New Jersey lawmakers recently proposed legislation that would require the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to handle the investigation and prosecution of crimes involving a person’s death by law enforcement officers acting in their official capacity, or while in custody. The bill would also require all trials to be
A divided New Jersey appeals court recently held that the public has the right to access recordings from the mobile video recorders (MVRs) in police vehicles under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). However, it is likely that the Supreme Court of New Jersey will have the final word on
The City of Newark recently enacted an Environmental Justice and Cumulative Impacts Ordinance. Under the landmark ordinance, developers will be required to provide certain sustainability information to the Board of Adjustment and Central Planning Board as part of an application for land use approvals. The City maintains that the ordinance
In a win for municipalities, the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court held that municipal affordable housing obligations do not include a “separate and discrete” gap-period obligation. In reaching its decision, the appeals court cited the core principles of the Mount Laurel doctrine and the plain language of
New Jersey citizens planning to vote for the next President will need to make sure that they are registered three weeks prior to the election. In Rutgers University Student Association v. Middlesex County Board of Elections, the Appellate Division rejected a legal challenge to the state’s 21-day pre-election registration requirement.
The Federal Aviation Administration recently finalized its rules governing non-hobbyist unmanned aviation systems (UAS), commonly known as drones. The new rules cover a broad spectrum of commercial uses for drones weighing less than 55 pounds and, of particular interest to New Jersey municipalities, do not include a federal preemption provision.
In Brick Township PBA Local 230 v. Township of Brick, the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court held that that N.J.S.A. 40A:10-21.1, L. 2011, c. 78, § 42 (“Chapter 78”) does not require ordinary or accidental disability retirees to make premium payments for health insurance benefits. In reaching
The Supreme Court of New Jersey recently upheld the cost of living adjustments (COLA) freeze implemented by the Christie Administration under a 2011 pension reform law. In reaching its decision in Richard W. Berg v. Hon. Christopher J. Christie, the state’s highest court rejected arguments that the COLA adjustments were just
