The city of Bayonne, New Jersey, has admitted that it didn't clearly explain why it denied part of an open public records request and will be paying $5,000 in legal fees to resolve a lawsuit over the matter.
The city's Feb. 22 admission comes about a month after it said in an opposition brief that it "provided an appropriate and lawful response" to the request.
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Read More… from New Jersey city admits open records violation, must pay $5K in legal fees
Facing scrutiny and criticism from civil rights and open government groups, a leading state lawmaker said Tuesday he was considering changes to proposed legislation that would shield police video and 911 recordings from the public.
"This is a work in progress," state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) said of his bill (S788), which would exempt such recordings and transcripts from the New Jersey's Open Public Records Act, during a transparency forum hosted by the Bergen County chapter of the NAACP.
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Meeting the public’s demand for open government data presents opportunities for elected and appointed officials, as well as many challenges, including associated costs and privacy issues, a Rutgers report finds.
Forty representatives from academia, civic groups, media, municipal, county and state government and open government advocates participated in an Open Government Data Thought Forum to learn about issues related to making various data collected and held by government agencies available to the public in unrestricted, reusable and redistributable form.
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A bill before the New Jersey Legislature would cut public access to police video and audio recordings in New Jersey, making them accessible only by law enforcement or through a court order.
The measure (S788) would create an exemption to New Jersey's Open Public Records Act for "law enforcement camera recordings" as well as 911 calls and transcripts. Its introduction comes as police departments across the state are implementing body camera programs amid a national climate of scrutiny of law enforcement practices spurred by high-profile police shootings.
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Read More… from N.J. lawmaker pushes bill to keep police videos, 911 calls from public
A New Jersey appeals court ruled in favor of Gov. Chris Christie's office Thursday in a dispute over a reporter's request for the governor's out-of-state travel expense records.
The three-judge panel held reporter Mark Lagerkvist's request exceeded the limits of New Jersey's Open Public Records Act.
Last year, Lagerkvist requested records of Christie's travel to third-party-funded events, including who paid for his travel. The records custodian said it was not specific enough and denied the request.
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Read More… from Court nixes attempt to obtain records on Christie’s travel
We have the right to know what our government is up to. It's the law.
But public officials in New Jersey have been finding new ways to avoid complying with sunshine laws and open-government advocates fear this may have a chilling effect on holding the powerful accountable.
Among recent examples:
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Read More… from How some New Jersey officials try to keep public in the dark
New Jersey's largest newspapers and some of the biggest U.S. media companies are challenging a 2013 ruling by a Bergen County judge that they say gives government agencies in New Jersey unprecedented power to deny requests for public records.
Experts call it one of the most consequential legal battles involving privacy rights and government transparency New Jersey has seen in years. A state appeals court heard oral arguments for nearly two hours Tuesday.
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Read More… from Media companies begin appeal of N.J. public records ruling
On August 31, the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government (NJFOG) submitted a formal Petition for Rulemaking to the Local Finance Board (LFB) within the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA). (The petition and NJFOG’s cover letter can also be found on the DCA’s website.)
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Read More… from NJFOG seeks changes in how ethics complaints are handled
