Update: Court Rules Rutgers Open Meeting Law Violations Not Actionable

The New Jersey Supreme Court recently ruled that violations of the state’s Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) by Rutgers University are not actionable. While the court acknowledged that the university’s Board of Governors did not fully comply with the letter of the law, it held that the minor violations did

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

Just How Far Away Must a Strip Club Be? New Jersey’s “Buffer Zone” Law Challenged

Whether Hott 22, a strip club in Union Township since 1995, can remain open depends how it measures up—with a tape measure.  A federal court in this New Jersey lawsuit will now decide how to measure the “buffer zone”—with a tape measure held from point A to point B as

U.S. Supreme Court Grants Immunity to Part-Time Municipal Attorney

The U.S. Supreme Court recently expanded immunity from suit to private attorneys and other individuals hired by the government to carry out its work. The case, Filarsky v. Delia, will have a wide impact on cities and towns across New Jersey, particularly smaller communities that hire private New Jersey attorneys

Does New Jersey’s Proposed Internet Gambling Law Sidestep Constitutional Challenges?

Legislation to legalize Internet gambling in New Jersey is moving forward. On March 5, the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee voted 3-0 in favor of the bill. Unlike the prior version of the bill introduced last year, the current legislation is designed to sidestep the need

New Jersey Judges at Center of Constitutional Fight

The NJ Supreme Court recently considered whether New Jersey judges could be forced to contribute more money towards their pension and health care coverage. The case invokes New Jersey constitutional law because the state’s constitution contains a previously untested and relatively unknown provision that prevents judges’ salaries from being decreased

New Jersey Newspaper Not Liable for Defamation Over “Teaser”

The New Jersey Supreme Court recently decided a defamation lawsuit against a weekly New Jersey newspaper, finding that it was not liable for a false front-page teaser. The central issue in Ronald Durando and Gustave Dotoli v. The Nutley Sun and North Jersey Media Group, Inc. was whether the editor

Can a New Jersey Courtroom Be Constitutionally Defective?

According to a recent decision, a New Jersey courtroom can be deemed defective on constitutional grounds. The courtroom in question, located in Warren County, came under scrutiny after a criminal defendant argued that its layout obstructed his view of the witness box and thus violated the Confrontation Clause of the