Minneapolis man sentenced to 24 years for kidnapping, fraud, and identity theft
St. Paul, MN – A Minneapolis man will spend 24 years in federal prison after a jury convicted him of kidnapping, bank fraud, and identity theft in a violent crime spree that…
Missouri Republican Indicted for Stem Cell Fraud Scheme, Illegally Distributing Prescription Drugs
SPRINGFIELD, MO – An elected Missouri state representative has been indicted by a federal grand jury for a fraud scheme in which she made false claims about a supposed stem cell treatment…
Contractors charged for scamming shore homeowners out of millions after Superstorm Sandy
TOMS RIVER, NJ – Two contractors who entered into agreements to repair homes damaged during Superstorm Sandy bilked victims out of more than $2 million without performing the work, prosecutors said. The…
Criminal Rehabilitation – Working Towards A Better Life For Inmates And Their Families
TOMS RIVER, NJ – Criminal rehabilitation is gaining popularity among many who are forward-thinking. Such forms of rehabilitation can help to reduce the number of repeat offenders who return to jail after…
Medical Supplies Seized from COVID-19 Price Gougers Being Distributed to Hospitals
The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the distribution of hoarded personal protective equipment (PPE), including approximately 192,000 N95 respirator masks, to those…
Coronavirus Scam: Man Tries to Sell VA 250 Million PPE Masks He Didn’t Have
Christopher Parris, a 39-year-old Atlanta, Georgia resident, was arrested today and charged in federal court in the District of Columbia with fraud for attempting to sell millions of nonexistent respirator masks to…
FBI Says COVID-19 Fraudsters Looking to Steal Your Money
Fraudsters are taking advantage of the uncertainty and fear surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic to steal your money, access your personal and financial information, and use you as a money mule. When criminals…
Fifteen NJ State Police matters pending before OAL.
On February 18, 2016, I wrote about contested disciplinary charges against State Troopers Kenneth Franco and Georgina Sirakides that I had obtained by making an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request to…
OPRA's "immediate access" provision tested in GRC filing.
The New Jersey Government Records Council has been asked to enforce a former Clifton City councilwoman’s right to “immediate access” to a contract between the Clifton Board of Education and a contractor…
Court rules on Meetings Act's "anticipated litigation" exception.
In a January 28, 2016 decision, Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Paul X. Escandon ruled in Kash v. Borough of Freehold, et al, Docket No. MON-L-2814-15 that Freehold Borough’s Redevelopment Entity’s decision…
Appeal seeks reversal of judge's ruling that OPRA requestors don't have to reside in New Jersey.
As I reported on January 22, 2016, Burlington County Assignment Judge Ronald E. Bookbinder ruled last year that records requestor Harry Scheeler does not have to reside in New Jersey in order…
Unpublished trial court OPRA opinion.
Unpublished opinions” are not published in the law books and are not ordinarily written about in legal periodicals. Unless somebody puts them on-line and calls attention to them, they are likely not…
Unpublished trial court OPRA opinion.
Unpublished opinions” are not published in the law books and are not ordinarily written about in legal periodicals. Unless somebody puts them on-line and calls attention to them, they are likely not…
Do internal affairs records become public when they are admitted into evidence a public hearing?
Update: I just received word that the County has recognized the weakness of its case and has agreed to disclose the records. On Monday, February 22, 2016 at 1:30 p.m., Camden County Superior…
Upcoming public discussion: Should video from police cameras be off-limits?
Senator Paul A. Sarlo On Tuesday, February 23, 2016, the Bergen County NAACP will host a public forum to discuss proposed legislation that seeks to prevent public access to all police camera…
Ocean City Business Administrator violated e-mail policy.
Like many municipalities, Ocean City (Cape May County) has a written policy governing employees’ use of e-mail. The third page of Ocean City’s policy states: All email, voicemail and Internet messages (including…
OPRA lawsuit seeks "informal" correspondence that revealed Bayonne lawsuits' settlement amounts.
On Friday, March 4, 2016 at 9 a.m. Hudson County Superior Court Judge Joseph A. Turula will hear my Open Public Records Act (OPRA) case against the City of Bayonne. See, Paff…
Burlington Judge: OPRA is not restricted to state residents.
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…
OPRA's applicability to volunteer fire companies.
I am aware of three cases that shed light on whether volunteer fire companies are subject to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act. Mat Stern v. Lakewood Volunteer Fire Department, et…
Hainesport ordered to pay attorney fees in common law right of access case.
On September 23, 2014, Burlington County Assignment Judge Ronald E. Bookbinder ordered Hainesport Township to disclose which Township officials and employees were receiving taxpayer subsidized health insurance. This decision was made in…
State agrees to adopt Libertarian Party's transparency initiative.
On August 1, 2014, the New Jersey Libertarian Party (NJLP) formally petitioned the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for a rule requiring municipalities and other local government units to specify…