Ex-Firefighter's Plea Deal 'Not in the Public Interest'

A Superior Court judge has rejected a plea deal for a former Parsippany firefighter and suspended Morris County Sheriff's officer, saying it "makes no sense," according to nj.com.

Jason Campbell, 35, was slated to go to prison for five years, quit his sheriff's officer position and agree to never again serve as a firefighter after pleading guilty to drug charges related to a traffic stop in which he allegedly pretended to be a state trooper.

But Judge Edward Gannon said his "judicial integrity" was at stake, as the deal was contingent upon dropping child neglect and arson charges, nj.com reported.

"Ultimately, the public will not accept it," Gannon said. "I’m not going to be part of it... You’re giving up an arson case by a firefighter."

"This plea agreement is not in the public interest," the judge said.

Campbell, a former assistant chief for Rockaway Neck Fire District 5 and ex-supervisor of a Morris County Sheriff's Office youth program, was arrested in February 2011 for allegedly setting fires in 2008 and 2010 in Parsippany while he was a member of the fire department.

He was accused of having one of the youth members of the Morris County Sheriff's Office Explorer Program he supervised help ignite one of the blazes.

Campbell was charged in February 2011 with two counts of second-degree aggravated arson, one count of third-degree burglary, four counts of second-degree official misconduct, one count of second-degree attempted aggravated arson and two counts of second-degree conspiracy to commit aggravated arson.

Campbell was indicted on these charges in July 2011, but three of the aggravated arson, burglary and official misconduct charges contained in the 10-count indictment were dismissed by a Sussex County judge in March 2012.

He later was charged with child neglect after police allegedly found him drunk and arguing with his wife inside a car with their infant present.

Campbell was indicted in October 2012 after being arrested in March for alleged possession of Oxycodone following a motor vehicle stop on Interstate 287 in Hanover.

With the plea deal rejection, Gannon scheduled Campbell's trial for July 15.