Posted inNJ Civil Settlements

Cumberland County confidentially paid out $215,000 to settle arrestee’s claim that jail guards beat him, stomped on his face.

According to the man’s lawyer, the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s office found that there was probable cause to charge one of the guards, a lieutenant, with aggravated assault and other charges, but no such charges have been brought to date. Also, the Prosecutor has denied my request for the video that captured the alleged beating. In […]

Posted inNJ Civil Settlements

Lebanon Borough School District quietly paid $235,000 to settle former employee’s wrongful termination lawsuit.

On October 21, 2021, the Lebanon Borough School District (Hunterdon County) confidentially paid $235,000 to a former administrative assistant who said she was fired after she reported the superintendent’s alleged failure to act on a student’s repeated suicide threats. In her August 11, 2019 lawsuit, Leah Driscoll, who was hired by the school district in […]

Posted inNJ Open Government Notes

NJ Legislative committee to mull OPRA amendment that will exempt current and former elected officials’ and current office seekers’ addresses from public disclosure.

On Thursday, June 23, 2022, 10 a.m., the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee will consider moving S-2871 forward in the legislative process. S-2871, like its identical Assembly companion bill, A-4094, seeks to add the following exemption to to the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). That portion of any document which discloses […]

Posted inNJ Civil Settlements

Passaic County quietly paid $850,000 to settle woman’s negligence suit against sheriff’s captain.

On April 27, 2022, the County of Passaic confidentially paid $850,000 to a woman who said that a Passaic County Sheriff’s Captain witnessed her get shot and pistol-whipped but failed to intervene. In her lawsuit filed on September 5, 2019, Tishell Jackson claimed that while driving to go shopping on January 3, 2018, her ex-boyfriend […]