Charges Dropped Against Attorney Accused of Dragging Victim with Car

Criminal charges filed against a prominent village attorney accused of dragging a woman with his car were dropped due to a lack of evidence, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office told Patch on Monday.

Police arrested Ridgewood resident Daniel P. McNerney on charges of aggravated assault in the early morning hours of Feb. 13, 2012 after he allegedly dragged the individual with his car and fled the scene.

McNerney, the brother of former Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney, was arrested in Ramsey shortly after the alleged incident.

Because of conflicts of interest with the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office the case was moved to Hudson County, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office said.

"On July 30, the indictable charges were administratively dismissed by our office," Assistant Hudson County Prosecutor Barbara Turso told Patch. Citing a lack of evidence, Turso said the criminal offenses were "dismissed in consultation with the victim in this case."

"He did nothing wrong," Raymond Flood, the attorney representing McNerney, said. "My client and I are grateful that the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office made the correct decision and dismissed the criminal charges."

The criminal charges did not make it to a grand jury proceeding and the non-indictable traffic charges were kicked down to a lower court, Turso told Patch.

Bayonne Municipal Court will handle the three traffic citations issued – reckless driving, failure to yield at a stop sign, and leaving the scene of an accident. 

Flood said McNerney would be pleading not guilty to the traffic citations. 

An upcoming court date for the traffic summonses has not yet been scheduled, according to the clerk at the Bayonne Municipal Court.

McNerney is a partner at trial firm McNerney and McAuliffe and has been a public defender in Hackensack, Paramus, New Milford and Cresskill.

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