The Supreme Court of New Jersey has agreed to consider how to apply the state’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA) to security camera footage. The case, Patricia Gilleran v. Township of Bloomfield, specifically involves whether a municipality must publicly disclose security video footage captured by a stationary camera in a
On September 17, 2015, a new Municipal Agency General Records Retention Schedule took effect that addresses the retention of video surveillance recordings. Local governments should be sure to revise their policies and procedures accordingly. The New Jersey Bureau of Records Management establishes records retention schedules for all public records. The
Rutgers University recently prevailed in a lawsuit alleging violations of the Open Public Records Act and the common law right of access. The Appellate Division’s decision in Academy Express LLC v. Rutgers, The State Univ. highlights the confusion that can arise when OPRA challenges become entangled with public contract disputes.
The Appellate Division recently ruled against a plaintiff attempting to anonymously pursue a complaint under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA) in Superior Court. According to the court’s decision in A.A. v. Gramiccioni, there is no statutory authorization, rule authorization or compelling reason authorizing the plaintiff to prosecute
New Jersey lawmakers have approved legislation that would require municipalities to release a bid list prior to the bid date. The bill currently awaits Gov. Chris Christie’s signature. Assembly Bill No. 947 would specifically require local contracting units to release, upon request, the names of all parties who have received
Gov. Chris Christie recently signed legislation that will require the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to comply with the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) in New Jersey and the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) in New York. While the two laws share many similarities, there are a
The Appellate Division recently addressed whether a municipality must publicly disclose security video footage captured by a stationary camera in a municipal building. The decision in Patricia Gilleran v. Township of Bloomfield, highlights that technology is increasingly at the center of disputes involving the state’s Open Public Records Act. The
New Jersey municipalities should be aware that the new law requiring traffic patrol vehicles to be equipped with cameras is now in effect. The new mandate applies to any vehicle acquired on or after March 1, 2015. The new legislation, which was signed last fall by Gov. Chris Christie, will
