From Police Lieutenant to Prisoner-Tom Flynn

Quick Overview

The former police lieutenant, Tom Flynn, successfully fought off severe criminal charges stemming from a domestic dispute, including two second-degree felony counts of possessing assault weapons, only to face a more devastating and protracted battle in the New Jersey family court system where he lost contact with his three daughters and faced financial ruin.

Key Points: Tom Flynn, a 28-year veteran police lieutenant from Nutley, New Jersey, transitioned from being a respected officer to an inmate facing up to 30 years in prison following charges related to his father's inherited, legally acquired firearms that became newly banned under state law. The initial incident involved his wife calling 911 during a verbal argument over disciplining their eldest daughter, leading to an immediate firearms seizure and his suspension, despite the judge later dismissing the restraining order hearing 'on its face' due to 'absolutely no grounds.' The criminal charges arose after the restraining order dismissal when police seized over 20 firearms, including two AR-15s and high-capacity magazines that were legally purchased by his late father, leading to two second-degree felony counts carrying a mandatory 10-year consecutive sentence each under the Graves Act. Flynn endured 13 days in custody, being transported from Essex County to Bergen County jail, despite efforts by transporting officers to clear his booking area for safety due to his status as an active lieutenant. After prevailing at the trial level and then at the Appellate Division and Supreme Court, all criminal charges were ultimately dismissed following a successful motion to suppress evidence, rendering his arrest record expunged. Despite clearing his name criminally, Flynn immediately faced the family court system, ran out of money, lost his attorney, and was placed on electronic monitoring for nearly six months, during which time he could only see his children under supervised visitation at great expense ($300+ per hour). Flynn believes his ordeal, both criminal and familial, was politically motivated with the assistance of an angry ex-spouse to impede his ascent in rank within the police department, noting that his colleagues offered no support during his suspension and investigation.