New Jersey Foundation for Open Government
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In an unpublished opinion issued on 11/14/2017, an Appellate Court ruled that the State Local Finance Board (LFB) must have a quorum of two thirds of its members to act. The ruling concerned the LFB’s vote, when only half of its members were present, to overturn the decision of a local ethics board. NJ Read More …
In her ruling on 10/30/2017, Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson rebuked the Division of State Police for its abysmal handling of OPRA requests, noting the agency’s “pattern and practice” of taking weeks or months to respond. The article contains an audio clip of the Judge’s comments on the matter that is worth a listen. Open Read More …
A October 16, 2017 Appellate Court ruling blocks access to “student records” by non-authorized persons without parental consent or a court order. This would appear to include matters of significant public concern. John Paff wrote, “This sweeping decision appears to justify the complete suppression, at least initially, of all settlement agreements that resolve lawsuits filed Read More …
On October 13, 2017, Mercer County Judge Mary Jacobson issued injunctions requiring Open Public Meetings Act compliance by both the Public and Charter Schools in Princeton, New Jersey. Judge Jacobson also pointed out the irony of one board violating OPMA while suing the other for OPMA violations! While NJFOG was not involved in this lawsuit, Read More …
The Editors of the New Jersey Law Journal have written an excellent commentary piece on the New Jersey Supreme Court’s 8/3/2017 decision in the case of Jeff Carter v. NJ State Firemen’s Association (NJSFA) (A-68-15). Below is NJFOG’s short summary of the case and court findings. We recommend reading the Editorial for greater detail. Background: Read More …