A Hudson County Superior Court judge recently awarded more than $280,000 in attorneys’ fees and sanctions in a defamation lawsuit against three Hoboken bloggers. The decision in Bajardi v. Pincus highlights the costly consequences of filing a frivolous SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) suit, which can often be used
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently unveiled its much-anticipated final rule to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing (AFFH). The updated regulations have been in the works for more than two years and are intended to provide program participants with clear guidelines and data to meet federal fair housing
In Morillo v. Monmouth County Sheriff Officers, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that government officials were entitled to qualified immunity for civil rights claims arising under the New Jersey Civil Rights Act (NJCRA), N.J.S.A. 10:6-2 and the federal Civil Rights Act of 1871, 42 U.S.C. 1983. Most importantly, especially
In AHS Hospital Corp d/b/a/ Morristown Memorial Hospital v. Town of Morristown, the New Jersey Tax Court found that Morristown Memorial Hospital, under its current method of operation, fails to satisfy the criteria for property tax exemption as set forth in N.J.S.A. 54:4-3.6. The precedential decision is expected to have
In Pennsgrove Associates, LP, et al. v. Carneys Point Township Planning Board, et al., the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court held that an agreement executed between a developer and planning board regarding the payment of legal fees did not amount to an unlawful quid pro quo arrangement.
The Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) in the Department of Community Affairs recently announced several bid threshold adjustments that will impact New Jersey municipality’s award of public contracts. Unless certain exceptions apply, all contracts for the procurement of goods or services by municipalities that in the aggregate exceed the
In State v. Ivonne Saavedra, the Supreme Court of New Jersey held that a school board clerk could be criminally indicted for taking confidential documents from the North Bergen Board of Education. In so ruling, the court rejected the defendant’s arguments that that Quinlan v. Curtiss-Wright Corp., 204 N.J. 239
In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a municipal ordinance enacted by the City of Los Angeles. In City of Los Angeles v. Patel, the majority held that the ordinance, which authorized police to inspect motel registration records without advance notice, violated the Fourth Amendment of the
