CJ Griffin Quoted in Law360 Article regarding a Case Brought by the ACLU on Whether the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey is a Public Agency Subject to the State's Open Public Records Act
CJ Griffin, Director of the Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C., was quoted in the Law360 article, “ACLU Push for NJ Prosecutors’ Records Meets Skepticism.” The article discusses the current efforts underway by the ACLU – NJ to learn more about how prosecutors are shaping the Garden State's criminal justice system.
Appellate Division Judge Ronald Susswein later echoed that point after CJ Griffin of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden PC, representing Libertarians for Transparent Government as amicus in support of the ACLU-NJ, likened CPANJ to the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.
But Thompson and Griffin maintained that even though it was not statutorily created, CPANJ still met the definition of a public agency under OPRA as being an "instrumentality within or created by a political subdivision of the state or combination of political subdivisions."
Griffin noted that the association is "created and controlled and funded by the government."
"It's comprised entirely of the prosecutors' offices. Its governing board consists entirely of them," Griffin said, adding that CPANJ's budget is "coming from these membership dues and conference fees that are paid by public agencies."
Amicus curiae Libertarians for Transparent Government is represented by CJ Griffin of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden PC.
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