NJ Supreme Court to consider whether Fire Cos. are subject to OPRA

The New Jersey Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case in which the Appellate Division held that Millstone Valley Fire Department is an “instrumentality” of the Franklin Fire District #1 (Somerset County) and is therefore a “public agency” subject to the Open Public Records Act.   RELATED POST: Appellate Court: Volunteer Fire Company is Read More …

NJ Supreme Court to decide who has a right to sue

The New Jersey Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal of the Appellate Division’s December 18, 2015 ruling that only requestors can file an OPRA lawsuit, or rather, that there is no declaratory judgment action for public agencies with regard to records requests.   A-68-15 In the Matter of the New Jersey State Fireman’s Read More …

Princeton Council criticized for not revealing closed session agenda

Governing bodies all too frequently enter closed session without disclosing the specific topics to be discussed as required by the OPMA. News site Planet Princeton criticizes the Princeton Council for this ongoing practice and states “officials don’t seem to care about the issue,” leaving citizens little recourse but to sue to gain compliance. The article Read More …

NJ Supreme Court mulling rule change for litigants who use OPRA

Often when preparing to file a lawsuit against a public agency, a plaintiff submits OPRA requests to gather detail relevant to the case. OPRA research also may continue after the suit is filed and before it is concluded. This is not uncommon. “I have often made requests after winning an OPRA case, but before attorney Read More …