As Judge Fasciale’s majority opinion in this case today states, “[i]n 1973, Sundiata Acoli murdered State Trooper Werner Foerster and assaulted State Trooper James Harper.” A jury found him guilty of murder, atrocious assault and battery, armed robbery, and other crimes. He was given a sentence that amounted to life plus 24-30 years. When Acoli became eligible for parole, the Parole Board conducted a “paper hearing” and denied parole. Acoli appealed, and the case went to the Supreme Court. In Acoli v. New Jersey State Parole Bd., 224 N.J. 213 (2016), the Court...

Quinteros v. Attorney General of the United States of America, ___ F.3d ___ (3d Cir. 2019). This was an immigration appeal. As Judge Roth summarized it in her opinion for the Third Circuit (the other panel members were Judges McKee and Ambro) today, “The Board of Immigration Appeals found that Nelson Quinteros committed an aggravated felony and failed to show entitlement to relief under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). Quinteros argues that the Board committed two errors: First, the Board erred in finding that his conviction for conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon...

In the Matter of Clifton Gauthier, Rockaway Tp., ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2019). Clifton Gauthier, a Rockaway Township police officer, was suspended in January 2014, and later indicted, for allegedly “interfer[ing] with the prosecution of a family member, who was being prosecuted for driving while intoxicated.” He was diverted to the Pretrial Intervention Program (“PTI”), which he successfully completed in January 2017. He was reinstated in March 2017. Gauthier sought back pay for the years of his suspension. The final decision of the Civil Service Commission...