When responding to a request under New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA), municipalities frequently seek to redact information that should not be disclosed. However, in order to avoid an improper denial of access complaint, it is important make sure that all OPRA redactions are not only performed properly but
New Jersey public bodies that have not yet embraced the Internet will be forced to do so in 2013. A law taking effect on February 1, 2013, will require all State, regional, environmental and local authorities, boards and commissions to maintain an Internet website or webpage. The goal is to
New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA) will remain one of the top compliance concerns for New Jersey municipalities in 2013. This post offers several tips in the areas that often cause the most confusion. Understand Your Deadline: Under OPRA, record custodians have seven business days to respond to a
Under New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA), a requestor who prevails in any proceeding brought under the law is entitled to a reasonable attorney’s fee. The Appellate Division recently clarified what happens when a party only achieves limited success in a lawsuit. The Facts of the Case Wolosky v.
E-mail addresses could soon be a thing of the past when it comes to New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act. The state Assembly recently passed legislation (A-1280) that would include e-mail addresses in the list of confidential items to be redacted from public records under OPRA. OPRA currently provides a
A New Jersey appeals court recently ruled that a draft report prepared by staff within the New Jersey Department of Health concerning a hospital’s application for a certificate of need is exempt from disclosure under state’s Open Public Records Act. The court specifically found that the requested documents were fully
Hurricane Sandy has turned many New Jersey municipalities upside down. Although many are trying to conduct business as usual, routine tasks such as complying with requests under New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act have often become more difficult. To address concerns, the New Jersey Government Records Council has issued an
The New Jersey Supreme Court has agreed to consider an Open Public Records Act case involving the law’s interplay with the attorney work-product privilege and common interest rule. The question before the court is whether these doctrines exempt documents from disclosure under OPRA. In O’Boyle v. Borough of Longport, Plaintiff Martin
