The mayor of Rambervillers (Vosges) was sentenced Thursday February 8 to six months in prison and was declared ineligible for two years by the Epinal criminal court, with provisional execution, for acts of moral harassment, he said. -we learned from lawyers.
The councilor, Jean-Pierre Michel (DVD), was prosecuted for acts of moral harassment against employees of the municipality, with
“repeated comments or behavior having the object or effect of a deterioration of working conditions which could attack the rights, dignity, health or professional future of others
.
The 64-year-old elected mayor, elected mayor of this town of 5,000 inhabitants in 2014, and re-elected in 2020, was targeted by complaints from nine people employed by the town, for events occurring between January 1, 2016 and December 16, 2022. .
The penalty of ineligibility, pronounced with provisional execution, applies from Thursday and will apply even in the event of an appeal by Jean-Pierre Michel, who must therefore leave his functions.
“The prefect of the Vosges will have to issue an order”
in this sense, specifies to AFP Maître Stéphane Giuranna, lawyer for four civil parties.
“Very heavy” damage
In its judgment, the criminal court found Jean-Pierre Michel guilty of moral harassment against four people.
Jean-Pierre Michel
“was acquitted for many facts
,” Maître Alexandre Bouthier, counsel for the councilor, told AFP.
He indicated that he would appeal this conviction, but on the aspect of ineligibility,
“provisional execution deprives of recourse, which is something honestly remarkable.
Among all the great politicians, there is none who had a provisional execution sentence in his conviction
.
Maître Giuranna, who represented four of the nine civil parties, declared himself
“extremely satisfied”
, his four clients having all been
“recognized as victims”
.
They suffered
“very heavy”
damage , he insists.
At the hearing in December, the lawyer argued for the councilor to also be sentenced to a sentence of ineligibility.
“He is no longer mayor of Rambervillers”
and
“out of harm’s way”
, underlined Maître Giuranna.
According to the local press, the elected official declared himself
“surprised”
to be convicted when leaving the hearing, but made no further comments.