Federal Court Rules Federal Government Can’t Withhold Funding from Sanctuary Cities

A New York federal judge recently gave sanctuary cities a significant legal victory. U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos of Manhattan issued a permanent injunctionprohibiting the Department of Justice (DOJ) from imposing immigration-related conditions on Edward Byrne Memorial Assistance Grant (Byrne-JAG) public safety funds distributed in New Jersey, as well as New York City,

U.S. Supreme Court Asked to Consider NJ Church Grant Case

Morris County is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether excluding religious institutions from receiving taxpayer funds as part of a historic preservation program conflicts with the Supreme Court’s decision in Trinity Lutheran v. Comer and the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause.  Facts of the Case In 2002, the

NJ Appeals Court Upholds Ordinances Imposing Landlord Fees

In Christopher C. Cona v. Township of Washington, the Appellate Division upheld a local ordinance imposing certain landlord fees. In reaching its decision, the appeals court distinguished the matter from Timber Glen Phase III v. Township of Hamilton, which struck down an ordinance requiring landlords to be licensed and pay

NJ Supreme Court Clarifies MLUL Time of Application Rule

In Dunbar Homes, Inc. v. Zoning Board of Adjustment of Franklin Twp., the Supreme Court of New Jersey (MLUL) clarified the Time of Application Rule. It held that an application for development is only complete when all required documents are submitted for review, including all documents mandated under a municipal

NJ Supreme Court Rejects Appellate Division’s Expanded Rice Notice Requirements

In the recent decision of Kean Federation of Teachers v. Ada Morell,the Supreme Court of New Jersey clarified two requirements under the New Jersey Open Public Meeting Act (“OPMA”): (1) to make meeting minutes “promptly available” to the public as required by     N.J.S.A. 10:4–14; and (2) to provide employees, whose

NJ Supreme Court Rules Public Auction Records Subject to OPRA

In William J. Brennan v. Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, the Supreme Court of New Jersey held that the state’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA) compels the disclosure of documents including the names and addresses of persons who successfully bid at an auction of public property. The court’s decision is particularly