Originally published on Wednesday, November 22, 2023
William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ–Tuesday, November 21, 2023, I appeared in Gloucester City Municipal Court to answer two trespassing charges for walking around the Cold Springs Elementary School and one theft charge. I took a children’s bench that I thought was trash. When I learned it wasn’t trash, I contacted the police, returned the bench to the school, and placed it back in the same trash pile from which I had gotten it.
At the November 21 hearing, I was given two choices: plead guilty or take the matter to trial. The penalty varies based on the value of the goods. The bench’s value was set at $500. The penalty for a third-degree felony is 3 to 5 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000.
Since October 10, a video of my son and me, who was also charged, has appeared on the Gloucester City Police Department’s Facebook page. The video came from a Cold Springs School security camera. A neighbor alerted me about the video about an hour after the police published it on October 10. Even though I notified the police that I mistakenly took the bench and apologized for wasting their time, they continued to leave the video on their page.
People ask me who is responsible for this travesty of justice. I wish I knew. I am a 79-year-old man with very few years left to live. If they are patient, Old Man Time will catch up with me sooner rather than later. Of course, there is always the chance I will outlive this person(s). Wouldn’t that be ironic?
For 57 years, I have been providing the residents of Gloucester City and the surrounding areas with the latest news. For those who believe that being the editor of a small newspaper is boring, they have no idea how exciting my career has been. I have assisted the NJ State Police with a three-month undercover investigation into a New Jersey contractor, interviewed members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Skinheads, and found myself in the middle of a confrontation between the Longshoremen and Teamsters unions, both vying for the Holt Marine Terminal contract.
I cannot forget the local politicians who were often dissatisfied with my reporting. Many of them threatened me with lawsuits for various reasons. When I started covering the Gloucester City council meetings, I obtained permission to tape-record the sessions. I vividly remember Councilman Jack Brophy claiming he was misquoted in one of my articles. When I played the tape for him, and he heard his own words, he laughed and said, “I forgot you were taping the meetings.”
I have fond memories of sitting in the press box at Veterans Stadium in 1980, watching the Phillies win the World Series. Sitting on either side of me were sports announcers Harry Kalas (TV/Radio) and Richie Ashburn (TV) with color commentators like Andy Musser, plus national TV announcers on NBC such as Joe Garagiola, Tony Kubek, and analyst Tom Seaver for the final games. After the games, the press were invited to the private upstairs lounge for food and drinks with the players in attendance. You can imagine the thrill of being in the same room with Steve Carlton, Larry Bowa, Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose, Tim McGraw, and other players. I have ridden on an elevator with a young Donald Trump, just me and him, at the opening of the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. I’ve been at a press conference just a few feet from President Jimmy Carter, and taken a ride in a blimp around Billy Penn’s hat. The list is endless.
In 2013, I had every intention of retiring at the end of that year; I had been working for over four decades. But in February 2014, my son-in-law was attacked by a man swinging a hammer outside a Deli in Philadelphia. He nearly died. We were away when it happened. When I learned that the mainstream media were not covering the story, I forgot all about retirement. The public needed to know about this terrible attack, and if the mainstream media were ignoring what happened, then I would tell the story.
Now, looking back, I am glad I kept working.
Not once was my chosen career laborious during my five-plus decades as a journalist. There are not many people in this world who can honestly say that. I have also made a difference in this world, and I don’t say that lightly. Author Mark Twain said it best, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
What those in power are trying to do to me now just makes me more determined to continue reporting on their mismanagement of Gloucester City and their tax-and-spend policies. As for the rumor that we were shutting CNBNews down because of this court case, not so. This isn’t the first time that those who run this City, Camden County, and the state of New Jersey have tried to stop us from printing the truth. And it won’t be the last. Besides, we are having too much fun.
Sincerely, Bill
William E. Cleary Sr.
CNBNews editor and publisher
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Comments
Bob Bevan said…
This looks like selective law enforcement to me!If so, this is the real crime that has been committed, not only against Bill Cleary but against all of us!One of the worst enemies against a free democracy is to use our laws against people that have a different opinion then our own.Beware of this unequal enforcement of the law by the government against our freedom of speech.
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Saturday, November 25, 2023 at 12:11 PM
Reader said…
Bob, I could not agree more. Schools all over the world throw away outdated and broken items. If this bench wasn’t put out for trash, why was it in the trash pile to begin with? The schools should either label what is trash or put up no-scavenging signs, and the city should not prosecute an honorable man with an impeccable reputation for a simple misunderstanding. They should be ashamed of themselves.
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Saturday, November 25, 2023 at 02:49 PM
Johnny G. said…
Reader, you don’t need to be a Wizard to figure this out. The only reason Cleary and his kid are being prosecuted is that the losers running this city can’t stand the truth. I think Hillary would even call them deplorable.
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Saturday, November 25, 2023 at 04:35 PM
Thomas G Heim said…
I have known Bill Cleary since my high school days at GCHS. He is and has been the best local news reporter I have ever known. The current charges against him are an embarrassment. I am confident the court will see through this and enter the appropriate judgment.
After all, that’s why we have courts of law, which are also courts of equity. You have been and always will be a credit to your community. I trust in the Court System. I trust in you.
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Sunday, November 26, 2023 at 09:10 PM
Raymond DeVoe said…
Sorry to see that you’re getting railroaded Bill. It’s just not right, but seems to be the way of our country right now. Multiple levels of justice and selective prosecution.
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Monday, November 27, 2023 at 06:13 AM
Diane W. said…
Mr Cleary, you have been, and will always be, a true journalist. You take the job seriously. Printing ” the truth and only the truth”. I didn’t know walking on school grounds was trespassing. Every quarter, when I look at my tax bill, I see a considerable amount goes to the school. So how can someone trespass on their own property? The taxpayers of this city own the schools. And any “trash” they choose to throw out is ours. You and your son are in my prayers. I hope the courts see this for the travesty that it is.
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Monday, November 27, 2023 at 07:31 AM
johnboydunkirk@aol.com said…
I have known Bill Cleary for over 60 years, you could not find a more honest man. This is clearly some retaliation for his honorable reporting I believe Mr Cleary is one of the most honest men in Gloucester if they can do this to him they can do this to us
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Monday, November 27, 2023 at 07:39 AM
Reader said…
You should go back into your archives, post the articles about city workers who committed crimes, and repost them, along with what was done about it. To me, that should be the president set for this. Our city council should be reminded about those things .
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Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 09:11 AM
Susan DiSanto said…
This is appalling! Since when is walking on public school grounds trespassing? I grew up across the street from my elementary school, & all of us played on the playground year round & after hours. The people build the schools with their taxes, & they are by their very name public buildings! Anything that is not trash, should not be outside after closing. To arrest an elderly, well-respected man for an honest mistake is a travesty of justice. Shame on you!
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Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at 04:35 AM
Gary Devine said…
My opinion…This is pure retaliation against Mr. Cleary by Cold Springs School for exposing how wasteful they are for throwing away an easy-to-repair bench. It also shows how the school is wasting taxpayer dollars. I believe these charges against Bill Cleary and his son are retaliation by those in power. The taxpayer pays for school grounds. The property belongs to the public.
I have known the Cleary family for 55 years. Bill’s father, George Cleary, was a nice guy with a smile on his face and a perfect gentleman. RIP. Those same traits were inherited by his son, Bill, and by George’s grandson.
I would like to know who was responsible for filing the charges against the Clearys. And why! What is the real reason a long time resident and reporter was charged with these rediculous charges?
The police were notified, and the bench was returned to the school. The matter was solved. So why do they have to appear in court? I’ll give you my best guess: someone or some people want to punish Bill Sr. for writing articles about things that they don’t want the public to know about.
I’m a former resident of Gloucester City. I now live in Mullica Hill. I am so happy that I do, as I couldn’t live in any city where those in charge punish a person for speaking the truth.
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