May 08--NEW HAVEN -- Firefighter Aaron Brantley was found guilty Thursday on one count of attempted bribery of a witness, and the top Fire Department official will seek to terminate his employment with the city.
The trial before Judge Brian Fischer entered its third day Thursday at Superior Court. Brantley was found not guilty on a second count of attempted bribery of a witness.
Fire Chief Allyn Wright said Thursday that he will recommend to the Board of Fire Commissioners that Brantley's employment in the department be terminated due to the fact that he was found guilty of bribery of a witness.
Brantley's lawyer Hugh Keefe said in all probability the judge's decision will be appealed.
"It is a reminder why lawyers should not waive juries," Keefe said.
Keefe and Brantley waived the right to have a trial by jury and opted for a trial by the judge. In that instance, a judge both runs the trial and finds a verdict.
Shortly after Brantley turned himself in to police in January 2013, Keefe had said that the case was very thin from a prosecution standpoint.
Fire Union President Lt. James Kottage said the verdict was a surprise.
"What was a joke in the Fire Marshal's Office ended in a travesty," he said.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
Brantley was charged in January 2013 with two counts of attempted bribery of a witness related to his Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities complaint against the city, Fire Department, Assistant Chief Patrick Egan and Director of Training Matthew Marcarelli.
The three-day trial was filled with heated exchanges between lawyers and witnesses. Acting Fire Marshal Faustino Lopez stuck to the account he had given police. He testified that Brantley attempted to bribe him with 2 percent to 3 percent of any financial winnings stemming from the CHRO case. That allegedly happened on three separate occasions, according to his testimony.
Lopez testified that he didn't turn in Brantley after bribe attempts were made because he didn't want to turn in a fellow firefighter. He also testified he knew he was required by law to report any bribe attempts made to a public official.
Assistant Chief Patrick Egan reported the alleged bribery to law enforcement in August 2012, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
A lawsuit was filed in state court in May 2013 against the parties named in the CHRO case.
During the trial, firefighter Corey Bellamy recanted a statement he had made to police and testified that Brantley had been joking. He claimed he had told police the whole thing was a joke in the pre-interview before the tape recorder was turned on.
Detective Lynn Meekins testified that Bellamy stated Brantley talked about the bribe "jokingly." The joke detail wasn't in the arrest warrant affidavit.
Brantley took the stand on Wednesday. He testified that he hadn't bribed either Lopez or Bellamy.
Bribery of a witness is a class C felony under state law. It carries with it a possible penalty of one to 10 years in prison.
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