In James Meyers v. State Health Benefits Commission, (New Jersey Supreme Court Slip Opinion A-27-22) (087633) the New Jersey Supreme Court examined a New Jersey public employee’s right to “free” retiree health benefits under the legal doctrine of Equitable Estoppel. In this matter, James Meyers, was a New Jersey State Trooper that had since retired
NJ Supreme Court
Supreme Court Reaffirms “Reasonably Debatable” Standard In Reviewing Arbitration Awards
As reported in the New Jersey Law Journal, Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association Local 67 (FMBA #67), filed a grievance against the Borough of Carteret in regard to a staffing issue that the parties had agreed to which was subsequently retracted by the Borough. The case was taken to an arbitration hearing and…
NJ Attorney General Files Application Seeking to Dissolve Stay of Implementing Directives 2020-05 and 06
At approximately 10:30 PM on July 9, 2020, The State Attorney General sought permission to file a motion seeking emergent relief to dissolve the stay to implement Directives 2020-5 & 2020-6 entered by the Appellate Division earlier that day. The stay as currently entered delays the Attorney General’s ability to implement Directives 2020-5 & 2020-6…
New Jersey Supreme Court Rules Police Dashcam Videos Not Subject to Public Disclosure In Most Circumstances
As reported by NJ.com, the New Jersey Supreme Court issued a ruling wherein video of New Jersey Police Officers chasing down and arresting suspects will not be turned over to the public and the media in many cases. A divided Supreme Court ruled 4-3 in the matter entitled Paff v. Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office…
Supreme Court Clarifies Meaning of “Undesigned and Unexpected” Event To Qualify For Accidental Disability Benefits For A Mental Disability
As reported by the New Jersey Law Journal, the New Jersey Supreme Court recently clarified the meaning of the term “undesigned and unexpected” event as it pertains to qualifying for accidental disability retirement benefits for a mental disability in the case of Mount v. Board of Trustees, Police and Firemen’s Retirement System. In the…
New Jersey Supreme Court to Determine if Volunteer Firefighters Can Receive Workers’ Compensation Benefits
As reported by the New Jersey Law Journal, the New Jersey Supreme Court has taken up the issue of whether a volunteer firefighter who was injured while responding to a fire should be awarded workers’ compensation benefits. The firefighter, Jennifer Kocanowski, is seeking to overturn an Appellate Division decision determining that, since she was…
NJ Supreme Court Will Decide Whether OPRA Covers Police Dash Cam Videos
As reported by the New Jersey Law Journal, the New Jersey Supreme Court will hear the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office’s appeal in a case examining whether the public can access videos recorded by police dashboard cameras. In a 2-1 unpublished decision released in August, the Appellate Division said a police dashcam could be considered…
Police Dash Cam Footage and Use-of-Force Reports Must be Turned Over Under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act
This past week the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that dashboard recordings and use-of-force reports generated in connection with the fatal police shooting of a man who led officers on a high speed chase through several North Jersey towns are public records and thus subject to disclosure under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act. …
Moody’s Comments on Various NJ Pension Issues
As reported by NJ.com, Moody’s Investors Service again sent up a warning flare that a possible New Jersey Supreme Court ruling striking down cuts to public retirees’ pension benefits would soak the struggling retirement system with new pension liabilities. But in its latest report released on the “extraordinary decisions and challenges” the Garden State…
NJ Lawmakers Clash Over Forcing Bigger Pension Payments
As reported by NJ.com, State Senate President Stephen Sweeney and labor leaders defended Sweeney’s proposal to constitutionally enforce payments into the public pension system against arguments it’s a gift to special interests that will shackle New Jersey’s finances. The scrap between Sweeney and labor leaders versus Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. and business…