Mayor Demeza Delhomme sent to jail

Numerous Rockland County sources have confirmed that Spring Valley Mayor Demeza Delhomme (D) was held in contempt of court this afternoon by Supreme Court Justice Gerald Loehr and is expected to be sent to the Rockland County Correctional Facility until further notice. As of mid-afternoon he was still in a holding cell.

The judge found that Delhomme did not follow his request that a village summer day camp be opened at the Kurtz Center in downtown Spring Valley. Delhomme claimed that because he had opened and unlocked the front door, he indeed had complied with the order of the judge.

Village Trustees Asher Grossman, Emilia White and Vilair Fonvil had sued Delhomme to open the day camp program, which has been running for 14 years.

Dennis Lynch, attorney representing the complainants told the White Plains-based daily newspaper The Journal News, “The mayor of Spring Valley has learned the lesson of law the hard way.”

Legal sources also told the Rockland County Times that Delhomme had appeared late to the court date – after missing the prior court date altogether – and proceeded to bang on the wrong doors attempting to get into the courthouse. He then arrived at the bench with a considerable negative attitude, witnesses said, which may have contributed to the judge’s decision to place him in jail on contempt charges.