EDITORIAL: Jailhouse texts show worth of N.J. records law

Our friends at the Camden NAACP were successful in achieving disclosure of internal affairs documents regarding the exchange of racist texts among corrections officers. -NJFOG   By South Jersey Times Editorial Board South Jersey Times | NJ.com February 19, 2016     Continue reading here.   —   RELATED POST: https://njfog.org/2015/11/18/camden-county-judge-allows-release-of-racist-texts/        

Activist seeks to force Passaic County to disclose cost of civil rights settlement

Settlement agreements entered into by governmental agencies are public documents.  That is well-established.  (See our Knowledge Corner HERE.)  This OPRA case is interesting in that it concerns disclosure of the terms of the settlement before its final drafting and adoption by the governing body. – NJFOG December 2, 2015 (updated 12/3/15) By Richard Cowen staff writer | The Record Read More …

Open-government activist pursues investigation of Cape May County sheriff

“The courts have held that once an investigation is closed, the government’s interest in confidentiality is less,” said Paff, who believes that the public has a right to know what an investigation is about, even if no charges are eventually filed.  -NJFOG Press of Atlantic City / PressofAtlanticCity.com By RICHARD DEGENER, Staff Writer November 17, Read More …

Camden County Judge allows release of racist texts

Courier-Post By Jim Walsh Nov. 17, 2015 (full article here) CAMDEN – Corrections officers who smuggled cellphones into Camden County Jail had no right to privacy once the phones were discovered by investigators, a state judge said Monday. Superior Court Judge Louis Meloni made that finding in rejecting an effort to keep secret more than Read More …