[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6480682,"mediaKeyId","5692079-79f05c966a617ea4bc988dae498b7f86","parentId",5692079,"title","Cranston council legal counsel Stephen Angel and Council President Jessica Marino submit resignations","audioSeconds",692,"startMs",4332000,"endMs",5024000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692079-79f05c966a617ea4bc988dae498b7f86&start=4332&end=5024","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692079-79f05c966a617ea4bc988dae498b7f86/thumbnail_4332000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6480682/Cranston-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Cranston-council-legal-counsel-Stephen-Angel-and-Council-President-Jessica-Marino-submit-resignations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6480682-be8b6a672562539ab097ca134067b793/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147147&Signature=Gr2Js-1HdQ14W8Pu1wFTzjWIb2FjPlj643AVsJEO8rr27BGnAnBtL6wT7D28IkntUXZBHzG-oQe3s8DI-SQC~KYgFx5nZ9qMT4PlTdJecYOorEq76P53n6QFRSH52-XYFe9sjvmlYZw3XY-bBwVmN4BuBFZ0JVQQdDeLmk7XyLbZfotPlS~kK2qnh6gDx16L7E9yCw~vC~Pddkojlh1dCHY3L5A2dafxw90OgmJ6852OdIzLl-4maPGxEZ9Gzko8as8TVujsonY04h82ffqRevgdgs-VLtHtwkSm3wF3-LQGxAPuEKwioTeNOyMNntHA2DnstdtjaISH1gtA6HYINQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author"," City of Cranston","date","2025-08-28T02:47:38.837Z","article","Stephen Angel, the Cranston City Council’s legal counsel, announced his resignation effective Sept. 30, 2025, and asked that his resignation letter be entered into the record. Angel spoke at the Aug. 27 special council meeting and criticized the Hopkins administration and others for what he described as personal attacks, saying his work advising the council had been performed “at the highest level” and that accusations against him were driven by a political vendetta.

Angel told the council he had served the city in multiple roles, citing past work in 2003 and more than five years as the council’s legal counsel. He said, \"The volume of blatantly false and misleading information funneled to the council, the public, and the media from this administration is staggering and deeply concerning,\" and announced, \"effective 09/30/2025 ... I resign my position as legal counsel to the Cranston City Council.\" The council moved to enter his resignation letter into the meeting record; the roll call recorded all members present voting yes.

Council President Jessica Marino also announced her resignation at the Aug. 27 meeting, saying she would resign “effective at the conclusion of the meeting this evening, August 27.” Marino framed the decision as a response to what she described as malicious and vindictive conduct toward her and others and said she did not “feel the joy” of public service amid the current environment. Marino, the first female council president in the city’s history, read a resignation letter that thanked residents and summarized her time in office, including noting she was the top vote-getter citywide in the 2024 general election.

Council members offered remarks after both announcements. Several colleagues praised Marino’s leadership and thanked both Marino and Angel for their service; Councilman Traficante said he had “never seen anything like this” in 43 years of public service and expressed disappointment about the resignations. The council voted to enter Marino’s resignation letter into the record by roll call; the clerk recorded unanimous yes votes at that roll call.

No personnel votes or replacements were taken at the meeting. Angel said his resignation had been submitted in writing to the city clerk and asked that the letter be distributed to council members. Marino said she would return to private life to address personal matters and that she appreciated the support of residents and colleagues.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 27, 2025, Special City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","City Council legal counsel Stephen Angel announced his resignation effective Sept. 30, 2025; Council President Jessica Marino resigned her council seat effective at the end of the Aug. 27 meeting.","taxTitle","Cranston City, Providence County, Rhode Island","taxId",4549,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6480687,"Cranston City Council votes 7-2 to enter executive session on Patton litigation, seals minutes",220,1008000,1228000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692079-79f05c966a617ea4bc988dae498b7f86&start=1008&end=1228","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692079-79f05c966a617ea4bc988dae498b7f86/thumbnail_1008000.jpg","/articles/6480687/Cranston-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Cranston-City-Council-votes-7-2-to-enter-executive-session-on-Patton-litigation-seals-minutes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6480687-4b41db8e92a400ca4402c6ad1dd20c26/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147147&Signature=lBKMfwv3nli5gwc5lC8M4kwuJLm~IxIqvveigU88wc61GTnxxFXGNHk6PjNhSJjTYJ~Tma7TKMv5hrgmJs4ukr4giYuGK90qQVMZLVtUsI~qsf~O7nIirSSNe~09h6b1hbeUsB7k~vu7yHbHf5AwBaz6i4eoTEeNK9DV3xHEQsbckfTM0B7h5C~OWe7mIUpJYNEBbyYFekto6l7mFm-dGVI2VFhwXKPwmPwfSkKBdrPNMaCuaFG9MEMZkF4ucf7gwGOeuWOSX8zFHAt0oiqdSZPxQ~mjTQmgewfDxgmWc0ShnBXe4YJnAJjOUdVNQhWGrSEFDrX3nT7oK717I9yq0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cranston City Council voted 7-2 on Aug. 27 to meet in executive session under Rhode Island law to discuss litigation and then voted to seal the minutes of that closed session.

Council President Jessica Marino moved to take up item 4, an executive session “pursuant to Rhode Island General Laws, section 42-46-5(a)(2), for litigation or prospective litigation regarding Patton versus Cranston City Council,” and the council approved the motion by roll call. The clerk recorded votes: Councilmen Bonanno, Graziano, Heroyan, Andujar, Traficante, Vice President Wall and President Marino voted yes; Councilmen Campobiano and Ritz voted no. After the closed session, the council reported that votes were taken in executive session and then voted to seal the minutes; the seal motion passed by the same roll-call split (7 yes, 2 no).

The council discussed whether the matter should be handled in open session before voting. Councilman Ritz and Councilman Campobiano said residents had urged greater transparency and that, as far as possible, matters should be discussed publicly. Councilman Ritz said he would vote no and wanted to “explain” his no vote. Councilman Campobiano said he was “against going exec session” and urged openness. City Solicitor Malay told the council the open-meetings statute provides an exception allowing—but not requiring—executive session for attorney–client discussions and litigation matters.

No details of the litigation were discussed in public during the meeting beyond the case name recorded by the clerk, Patton v. Cranston City Council, and an OMA (open meetings act) complaint dated Aug. 21 related to this special meeting. Council President Marino said attorney–client discussions should “absolutely remain between the attorney and the client,” asserting that public discussion could put the city “in jeopardy.”

Motion and vote records from the meeting indicate: (1) a motion to go into executive session under R.I. Gen. Laws §42-46-5(a)(2) passed by roll call (7–2); (2) after returning from executive session the council reported votes had been taken in executive session; and (3) a motion to seal the executive-session minutes passed by roll call (7–2). The meeting minutes to be sealed were not made public at the meeting and no further public details were disclosed.

The council had earlier approved a motion to take the agenda out of order at the start of the session; that procedural motion passed unanimously by roll call.","The Cranston City Council on Aug. 27 voted 7-2 to go into executive session under Rhode Island law for litigation related to Patton v. Cranston City Council, then voted to seal the session minutes.","actionData","errors"]

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Cranston council legal counsel Stephen Angel and Council President Jessica Marino submit resignations

Cranston City Council votes 7-2 to enter executive session on Patton litigation, seals minutes