New Jersey – Page 3 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Jersey City launches new data platform to make city ‘more transparent’

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Jersey City officials announced today the launch of a revamped online portal that will provide residents easier access to public data.

The new Jersey City Open Data Portal, which gives residents access to a wide range of information — from city budgets to maps of bike lanes — includes enhanced data mapping and visualization features, and what officials describe is a more advanced software platform. Continue…

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N.J. judge: Police videos may soon be ‘shielded in secrecy’

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Public access to footage from police dashboard cameras and body cameras in New Jersey may be in jeopardy if an appellate court ruling in June is allowed to stand, warns Middlesex County state Superior Court Judge Travis Francis.

The ruling pertains to an exemption of police video recordings under New Jersey's Open Public Records Act, which the appellate court reviewed in North Jersey Media Group v. Lyndhurst. Continue…

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New Jersey: Court to review Housing Authority’s OPMA violations

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On August 21, Union County Superior Court Judge James Hely is scheduled to hear argument in a case against the Summit Housing Authority for non-compliance with New Jersey's open public meetings law. The matter is currently set for 9 a.m. in Elizabeth.

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New Jersey: Court finds that Summit Housing Authority violated OPRA

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Union County Superior Court Judge James Hely issued an opinion on Monday, July 13 that the Summit Housing Authority failed to properly reply to an Open Public Records Act request for minutes of the non-public (executive or closed session) meetings of its Board of Commissioners.

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New Jersey: Summit Housing Authority sued for public meeting and records violations

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The New Jersey Foundation for Open Government (NJFOG) on May 29 filed suit in Union County Superior Court against the Summit Housing Authority and its Custodian of Records alleging violations of the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) and Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA).

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New Jersey: Court Tells City: No, You Cannot Sue Someone For Making A FOIA Request

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Open records requests and lawsuits go hand-in-hand. Agencies obfuscate, stall, perform deliberately inadequate searches and fail to respond in a timely manner. These actions frequently result in lawsuits, which are notably almost always filed by the requester.

The Hamilton Township of New Jersey isn't like other government agencies. It's far more proactive. Continue>>>

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NJFOG wins its OPMA case against the Trenton Board of Education

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The New Jersey Foundation for Open Government (NJFOG) filed a lawsuit (Docket No. MER-L-11-15) against the Trenton Board of Education earlier this year. The suit involves multiple violations of the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) and Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA).

NJFOG previously announced that OPRA counts were decided in our favor, with a hearing on OPMA counts scheduled on June 29, 2015. Continue>>>

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NJFOG: Atlantic County Judge says public agencies can’t sue under OPRA!

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A judge in Atlantic County has just held that public agencies cannot sue records requestors for declarations that the records sought are not subject to the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). The court affirmed that only the requestor can sue under OPRA and awarded attorney’s fees to the defendant-requestor!

Click HERE to see the opinion and order in the case, Township of Hamilton v. Scheeler et al. Continue>>>

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Companies hijacking state’s Open Public Records Act for profit, municipal clerks say

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Visit a municipal clerk's office and you will likely hear griping about the Open Public Records Act.

"We hate OPRAs here," a Kearny clerk's office employee muttered to a reporter for The Jersey Journal picking up a request for a list of all town salaries.

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State agrees to adopt transparency initiative

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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 an “up to” dollar amount in each resolution that awards a public contract.

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