Executive Summary
- Warlyn Rosario spent over a year in jail before carjacking charges were dismissed.
- Rosario filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Paterson police and NJ prosecutors.
- The suit alleges investigators withheld video evidence that would have proved his innocence.
A New Jersey man has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Paterson, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office following his release from jail. According to the complaint, Warlyn Rosario spent more than a year in detention facing carjacking charges that were ultimately dismissed.
In the federal filing, Rosario alleges that investigators withheld critical video evidence from his legal team while he remained incarcerated. The plaintiff contends that this footage would have substantiated his innocence and prevented his prolonged detention. The lawsuit targets multiple levels of law enforcement, seeking accountability for the alleged suppression of exculpatory material.
Procedural Accountability
This case underscores the significant legal obligations law enforcement agencies hold regarding the preservation and disclosure of evidence under the discovery process. The lawsuit brings scrutiny to the evidentiary protocols of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office and the Paterson Police Department, potentially prompting a review of how digital evidence is processed and shared with defense counsel during criminal investigations.
It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
