NJ Attorney General opposes PTI for dentist who dumped medical waste

By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, 609-463-6716

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE - The Pennsylvania dentist accused of dumping medical waste into the waters off Avalon last summer will not gain entry into the pre-trial intervention program if the state Attorney General�s office has its way.

Standing outside a court room here, Deputy Attorney General Edward Bonanno said his office opposes allowing Thomas McFarland Jr. into the program, but he would not cite the specific reasons why.

McFarland�s defense attorney, Joseph Rodgers, said the state's objections are tied to the impact the dumping had on Avalon and the state as a whole.

"They see it as it affects the quality of New Jersey beaches," Rodgers said.

Rodgers said his client has suffered from depression largely because his wife is suffering from cancer. Her illness, he said, has had a devastating effect on the family.

"I think it was a cry for help frankly," Rodgers said of McFarland's actions.

McFarland will return to court in May when a judge will be asked to compel McFarland's entry into the pre-trial intervention program.