In an October 2, 2015 decision, Burlington County Assignment Judge Ronald E. Bookbinder ruled that a requestor does not have to reside in New Jersey in order to use and enforce his or her rights under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA).

In a written decision in Scheeler v. Atlantic County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund, et al, Docket No. BUR-L-990-15, Bookbinder said that even though N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 states that the purpose of OPRA is to benefit the “citizens of this State,” there are “many operational provisions of OPRA in which the phrase ‘any person’ is used, with no mention of a citizenship requirement.” He also reasoned that New Jersey citizens benefit from the transparency and efficiency that OPRA fosters regardless of whether a request is made by a resident or nonresident. Finally, Judge Bookbinder ruled that a citizenship requirement “would be incredibly easy to evade” because OPRA requires custodians to honor anonymous records requests.

The Joint Insurance Fund had denied access to “Confidential and Privileged Memos” pertaining to legal invoices that Scheeler had requested. Bookbinder found that Scheeler was entitled to redacted versions of those memos and awarded him $18,326.10 in legal fees and costs. Scheeler was represented by CJ Griffin of Hackensack. Since the fee order was entered on December 24, 2015, the Joint Insurance Fund has until early February to appeal.

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Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

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