Author: Donald Scarinci

Who Were The People Responsible For NJ Congressional Redistricting in 2012?

Democrats in New Jersey experienced their greatest loss since the defeat of Governor John Corzine in this month’s primary.  Congressional redistricting resulted in a divisive Democratic Primary between two incumbent Congressmen in the 9th Congressional District and the expected loss of one Democratic member of Congress from the New Jersey

Stand Up and Be Counted: How Population Shifts Impact New Jersey Elections

While many don’t give a second thought to the government census forms that arrive in their mailboxes every ten years, they have a profound effect on our political representation. Both congressional apportionment and redistricting must be undertaken after each U.S. census to reflect population changes over the past decade. In

Harris Rejected in Battle For Political Balance On New Jersey Supreme Court

For the second time in modern history, the Senate Judiciary Committee has rejected the Governor’s nominee to the New Jersey Supreme Court by a vote of 7-6 after a hearing lasting approximately five hours. New Jersey lawyer Bruce Harris would have made history as the court’s first openly gay member

In New Jersey, Justice May Not Be Denied, But It Will Be Delayed

New Jersey faces a serious shortage of trial court judges, and the growing judicial vacancy rate will soon impact how long it takes for cases to be decided. In Essex County, the shortage prompted Assignment Judge Patricia Costello to suspend complex civil litigation and all matrimonial trials for at least

Kwon’s Failure to Withdraw Makes History

Judicial nominees who withdraw their names when they know they don’t have the votes for confirmation are never remembered very long. Philip Kwon, on the other hand, has made his mark on New Jersey legal history by either becoming the first or one of very few nominees to the New

When Will Same-Sex Marriage Litigation Reach the Supreme Court?

President Barak Obama made headlines last week when he announced his support for same-sex marriage. The announcement follows his decision earlier this year to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in same-sex marriage litigation. While both of these actions help advance efforts to make same-sex marriage legal throughout

Could OPRA Lead to Privacy Concerns for New Jersey Citizens?

The debate on the balance between individual privacy and the public’s right to information about public business is back in the center of attention as the New Jersey State Legislature continues to debate the state’s open government laws. Assemblyman Jack M. Ciattarelli announced his plans to introduce legislation that would

Practice of “Sequencing” Comes Under Fire in Rutgers Open Meeting Case

The New Jersey Supreme Court is currently considering whether Rutgers University broke New Jersey law when its Board of Governors met privately to discuss the university’s football program. Because it is a state institution, Rutgers is subject to New Jersey’s Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) and must follow certain rules