Citizen Shines the Light: Talk Show Host Naomi Johnson Files Brady/Giglio Complaint Against Glen Ridge Sergeant Anthony Mazza

Citizen Shines the Light: Talk Show Host Naomi Johnson Files Brady/Giglio Complaint Against Glen Ridge Sergeant Anthony Mazza

By Noneillah Talk Show Investigative Desk

Glen Ridge, NJ — November 23, 2025

In a move that underscores the rising call for accountability in local policing, Noneillah Talk Show host Naomi Johnson has filed a detailed citizen complaint demanding that Sergeant Anthony Mazza of the Glen Ridge Police Department be added to the Brady/Giglio list—a designation reserved for law enforcement officers with documented credibility issues, dishonesty, or conduct that undermines their reliability in court.

Johnson, a longtime advocate for civil liberties and disability rights, submitted her complaint to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Brady/Giglio Disclosure Unit, with copies forwarded to Glen Ridge Police Internal Affairs and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Division of Civil Rights. The filing is now a public notice record, asserting that one of the People experienced a deprivation of constitutionally protected, unalienable rights under color of law.

At the center of the complaint: a February 24, 2025 traffic-stop-turned-impoundment that Johnson calls a “trespass upon rights” and “a textbook example of why Brady and Giglio disclosures exist.”

The Incident: A Routine Stop Becomes a Constitutional Flashpoint

On that February afternoon, Johnson—who lives with documented disabilities and displays a handicap plate—was traveling in her 1995 Mustang to Glenfield Park in Montclair. She also displayed a ministerial placard as an ordained minister. Her vehicle contained groceries, and she was returning from errands.

As she traveled down Woodland Avenue, a Glen Ridge patrol truck driven by Sgt. Anthony Mazza activated silent emergency lights behind her. Believing the officer needed to pass, Johnson pulled over. Instead, the officer stopped behind her—outside the town’s borders.

Body-worn camera audio confirms the stop location: Woodland Avenue & Willowdale Avenue in Montclair, not Glen Ridge.

The stop quickly spiraled.

Contradictions, Shifting Claims, and Questionable Conduct

According to Johnson’s complaint, the encounter was marked by a disturbing pattern of contradictions and procedural failures:

1. The Stop Was Justified as a “Crime”—Motor Vehicle Infraction 

On BWC footage, Sgt. Mazza initially calls Johnson’s alleged violation a “crime", which he  reclassifies it as a “motor vehicle infraction” under New Jersey Title 39.

This is not a small discrepancy.
Title 39 violations are not crimes. They do not require probable cause.

The shift raises questions about whether the officer understood—or manipulated—the legal standards governing stops and searches.

2. Fabricated or Impossible Observations

Johnson reports that Mazza later claimed he stopped her for a missing inspection sticker—an “infraction” that was impossible to observe from behind her vehicle and irrelevant for her inspection-exempt 1995 model, per NJ MVC regulations.

3. Unlawful Seizure and Impoundment

Despite no probable cause of a crime, no warrant, and no statutory authority, Sgt. Mazza ordered her vehicle towed, stranding her in cold weather despite visible disability.

This violates:

• GRPD SOPs on motor-vehicle impoundment

• Assistance requirements for disabled motorists

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA Title II)

• Basic constitutional protections against unreasonable seizure

4. Racial Profiling Concerns

Perhaps the most alarming detail:
Sgt. Mazza hand-wrote “(B)” for Black on the summons despite the New Jersey uniform traffic ticket having no race field.

The U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts have repeatedly flagged similar conduct as red flags for discriminatory enforcement—see Whren v. United States and Floyd v. City of New York.

5. Troubling Dispatch Records

CAD logs showed:

• Arrival before dispatch

• Timeline inconsistencies

• Citation times that don’t match the sequence of events

These discrepancies are the type that defense attorneys often cite as signs of post-hoc justification, altered records, or sloppy documentation.

Left Stranded: A Disabled Citizen in Distress

After ordering Johnson’s car to be seized, Sgt. Mazza allegedly offered no assistance—despite SOPs requiring officers to ensure disabled motorists are safely accommodated.

Johnson, who suffers from chronic pain, nerve damage, anxiety, and PTSD, was forced to walk home, triggering physical and emotional harm.

Her groceries spoiled.
Her vehicle was held for seven days.
She paid $575.69 in predatory towing fees.

Internal Affairs Investigation Raises More Questions

Johnson reported the misconduct immediately. According to her filing:

• Internal Affairs conducted a brief, biased review

• The investigation relied almost exclusively on Sgt. Mazza’s account

• Critical evidence—BWC footage, CAD inconsistencies, SOP violations—was ignored

• No Tow Report was provided, despite it being mandatory

• No accommodation of her disability was addressed

• Her rebuttal received no response

The IA report ultimately cleared the officer—fueling concerns of systemic failure, not just individual misconduct.

Grounds for Brady/Giglio Placement

In her complaint, Johnson outlines several categories of misconduct that qualify for Brady/Giglio inclusion:

• Dishonesty and inconsistent statements on BWC

• Fabrication or after-the-fact justification for the stop

• Procedural violations related to towing, documentation, and jurisdiction

• Potential racial profiling via unauthorized race notation

• Disregard for civil rights and disability protections

• Behavior that would impeach the officer’s testimony in any courtroom

Under Brady and Giglio, officers who demonstrate dishonesty—even once—can no longer testify without prosecutors notifying defense counsel.

Johnson argues that Sgt. Mazza’s conduct meets this threshold.

“This Is Not Just About Me—It’s About the People”

In a statement to Noneillah Talk Show, Johnson explained why she filed the complaint publicly:

“This is not a private dispute. This is a matter of constitutional rights, public trust, and the People’s demand that law enforcement be held to the law—not above it.”

She also emphasized that her filing is now part of the public record and will be made available to civil rights advocates, journalists, and legal observers.

Relief Requested

Johnson asks authorities to:

1. Add Sgt. Mazza to the Brady/Giglio list

2. Conduct a full review of his conduct and past history

3. Disclose any prior complaints against him

4. Provide remedies for the harms she suffered

5. Correct the official record and address the unlawful bench warrant

A Developing Story With Broad Implications

If Johnson’s request is granted, Sgt. Mazza’s credibility will be formally compromised in every future case he touches. Defense attorneys will be entitled to cross-examine him on dishonesty, possible racial profiling, and constitutional violations. Prosecutors may be forced to abandon cases dependent on his statements.

For the Glen Ridge community, the complaint raises deeper questions:

• How many other stops involved similar inconsistencies?

• Why did Internal Affairs overlook glaring evidence?

• What oversight structures failed—and why?

Noneillah Talk Show will continue to investigate these questions and keep the public informed.

A Citizen’s Voice Against Government Overreach

Johnson’s filing is more than a complaint—it is a declaration of the People’s right to hold public servants accountable. It asserts that a badge does not place an officer above the Constitution and that unlawful acts committed under color of law must be exposed, recorded, and challenged.

This story is developing.
Further updates will be published as responses from county and state officials become available.

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****Below is the letter that was submitted to the Brady list website.***

Complaint to Add Sergeant Anthony Mazza to the Brady/Giglio List

Date: November 23, 2025

To: Essex County Prosecutor's Office Attention: Brady/Giglio Disclosure Unit Veterans Courthouse 50 West Market Street Newark, NJ 07102

CC: Glen Ridge Police Department Internal Affairs Lt. Timothy Faranda 205 Bay Avenue Glen Ridge, NJ 07028

New Jersey Attorney General's Office Division of Civil Rights 25 Market Street Trenton, NJ 08625

From: Naomi Johnson [Your Address] Glen Ridge, NJ [ZIP Code] [Your Phone Number] [Your Email Address]

Re: Formal Complaint and Request to Add Sergeant Anthony Mazza (Badge #86, Glen Ridge Police Department) to the Brady/Giglio List Based on Evidence of Dishonesty, Procedural Violations, and Credibility Issues

Dear Sir or Madam,

I, Naomi Johnson, a resident of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, am submitting this formal complaint against Sergeant Anthony Mazza of the Glen Ridge Police Department (GRPD). I request that Sgt. Mazza be added to the Brady/Giglio List maintained by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and any relevant state or federal authorities. This request is based on documented instances of dishonesty, inconsistent statements, procedural violations, and conduct that undermines his credibility as a law enforcement officer, as required under Brady v. Maryland (373 U.S. 83, 1963) and Giglio v. United States (405 U.S. 150, 1972). These precedents mandate the disclosure of exculpatory evidence, including information about officers with histories of untruthfulness or bias that could impeach their testimony in criminal proceedings.

Sgt. Mazza's actions during and following a traffic stop on February 24, 2025, demonstrate a pattern of misconduct that calls into question his integrity and reliability. This includes contradictory statements captured on body-worn camera (BWC) footage, failure to adhere to GRPD Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), apparent fabrication of reasons for the stop and impoundment, and disregard for my constitutional rights and disabilities. Additionally, Sgt. Mazza noted my race as "(B)" for Black on the traffic citation, despite New Jersey's uniform traffic ticket form not including a field for race. This unauthorized addition suggests discriminatory enforcement and potential racial profiling, in violation of equal protection principles under the Fourteenth Amendment, as illustrated in Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806 (1996) (addressing pretextual stops) and Floyd v. City of New York, 959 F. Supp. 2d 540 (S.D.N.Y. 2013) (finding systemic racial bias in stop-and-frisk practices). These issues were ratified by a biased Internal Affairs (IA) investigation, further highlighting systemic failures but centering on Sgt. Mazza's individual conduct. Below, I outline the factual basis for this complaint, supported by evidence including BWC footage, Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) records, towing reports, OPRA-requested documents, and my personal records (e.g., bank statements, medical documentation, and correspondence). I am prepared to provide copies of all referenced materials upon request.

Factual Background

On February 24, 2025, at approximately 3:43 p.m., I was traveling in my non-commercial 1995 Mustang on Woodland Avenue in Glen Ridge, NJ, heading toward Glenfield Park in Montclair, NJ. As a medically disabled individual with chronic pain, mobility impairments, nerve damage, anxiety, depression, and PTSD (documented by Social Security Administration and medical providers), I displayed a ministerial parking plaque on my dashboard, signifying my status as an ordained minister through GetOrdained.org. My vehicle contained groceries and bore a handicap license plate.

Sgt. Mazza, driving a GRPD patrol truck, turned onto Woodland Avenue from Douglas Road and activated silent emergency lights. Believing it was an emergency, I pulled over near Glen Ridge Park to allow passage, but he stopped behind me instead. This stop occurred outside Glen Ridge's jurisdiction, in Montclair, NJ, as confirmed by BWC audio (radio call at timestamp 26:19 reporting the location at Woodland Avenue and Willowdale Avenue in Montclair).

Sgt. Mazza approached, requested my license and registration, and alleged I failed to stop at a stop sign and that my vehicle was unregistered. I disputed these claims, stating I had stopped briefly and safely, and that I had registered the vehicle online in September 2024 (confirmed by bank statement and email). I informed him that traffic infractions are not crimes, that I was traveling privately (not driving commercially), and that I knew my constitutional rights, including the right to travel freely without interference for non-commercial activity. Sgt. Mazza responded by asking, "How do you know about that?"—indicating surprise at my knowledge of legal standards.

On BWC footage, Sgt. Mazza explicitly stated he pulled me over for a "crime," which he then reclassified as a "motor vehicle infraction" under New Jersey Title 39. This inconsistency is material: Title 39 infractions are not crimes but civil-like violations, requiring only reasonable articulable suspicion for a stop (Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 1968), not probable cause for a crime. Sgt. Mazza claimed probable cause based on observing the act, but his shifting terminology suggests fabrication or misunderstanding of legal standards, undermining his credibility.

Sgt. Mazza then walked to the front of my vehicle and added a lack of visible inspection sticker as a reason for the stop—despite this being impossible to observe from his initial position behind me. I explained that my 1995 model was exempt from inspection per New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) regulations, but he ignored this. Under duress, I provided my documents while asserting my rights.

Sgt. Mazza returned to his vehicle, then informed me my car would be towed for being unregistered. On BWC, he told me to call for a ride, despite my statement that I had no one available. Without probable cause of a crime, consent, or a warrant, he called E.C.R.B. Towing to impound my vehicle—violating GRPD SOPs on "Traffic Enforcement and Control" and "Motor Vehicle Impound and Inventory." These SOPs require:

• Assessment of violation nature, driver intent, and safety risk before impoundment (unregistered status alone does not authorize it; no evidence of intent was established).
• Offering transportation assistance to drivers, especially disabled individuals (e.g., transport to a safe location, contacting family).
• Completion of a Tow Report documenting registration/VIN checks and consent/inability to arrange removal.
• Operation within territorial jurisdiction (impoundment occurred in Montclair).
• Inventory of vehicle contents for non-criminal matters.

Sgt. Mazza failed on all counts: He provided no accommodation for my visible disability (handicap plate), left me stranded in cold weather, forcing me to walk home (exacerbating my conditions, causing tremors, pain, and missed therapy), and did not complete or provide a Tow Report at the scene or station. He walked away with my license, insurance, and registration without explanation. The vehicle remained impounded for seven days, spoiling my groceries and incurring predatory fees ($575.69 upon retrieval on March 3, 2025). No conditions justified impoundment (e.g., no obstruction, no stolen vehicle, no abandonment).

CAD records show inconsistencies: Dispatched at 15:29 hrs, arrived at 15:28 hrs (impossible arrival before dispatch), cleared at 15:53 hrs (24-minute duration). BWC timestamps: Stop at 00:33, tow truck arrival at 17:40–20:10, departure at 23:37. The citation was issued at 15:43, during detention before the tow truck arrived, suggesting potential fabrication or backdating. Sgt. Mazza dismissed me with "have a good day" at 24:04, ignoring my distress.

Later that day, I called GRPD to report the unlawful seizure; the call was referred to IA, where Det. Sgt. Daniel Manley contacted me. I detailed the events, including Sgt. Mazza's contradictions and violations. Manley acknowledged probable cause as a higher standard but did not resolve the issues, advising re-registration despite my objections. No IA report was created from this call, as confirmed later.

On July 7, 2025, Lt. Timothy Faranda concluded an IA investigation (Complaint 25-5, Incident 25-05455), finding no wrongdoing by Sgt. Mazza—relying solely on his perspective and ignoring BWC/CAD discrepancies, SOP violations, jurisdictional issues, and legal errors (e.g., probable cause vs. articulable suspicion). I rebutted this on September 5, 2025, but received no response.

Specific Allegations of Conduct Warranting Brady/Giglio Inclusion

Sgt. Mazza's actions demonstrate impeachable conduct:

1. Dishonesty and Inconsistent Statements: Contradictory BWC claims (infraction as "crime" then "motor vehicle infraction") misrepresent legal standards, potentially to justify an unlawful stop/seizure. This could impeach his testimony in cases involving traffic stops or probable cause.
2. Fabrication of Reasons: Alleged inspection sticker violation impossible from his position; ignored exemption. Citation timing suggests post-hoc rationalization or falsification.
3. Procedural Violations Indicating Bias or Indifference: Ignored SOPs on impoundment, assistance, jurisdiction, and documentation; no Tow Report provided; left disabled person stranded without accommodation, violating ADA Title II and NJLAD. Noted my race as "(B)" for Black on the citation, though New Jersey's uniform traffic ticket does not include a race field, suggesting discriminatory enforcement and racial profiling (Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806 (1996); Floyd v. City of New York, 959 F. Supp. 2d 540 (S.D.N.Y. 2013)). The warrant similarly listed "Black/African American," further indicating bias.
4. Disregard for Rights and Status: Ignored my ministerial status/plaque, interfering with religious duties; questioned my knowledge of rights suspiciously.
5. Systemic Ratification: IA exoneration despite evidence suggests a pattern; Sgt. Mazza's oath of office (obtained via OPRA) binds him to uphold the Constitution, which he breached.

These issues have caused me ongoing harm: heightened anxiety/PTSD, physical distress, financial loss ($575.69 + spoiled groceries), and fear from an active bench warrant (issued May 14, 2025, despite no required appearance). I have submitted numerous notices, motions, and complaints (e.g., Writ of Replevin to Chief Quinn on Feb. 26; Tort Claim to Zichelli on April 17; OPRA requests denied by Rohal), all ignored. Oversight reports to NJ AG Civil Rights, US DOJ, and others yielded minimal action.

Request for Relief

I request:

1. Immediate addition of Sgt. Anthony Mazza to the Brady/Giglio List, with notification to all relevant prosecutorial offices.
2. A full investigation into his conduct, including review of BWC/CAD footage and SOP compliance.
3. Disclosure of any prior complaints or disciplinary actions against him.
4. Remedies for my harms, including warrant recall, ticket dismissal, and reimbursement.

I affirm under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. Please contact me to discuss or provide evidence.

Sincerely,

Naomi Johnson

Attachments: (List any supporting document