Man admits trying to tamper with Morris County jury
A Wharton resident admitted to a judge Thursday that he left documents on vehicles in Morristown in November in hopes of influencing jurors hearing the rape trial of an inmate he had met at the county jail.
Michael Campbell, 45, pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Catherine Enright in Morristown, admitting that he tried to obstruct the administration of law by acting on the request of now-convicted rapist Andrew Pena, on Nov. 4.
Campbell has agreed to testify, if necessary, against Pena on charges that Pena conspired with him, obstructed the administration of law and tried to corrupt or influence a jury.
In exchange for Campbell's guilty plea to a fourth-degree charge of obstruction, Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Troiano said the charge would be downgraded to a disorderly persons offense at sentencing if Campbell continues to cooperate fully with the state. Sentencing tentatively was set for May 27.
Under questioning by defense lawyer Sean O'Connor, Campbell agreed that Pena, around Nov. 4, 2015 and while Pena was on trial, asked him to put flyers that had been altered on the cars of jurors or potential jurors.
Campbell was further questioned by Troiano, and said he was aware that Pena was on trial and he in fact had sat in on the trial at least one day. He agreed that he collected from Pena a number of documents, some with handwritten information on them relating to points of contention in the trial, and put the documents on vehicles.
Campbell did not specify in court where he disseminated the documents but authorities have said he left documents on cars in a parking garage close to the Morris County courthouse, mistakenly believing jurors parked there. He also did not provide a reason for helping Pena.
A Morris County jury on Nov. 10 found Pena guilty of raping a woman outside a Butler bagel shop in 2007. A week later, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office charged Pena with conspiring with Campbell. The two became acquainted while Campbell was an inmate at the jail.
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A probable cause affidavit filed by a Prosecutor's Office detective said that six notes relating to the Pena trial were left on vehicles parked in the Cattano Avenue Garage in Morristown across from the courthouse. Authorities have said the notes wound up being placed on vehicles owned by judiciary and court staff. Jurors park in another location.
At a later hearing over the new charges, Pena denied any knowledge of the alleged jury influence and said he wanted "a full federal investigation" of his entire trial. Pena was sentenced in December on the aggravated sexual assault and other offenses to 27 years and four months in prison.
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The probable cause affidavit states that Pena, as the accused, was given copies of several police reports related to the Jan. 28, 2007 sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman in a car outside G&A Bagel Shop in Butler. Though portions of the reports were deemed inadmissible at trial, Pena allegedly got copies of those reports into the hands of Campbell.
On Nov. 4, while the trial was under way, a citizen reported to authorities that they found copies of the disallowed reports on their car, parked in the Cattano Avenue garage. After the reports were found on a citizen's car, investigators learned of six notes on various vehicles in the Cattano Avenue garage. They linked Campbell to the dissemination of the notes, and he allegedly told police that he and Pena discussed plans to hand out information about the case and that Pena provided him with documents.
Pena was previously tried for the sexual assault in 2009, convicted and sentenced to 27 years and nine months in prison. But the conviction was reversed on appeal and he won a new trial.
Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettNJ.com.