Statement from Jon W. Green and Laura M. LoGiudice of Green Savits, LLC, attorneys for Sheilah Coley, regarding the verdict in Sheilah A. Coley v. City of Trenton, Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Mercer County, Docket No. MER-L-1015-22. The case was tried before the Honorable Douglas H. Hurd, P.J.Cv., from October 26 through November 4, 2026.
"Sheilah Coley did exactly what we ask of every public official. As Trenton's Police Director, she was pressured to do things she believed were unlawful and against the public interest, and she said no. Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora fired her for it. On November 4, the jury unanimously rejected that conduct and awarded Ms. Coley $4,714,764.21, including $714,155 in lost earnings, $2,000,609.21 for emotional distress, and $2 million in punitive damages.
Ms. Coley has spent her life in public service. She served three years in the United States Air Force and then more than 25 years with the Newark Police Department. She was the first member of that department to hold every rank, and she went on to serve as Newark's Chief of Police and Police Director. She later served as Public Safety Director for East Orange. She brought that experience and integrity to Trenton, and she refused to compromise it.
The jury found in Ms. Coley's favor on every question it was asked. It recognized the harm done to her career and to her life. The jury also appeared to send a pointed message about the day this began. Its emotional distress award of $2,000,609.21 ends in 6-09-21, an apparent reference to June 9, 2021, the day Mayor Gusciora terminated her. That date will not be forgotten.
With its $2 million punitive damages award, the jury made clear that this was about more than making Ms. Coley whole. It was a message to the City of Trenton and to every public employer: officials who refuse to break the law must be protected, not punished. Those who retaliate against them will be held accountable.
We are grateful to the jurors for their careful attention over nearly two weeks of trial. Above all, we commend Sheilah Coley for her courage and persistence in seeing this through. Moreover, we considered it an honor and a privilege to have represented her."