State v. Jackson, ___ N.J. ___ (2020). In a per curiam opinion, the Supreme Court today affirmed the ruling of the Appellate Division in this case (actually, two consolidated cases), reported at 460 N.J. Super. 258 (App. Div. 2019). The Court substantially adopted the reasoning of Judge Alvarez, who wrote the panel’s opinion. The two inmates were held in different facilities. Each facility had a written policy, which was provided to inmates, that inmate telephone calls (other than those to legal counsel or Internal Affairs) would be monitored and recorded. For different reasons in each...

Digital First Media v. Ewing Tp., ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2020); Bozzi v. Borough of Roselle Park, ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2020). Today, Judge Sumners issued an opinion for the Appellate Division in the Bozzi case. Judge Alvarez authored the panel’s opinion in Digital First Media on Wednesday of this week. Both opinions resulted in reversals of the Law Division and wins for the plaintiffs in these Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) cases. Today’s case (actually, two consolidated cases) involved a plaintiff who sought access to dog license records issued by...

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...