Gov. Murphy Signs Bill Incentivizing School District Regionalization

New Jersey has about 600 public school districts, which exceeds the total number of municipalities in the state. Changes could be coming under a school district regionalization bill Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed into law.  The new law, Senate Bill No. 3488, modifies certain procedures pertaining to school district regionalization,

New Jersey Supreme Court Rules Police Can’t Stop Vehicles Based on Race Alone

In State v. Peter Nyema (A-39-20/085146) and State v. Jamar J. Myers (A-40-20/082858) (Decided January 25, 2022), the Supreme Court of New Jersey held that law enforcement officers can’t stop a vehicle during an investigation based solely on a suspect’s race and gender. Facts of the Case After the robbery

New Jersey Supreme Court Overhauls Juvenile Sentencing for Homicide Convictions

In State v. James Comer (A-42-20/) and State v. James C. Zarate (A-43-20/084516), decided January 10, 2021, the Supreme Court of New Jersey overhauled the framework for sentencing juveniles convicted as adults under the state’s homicide statute. Under the court’s holding, juvenile offenders convicted under the law will be permitted

New Jersey Supreme Court Rules Youth Can’t Serve as Aggravating Factor in Sentencing

In State v. Cynthia Rivera (A-7-20/084419) (Decided December 29, 2021), the Supreme Court of New Jersey held that a defendant’s youth may be considered only as a mitigating factor in sentencing and can’t support an aggravating factor. Facts of State v. Rivera Defendant Cynthia Rivera admitted to planning and participating

Is New Jersey Poised to Remove Its Residency Requirement for Teachers?

Is New Jersey Poised to Remove Its Residency Requirement for Teachers?

Efforts are underway to eliminate the requirement that New Jersey teachers reside in the state. Under Senate Bill 4203, public school teachers and other school employees would be exempt from the residency requirement. New Jersey First Law The New Jersey First Act, enacted in 2011, established residency requirements for most

Local Government Water, Sewer, and Electric Service Shutoff Moratorium Extended

Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed legislation into law extending the shutoff moratorium for residential customers of local government water, sewer, and electric services. The moratorium, as well as the grace period for water and municipal electric charges, will now last until March 15, 2022. Extension of Grade Period for Water,

CRC Releases Cannabis FAQs for New Jersey Municipalities

As the regulatory picture begins to get clearer, many New Jersey municipalities are likely reconsidering whether to give cannabis businesses the green light to operate within their borders. To help guide the process, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) recently published the answers to several frequently asked questions. Municipal

What School Districts Should Know About Key Changes to New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Law

What School Districts Should Know About Key Changes to New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Law 

On January 10, 2022, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law S-1790/A-1662 to amend and strengthen New Jersey’s existing anti-bullying law (“New Law”). Many of the changes aim to create a school climate that will decrease harassment, intimidation and bullying (“HIB”), using various tools, such as the creation of a School Climate State