Goldson Case Headed For Mediation

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by Paul Bass | Mar 4, 2010 1:32 pm

(21) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Paul Bass Photo A dispute between an alderman and a multiple-car-owning constituent moved from the courthouse to mediation Thursday—with both sides demanding an apology.

Police had arrested the alderman, Darnell Goldson of West Rock, on trespassing charges Feb. 4 after he took pictures of seven vehicles stashed and, he said, abandoned in a front yard at 18 West Hills Rd. Goldson is one of City Hall’s most outspoken critics.

On Thursday morning Goldson’s attorney and a prosecutor agreed to transfer the case to Community Mediation Inc. to see if the agency can settle the dispute instead of having it proceed through the court system.

Meanwhile, after a call from the mayor, the city’s building official has upped pressure on the vehicle-owner, Corey Pollard, to remove the cars from his property.

Goldson (pictured outside the Elm Street courthouse Thursday morning) and Pollard both said they look forward to resolving the case through mediation—once the other one says he’s sorry.

“Absolutely I will” participate in mediation, Pollard said in a phone conversation. “What he did was wrong. I deserve an apology.”

“Nobody told him to come snooping around somebody’s property,” Pollard, said, “taking pictures ... like Deputy Dawg” (pictured).

“An apology? Are you kidding? I thought I was getting an apology,” Goldson responded.

He said if Pollard doesn’t apologize, he’ll press his own charges against Pollard for filing a false police report.

Neighborhood Complaints

Darnell Goldson Photo The trouble started on Thursday, Feb. 4.

Goldson said he had heard complaints from constituents about the cars stored on Pollard’s lawn. Goldson contacted government’s Livable City Initiative (LCI), which investigates such complaints. When he failed to get a response, he said, he went to the house himself to photograph the cars stored there.

Police later received a complaint from Pollard. He said Goldson had trespassed on his property, lifted up tarps on his cars, taking pictures. Police subsequently went to Goldson’s house and charged him with trespassing, a misdemeanor.

Goldson claimed he stayed on the sidewalk—and that a “no trespassing” sign that appeared subsequently in Pollard’s front window hadn’t been there at the time of his visit. He said photos he took (including the one above) proved it.

Goldson also produced a witness who supported his story. Goldson said Pollard wasn’t home at the time and relied on a neighbor’s version; he also said Pollard doesn’t live at the house; he noted that in numerous civil and criminal court cases currently on file, Pollard lists his address as in Hamden.

Pollard said Thursday he had indeed been home at the time of the Feb. 4 incident. He also insisted he does live at the West Hills Road house.
“I am listing that [Hamden] address. That’s my mailing address,” he said.

He said he would never have filed charges against Goldson if the alderman had approached him differently. Prior to Feb. 4 Goldson had once come to see him to ask about the cars but was rude, so Pollard told him to “beat it,” he said. Then Goldson returned on the 4th taking pictures.

“He shouldn’t have done what he did,” Pollard siad. “He’s not the police. He talked about his constituents. I’m his constituent. My vote doesn’t count for you? He treated me unfair.”

Goldson called his arrest unfair, based on a the complaint of a person who was already having trouble with the law, especially since he had evidence disproving the story. At the time, then-Police Chief James Lewis said the courtroom is the proper place to settle the “he said/ she said” nature of the allegations in this incident. “When you have a homeowner calling and saying [trespassing] occurs, and you have an independent witness,” the officer is right to issue a ticket and send the matter to the court, Lewis said. “That’s what the judge has to do—decide who’s telling the truth.”

Define Eyesore

Meanwhile, as Goldson’s case proceeded, City Hall’s LCI got to work on Goldson’s complaint.

An LCI inspector visited Pollard’s house and told him he needed to move the cars. Pollard has since moved two of the seven cars. He and the inspector agreed he’d gradually move two a month.

When Goldson learned about that arrangement, he complained to City Hall.

“It’s going to take three to four months for this guy to remove his cars?” he complained. “I’m a little frustrated.”

Top city building inspector Andy Rizzo said Thursday that he has since told Polalrd has to remove the remaining five vehicles by the end of the month.

“The mayor called and asked what was going,” Rizzo said, but didn’t tell him what to do. He made the decision on his own, he said.

Pollard said he plans to comply—but he feels he’s being unfairly targeted and did nothing wrong.

Those aren’t junk cars on his lawn, he said.

Pollard, who’s 35, said he restores “classic cars” and does “promotion for clubs” for a living.

Besides the seven vehicles he has on his property to restore, he has four refinished classic cars, worth as much as $30,000 now, resting at a storage lot and on a friend’s property, Pollard said.

The seven vehicles on his West Hills Road property had no front plates because a few had been stolen, so he removed the others, he said. He claimed he owns all the cars and had kept the back plates on.

When an LCI inspector first came following Goldson’s visit, he told Pollard he can’t park cars on the lawn, Pollard recalled.

“I said, ‘What? These cars have been parked here for years.’”

So he offered to move them to the driveway and a gravel side yard.

Then he learned that he would still be violating a rule against “dead storage.”

“They showed me all these crazy ordinances and stuff,” Pollard said. “They’re all down my back.”

He said he found it easy to work with the inspector, but now he has to move faster to get rid of the remaining cars. He has decided not to contest the directive, he said; “I can’t pay $250 a day” in fines.

He and Goldson both said it’s time to put the dispute behind them—assuming the other offers the requisite mea culpa.

Comments

posted by: Alphonse Credenza on March 4, 2010 2:21pm

Everybody demands an apology nowadays. Don’t give it, Alderman Goldson. You did nothing wrong.

posted by: streever on March 4, 2010 2:55pm

Amazingly I agree with Alphonze :)

It’s weird. Goldson should have pressed charges against Pollard for having such a hideous front lawn. Where is the crime in being forced to look at someone’s 7 cars rotting on their lawn? I feel like it’s the bad neighbor who forces you to look at this display that is trespassing.

posted by: jon on March 4, 2010 5:07pm

where was the lci agent through all this ? did they ever do their part/investigation ? has the eyesore been cleared ? doesnt this area have a police district manager ? where was he/she during this ? lci teamed with the police should have ( if actually been advised) taken steps to rectify the situation.

posted by: Threefifths on March 4, 2010 5:07pm

Hang in there Blood.Go all the way.

streever

Amazingly I agree with Alphonze :)

It�s weird. Goldson should have pressed charges against Pollard for having such a hideous front lawn. Where is the crime in being forced to look at someone�s 7 cars rotting on their lawn? I feel like it�s the bad neighbor who forces you to look at this display that is trespassing.

I know you was a Hypocrite.What happen to why can we not just get along. Rember this statement you wrote.

Even if you disagree on other matters, you must be willing to work with others for the greater good on issues where you DO agree.

Community is about more then just ruthlessly cutting down anyone who disagrees with you. Until you learn to build community, or be part of a community, you and the other city hall haters should take a chill pill & a reality check.

My how we forget.

posted by: managementeamember on March 4, 2010 5:49pm

I have been reading these articles about Alderman Goldson and this whole mess regarding his arrest. The thing that bothers me is when I attended one of the meetings of the management team I heard Alderman Goldson bring up to the specialist the problem. I heard her explain to him that zoning is done from the building department and that she could refer the problem to them or he could call directly. I distinctly heard Alderman Goldson tell the specialist that he would call directly himself. So I am a little confused that in this article he said LCI did not respond so he went to the property. I believe our specialist has always tried for all the neighborhoods and she has been very reliable. I like Alderman Goldson for his strong fight for his residents, but I would hate to think he is complaining about LCI. I find the department and the specialist responsive and helpful and also honest. For those of us who do not want to make a call to another department, which she does encourage us to do, she will do it for us.
I want to see these two work together because they are both strong individuals and just think what could be accomplished. Maybe this is because Alderman Goldson is new and he doesn’t know this specialist. I could assure him that our specialist is very assertive and will take on all problems with enthusiasm and really tries to get things done. This specialist truely cares about the neighborhood. Also seems to care about the aldermen because of the way she listens to them if they talk at the meeting and seems to understand their difficult role. I believe she was an alderman once herself which puts her in the unique situation of being there and done that. All in all we and the elected officials, and city hall are pretty lucky to have her. I think this new alderman will learn to appreciate her eventually.

posted by: Walt on March 4, 2010 6:46pm

Agree with Goldson, Alphonse, Streever,jon and maybe even with 3/5.

If City employees had been even half on the ball, those cars would be long gone.

Are they still there?

For shame, City officials. Earn your keep or resign or be canned.

posted by: Crow on March 4, 2010 7:41pm

Front yard parking of vehicles violates section 29.C of the City of New Haven Zoning Code.

posted by: James on March 4, 2010 7:59pm

LCI not responding to an issue? Stop the presses. From my personal experience, I tend to find LCI pretty damn useless.

posted by: Anon on March 4, 2010 10:38pm

If all is as we have read, I think Goldson should fight it to dismissal. I think he should reject a nolle.

When the evidence of a false report is in, and Goldson wins, I want to know what Michael Dearington, David Strollo and NHPD are going to start doing about all the invisible victims of false reports they knowingly prosecute all the time in this stupid crook-infested place.

posted by: What on March 4, 2010 10:54pm

ManagementTeamMenmber:

I don’t get it, what did Goldson say that was a negative comment towards LCI? Sounds to me that you may feeling a little guilty about LCI’s response to this….

posted by: JCP on March 5, 2010 8:00am

To end this ugly situation Alderman Goldson should apologize. That is the real world solution to this and now that he is alderman, he needs to be the better person. The objective is to get the cars off the lawn—not to prove who is right.

posted by: 2Unique on March 5, 2010 8:59am

To 3/5s

Re: “Even if you disagree on other matters, you must be willing to work with others for the greater good on issues where you DO agree.

“Community is about more then just ruthlessly cutting down anyone who disagrees with you. Until you learn to build community, or be part of a community, you and the other city hall haters should take a chill pill & a reality check. My how we forget.”

You should practice what you preach, my brotha!

posted by: streever on March 5, 2010 9:56am

3/5,

I didn’t forget anything: my statement wasn’t about someone who is violating the laws & ends up filing false police charges against an individual to have them arrested in retaliation.

It was about people who don’t work with others on community issues. You can call me a hypocrite/ad hominem and straw man me all you want, but it doesn’t make you right…

posted by: Threefifths on March 5, 2010 10:01am

2Unique

To 3/5s

Re: �Even if you disagree on other matters, you must be willing to work with others for the greater good on issues where you DO agree.

�Community is about more then just ruthlessly cutting down anyone who disagrees with you. Until you learn to build community, or be part of a community, you and the other city hall haters should take a chill pill & a reality check. My how we forget.�

You should practice what you preach, MY brotha!

I do practice what you preach. Mr.streever made this comment.

posted by: streever on March 3, 2010 7:22am
3/5ths,

your idealism is about ahead of your reason & logic. Dillon is a hard-working & fierce State Rep who has operated independently for years.

She ... doesn�t blindly hate someone else.

Where is your tolerance? Let her take a photo with the Mayor standing there. That doesn�t mean she is his servant.

Dillon has always been first & foremost an agent of her neighbors & our citizens.

As much as I disagree with City Hall on a number of things (their connection to alderman/ward races, their ignoring the tax burdens of some companies, that some of the schools cost more than 4 times as much as other schools, the horribly surly and rude employees they hire who deal directly with the public, etc) you can�t deny that working with others is a requirement for being a good citizen.

Even if you disagree on other matters, you must be willing to work with others for the greater good on issues where you DO agree.

When the state is trying to close a facility that treats young people, and the City is against it and Dillon is against it, why not let them work together?

posted by: streever on March 4, 2010 1:55pm
Amazingly I agree with Alphonze :)

Now check this statement out.

Even if you disagree on other matters, you must be willing to work with others for the greater good on issues where you DO agree.

So you need to tell him that he should practice what you preach.

P.S.
Do you should practice what you preach?

posted by: Anon on March 5, 2010 10:23am

JCP, you are living in lala land. It would be paramount to an admission of guilt. You don’t admit guilt to a charge you are innocent of. And that’s what he claims, innocence.

Sorry, but that is naive and just very bad advice. This thing is in court. This was an official mediation.

Pollard and the prosecutors can not win this case. I am sure the prosecutors already know this. It is obvious. It’s got reasonable doubt all over it.

His “objective” as you put it is not getting the cars removed. His objective at this point is beating a very real criminal charge. That’s why he was in court. It wasn’t a hearing over the cars, now was it.

Rediculous advice, truly

posted by: Walt on March 5, 2010 1:25pm

Correction

Scratch agreement re 3/5

Misunderstood his earlier post, apparently,

Now it is more obvious that he is pro - slob, pro-illegal junkyard, anti-enforcement of regs, anti-Goldson.

My apologies. Glad I do not live in his neighborhood.

posted by: Alphonse Credenza on March 5, 2010 2:27pm

If everyone is agreeing with me, we must all be wrong. ;-)

posted by: Threefifths on March 5, 2010 3:53pm

Walt
Correction

Scratch agreement re 3/5

Misunderstood his earlier post, apparently,

Now it is more obvious that he is pro - slob, pro-illegal junkyard, anti-enforcement of regs, anti-Goldson.

My apologies. Glad I do not live in his neighborhood

You must did read my post. I said Hang in there Blood.Go all the way.I do support.Mr Goldson on this. What I was talking about was how Mr. streever said me and other city hall haters should take a chill pill & a reality check.

Listen to this statemeent

As much as I disagree with City Hall on a number of things. you can�t deny that working with others is a requirement for being a good citizen.

So I was just addressing what he said. You can have it both ways.

Last I am anti of the following

1.King John

2.School reform

3.Crooked Two Party System.

Again I like Mr.Goldson,But my problem with Mr Goldson is that He could do more under a system of Proportional Representation than trying to work with this Two Party system.

posted by: surefriend on March 5, 2010 7:36pm

“Deputy Dawg?” LOL!

posted by: roomforaview on March 7, 2010 11:24am

From what I can tell, this is pretty sad. Finally this forgotten area of town gets an alderman who really wants to do the job and clean up the area and he gets harassed. Charge should be thrown out. Let Goldson put his energy into helping his neighborhood—not dealing with nonsense like this.

posted by: Anon on March 7, 2010 6:19pm

IF it is as it appears, there is more probable cause to charge Pollard at this point than there was to charge Goldson, if the officer didn’t assume the no trespassing sign had been there, if indeed Pollard CLAIMED it had been there.

Also, Goldson’s witness appears to be more independent (not a relative) and Goldson doesn’t have a previous court finding that his WORD is not that good, like Pollard does. His prior is admissable and goes to his honesty.

My guess is prosecutors have already offered to drop the charges against Goldson but will try to extract a monetary cash donation to a charity. That’s to give innocent people a humiliating kick in the pants as they leave the building, to teach them that innocent or not, the government is never ever wrong.

This case is high profile enough though that they might drop the charity donation part.

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