CJ Griffin Quoted in Article on Obtaining Public Records in the State of New Jersey
CJ Griffin, Director of the Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, was quoted in New Brunswick Today article, “Questioned on Gutting Records Act, Gov. Murphy Declares ‘We’re at War.’" The article discusses the recent amendments to New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA) as “[a]mong the most devastating blows to government transparency in recent memory.“
“Those who frequently file OPRA requests know that agencies already frequently fail to comply with OPRA’s deadlines,” wrote CJ Griffin, an attorney who specializes in OPRA cases. “Frankly, many wonder why this bill was necessary in light of the fact that agencies already routinely take extensions.”
Griffin said the new law “evidences a very clear legislative intent that agencies should always comply with OPRA’s statutory seven-day deadline and that any ‘reasonableness’ arguments for a delay should be rejected unless there is a declared emergency.”
“We hope the courts and GRC will agree and put an end to agencies automatically granting themselves endless extensions.”
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