CJ Griffin Quoted in Law360’s NJ Midyear Report on Significant Wins for Public Records Access News
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, “NJ Midyear Report: Disbarment Rethink, Record Access Wins.” The article discusses two recent New Jersey Supreme Court wins in which Griffin represented the plaintiff seeking records under New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA). In Libertarians for Transparent Government v. Cumberland County, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that a settlement agreement with a corrections officer who was administratively charged with wrongdoing, but later retired in good standing, but subject to disclosure under OPRA. In Rivera v. Union County Prosecutor's Office et al, while acknowledging that police internal affairs reports are not subject to OPRA, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that such reports should be released under the common law right of access. The Court also set forth factors that public agencies and trial courts should consider when deciding whether to release internal affairs reports.
CJ Griffin of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden PC, who represented the different parties seeking records in the two cases, said the decisions will be "two powerful tools to learn about police misconduct and the way in which internal affairs units function and hold officers accountable and the terms by which officers depart from employment."
"I also think they both get at this concept that we don't have to rely upon government press releases or statements to reporters about what occurred, that we get to see actual documents and find out what's there," Griffin said.
To view the full article on Law360.com, click here.
Our firm is proud of the results it has achieved for clients, some of which are noted here. Of course, each legal matter is unique on many levels, and past successes are not a guarantee of results in any other pending or future matters.