A New Jersey municipality that had sued an 82-year-old woman for seeking a “burdensome” number of public records has dropped its lawsuit, after a wave of media attention and backlash. Irvington Township in 2021 sued Elouise McDaniel for filing numerous requests under the state’s Open Public Records Act. “They were trying to intimidate Ms. McDaniel,” […]
Tag: New Jersey Open Public Records Act
NFOIC joins amicus brief supporting release of police internal affairs records in New Jersey
The National Freedom of Information Coalition and 23 other organizations joined a Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press amicus brief supporting the release of police internal affairs records in New Jersey. In July 2019, a retired New Jersey police officer submitted a New Jersey Open Public Records Act request seeking access to police internal […]
NFOIC signs brief urging release of New Jersey corrections officer’s settlement agreement
The National Freedom of Information Coalition, along with a dozen other organizations, joined a Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press amicus brief in a New Jersey case concerning access to settlement agreements between public employees and public agencies. Libertarians for Transparent Government sought a settlement agreement between a former corrections officer and Cumberland County, […]
Out-of-State Plaintiffs Covered by Open Public Records Act, New Jersey Court Says
he Appellate Division ruled on Tuesday that a person seeking records under the state’s Open Public Records Act does not have to be a resident of the state. In a published opinion covering a trio of consolidated cases, a three-judge panel said the state Legislature, in enacting OPRA, didn’t mean for it to appeal to in-state […]
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Prisoner’s Wins Appellate Court seeking Department of Corrections federal funding log
A prisoner at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton has won an Open Public Records Act case at the New Jersey Appellate Court division level that is also a victory for open government advocates. Prisoner Kevin Conley sought data generated by the New Jersey Department of Corrections regarding federal funding logs that is subject […]
New Jersey court allows 3rd-party open records requests
A New Jersey appeals court has ruled citizens can seek public records requests filed by others.
One of the plaintiffs had sought all public records requests filed in connection with the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case. Others had sought records from the Motor Vehicle Commission and state Department of Education.
Republican Gov. Chris Christie's office and numerous state agencies had sought to reverse a judge's ruling granting the requests.
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Court: N.J. can act like some public records don’t exist
TRENTON, N.J. — A state appeals court ruled Wednesday that government agencies in New Jersey may deny access to public records by saying they can “neither confirm nor deny” their existence.
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N.J. judge: Police videos may soon be ‘shielded in secrecy’
Public access to footage from police dashboard cameras and body cameras in New Jersey may be in jeopardy if an appellate court ruling in June is allowed to stand, warns Middlesex County state Superior Court Judge Travis Francis.
The ruling pertains to an exemption of police video recordings under New Jersey's Open Public Records Act, which the appellate court reviewed in North Jersey Media Group v. Lyndhurst. Continue…
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Jersey City mayor not releasing meeting calendar
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop is blocking release of his meetings calendar because he has an expectation of privacy and shouldn't have to document "every minute" of his time, his spokesman said.
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Jersey Journal had to fight for Parking Authority records showing who got breaks
From NJ.com: After receiving about 10 boot void sheets from a source, The Jersey Journal filed an Open Public Records Act request on Oct. 24 seeking all sheets the JCPA has on record for the last three years.
On Nov. 6, JCPA attorney Aurelio Vincitore denied the newspaper’s request, saying that releasing the sheets would “substantially interfere with the state or federal government’s ability to protect and defend its citizens against acts of sabotage or terrorism if disclosed.”
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