Camden Mayor Justin King resigned Tuesday after pleading guilty to charges that stemmed from an incident at his car wash. Photos by Pixabay/Pexels.
Camden Mayor Justin King on Tuesday pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors and no contest to a third and then resigned because of a physical confrontation at a car wash he owned.
King, 41, confronted two male victims, both 19, in February at a car wash he owned, accordiong to a press release from the Delaware Department of Justice.
He claimed they had been causing mischief there, shoved the victims and, at one point, pulled on a victim’s hoodie while he was on the ground. The victims sustained minor injuries.
Justin King
The Camden Police Department turned the investigation over the the state, fearing the appearance of impropriety given King’s elected position, the press release said.
King pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and pleaded no contest to offensive Touching, both of which are unclassified misdemeanors.
King also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of hindering prosecution after it was discovered that he suppressed evidence with the intent to prevent, hinder or delay the lodging of a criminal charge by changing the retention time and overwriting potential video surveillance evidence.
“Nobody is above the law or beneath justice,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings in the press release. “The problem with the defendant’s behavior is not just the charges themselves, but his troubling and frankly embarrassing display of aggression, irresponsibility, and disregard for the law. “
His decision to confront two teenagers was “senselessly aggressive,” she said.
“He is extremely lucky that the victims’ injuries were not more severe,” she said. “As if that were not bad enough, he then almost immediately stonewalled the subsequent investigation. Mr. King’s actions and lack of self-control are not the behavior of a grownup, and certainly not the mayor of a town.”
Under the plea, King agrees to serve one year of probation; pay a $500 fine; abide by a no contact order with the victims; and resign his office as mayor.
