“I am grateful that no one was seriously injured and I feel horrible about that situation. But there is a court process,” said Councilwoman Amy DeGise at a meeting of Jersey City Council Wednesday night. DeGise said she would not relinquish her council seat after more than 50 speakers demanded she resign over failing to stop and waiting six hours to report a hit-and-run accident. It was DeGise’s first public comment since the July 19 accident involving a cyclist who had run a red light.

Describing vulgar insults and death threats that she has received, DeGise said, “I hope no one here is ever subjected to this amount of trauma … When the legal process in traffic court is finished, I will have more to say. And I will address outstanding concerns and questions. And in the meantime, I’m not resigning.”

Speakers, who waited hours at the jampacked meeting, showed little sympathy for DeGise. “Despite what you may now be feeling, you are not the victim, here. The victim is the person who was hit and driven away from, without hesitation,” said Will Vandenberg. DeGise’s father, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, said, “Aren’t you supposed to have the trial first, then you hang ’em after that?”