NJ Supreme Court rules in North Jersey Media v. Lyndhurst Twp.

NEW JERSEY FOUNDATION FOR OPEN GOVERNMENT’S STATEMENT REGARDING NORTH JERSEY MEDIA GROUP, INC. V. TOWNSHIP OF LYNDHURST (N.J. SUPREME COURT OPRA CASE – ACCESS TO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATORY RECORDS) By Walter M. Luers, Esq.   Today, July 11, 2017, the New Jersey Supreme Court set forth a comprehensive framework for how law enforcement must respond to Read More …

Judge orders release of dash cam video but denies plaintiff’s recovery

In an OPRA case in Hunterdon County, the Judge favored disclosure of a dash cam video based on one precedent but denied reimbursement of the plaintiff’s legal fees based on another that was the basis for the public agency’s non-disclosure. As stated in the below blog post, when there are conflicting decisions that relate to Read More …

Lawsuit cites conflicting Appellate decisions on access to police records

The below blog post about an OPRA lawsuit for police incident reports and “use of force” reports discusses the Appellate decision (North Jersey Media Group v. Lyndhurst Twp.) that cut access to many law enforcement records “that even tangentially relate to criminal investigations.” Plaintiff John Paff, through his attorney, argues for release of the records Read More …

A3626 further erodes public access to crime records

NJFOG agrees with the NJ Press Association and the Press of Atlantic City’s position against bill A-3626, which proposes an overly-broad exemption to the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) for the identities of violent crime victims and witnesses. The editorial points out that victims’ needs are already balanced against the needs of the public under Read More …

NJ Supreme Court to hear case that cut access to police records

UPDATE (7/11/2017):  On July 11, 2017, the New Jersey Supreme Court released its decision in North Jersey Media v. Twp of Lyndhurst. The mixed ruling reverses the Appellate Court in part but also allows agencies to withhold some records under certain conditions. Read our summary here for more detail.   UPDATE (11/9/16):  The NJ Supreme Read More …