Lapsley v. Sparta Tp., ___ N.J. ___ (2022). As discussed here, this Workers’ Compensation Act case was one in which plaintiff, a librarian at the Sparta Public Library, was walking through a parking lot owned by the Township to where her husband, who had come to pick her up, had parked their car. She was hit by a snowplow owned by the Township and driven by a Township employee. She sued for Workers’ Compensation benefits, and the Division of Compensation agreed that she should receive them. The Township appealed, and the Appellate Division reversed. Today, however, the Supreme...

State v. Lodzinski, ___ N.J. ___ (2021). Today, the Supreme Court voted 4-3 to reverse the murder conviction of Michelle Lodzinski. Previously, as discussed here, the Court had split 3-3 (Chief Justice Rabner did not participate), with the result that the Appellate Division’s affirmance of the conviction was upheld. The Court then voted to grant reconsideration and to bring up Judge Fuentes, the senior judge of the Appellate Division, to provide a seventh vote, as discussed here. The lineup of the Justices today was the same as in those previous appearances of this case before the...

Today is a court holiday for New Jersey state and federal courts. That affords an opportunity to catch up with this week’s published opinions from the Supreme Court,, the Appellate Division, and the Third Circuit. Here are summaries of those rulings (the Third Circuit also issued some published immigration decisions this week, which are not covered here): Glassman v. Friedel, ___ N.J. ____ (2021). In this unanimous opinion by Justice Patterson, the Court “address[ed] the allocation of damages in cases in which a plaintiff asserts claims against successive tortfeasors and settles...