NJ Court Rebuffs Cop Convicted in Teen’s Death

A former Weehawken police officer convicted in a 2003 beating that left a teenager dead has lost an appeal to have his conviction reconsidered.

Alejandro Jaramillo was acquitted of manslaughter but convicted of aggravated assault in the death of 17-year-old Jose Luis Ives Jr.

Witnesses said Jaramillo, who was off-duty at the time, punched Ives several times after a dispute involving Jaramillo's car.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison on the assault count, plus seven more years for filing false reports on the incident.

In his recent appeal, Jaramillo claimed his attorney didn't adequately represent him and didn't call a witness who could have exonerated him.

A state appeals court disagreed and ruled against Jaramillo in a decision published Thursday.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)