.

It is heartbroken that the media is not reporting that the governor/legislature is not publicly commenting about NJ Transit bus riders getting hurt and the pedestrian being killed in vain.

On August 17, 2020, 15 people was critically injurie when an NJ Transit bus crashed into a divider at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The driver slam into a pole casing some substantial damage to the bus. 

Why does the media not report that the governor/legislature is not publicly commenting about NJ Transit and Coach USA bus riders getting hurt or killed?



Each day I will remember the lives killed by an NJ Transit and Coach USA deadly bus drivers and train engineers.

I need to shine the light on these increasing deaths being swept under the rug.

The mainstream news outlet reports only a few of these crashes. Still, we need all of them reported to keep a running record of NJ Transit and Coach USA increasing deaths on pedestrians, passengers, and motorists.

The Governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, and each town's Mayor show no interest in signing a bill to hold these bus drivers accountable for these ongoing deaths and life-changing injuries inflicted on passengers and pedestrians. New Jersey needs to report the death underscores then adopt a plan like New York's Vision Zero programs.

It is heartbroken that the media is not reporting that the governor/legislature is not publicly commenting about NJ Transit bus riders getting hurt and the pedestrian being killed in vain.

On August 17, 2020, 15 people were critically injured when an NJ Transit bus crashed into a divider at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The driver slammed into a pole, causing some substantial damage to the bus. 



Soullity Journalist will be closely tracking NJ Transit and Coach USA deaths by using reports from news reports and social media posts. I will monitor and follow up on crashes that cause critical injury, whenever possible.

Should you know someone who has been killed by a New Jersey Transit deadly bus driver and train engineer. Or Coach USA dangerous bus drivers, I like to hear from you about who they were, hobbies-hopes-dreams, and goals. Please leave a personal memory at soullityjournalists@gmail.com.