New Jersey

N.J. Justice Censured

A justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court has been censured by his colleagues for interceding with police and the courts in a delinquency case against a youth accused of bullying his son. The court said Justice Roberto Rivera-Soto’s actions created an appearance of impropriety, the New Jersey Law Journal…

Jul 23, 2007 1:43 PM CDT

N.J. Fee Arbitrations Remain Secret

The New Jersey Supreme Court has declined to adopt a rule that would let parties talk publicly about attorney fee arbitrations. The state Professional Responsibility Rules Committee had recommended that the gag be lifted, the New Jersey Law Journal reports. Under the proposal, clients who arbitrate a fee dispute with…

Jul 20, 2007 1:50 PM CDT

3rd Circuit Nominee a Surprise

One of President Bush’s four recent nominees to federal appeals courts faces an uphill battle because of concerns expressed by two Democratic home-state senators. Bush nominated Shalom Stone to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals without input from New Jersey’s senators, Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, the New Jersey…

Jul 19, 2007 1:31 PM CDT

Panel Urges Censure for N.J. Justice

Censure is appropriate for a New Jersey Supreme Court justice who interceded in a case against a youth accused of bullying his son, according to the state’s Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct. The committee concluded in its presentment (PDF posted by Law.com) that Justice Roberto Rivera-Soto engaged in conduct prejudicial…

Jul 13, 2007 3:00 PM CDT

Suit Spurs Gov. to Quit E-mail

New Jersey’s governor won’t be using e-mail following a lawsuit seeking messages he exchanged with a state union president. Gov. Jon Corzine claims the messages are shielded by executive privilege, but he intends to avoid the possibility of future discovery disputes, the New York Times reports. “We’ll go back to…

Jul 12, 2007 1:46 PM CDT

Case Over for NJ Man Jailed 22 Years

A New Jersey man jailed for 22 years after being convicted of murdering his former girlfriend’s two children has been freed and will not face new charges after a DNA test linked another man to the crimes. A state prosecutor announced today that Byron Halsey, 46, will not be recharged…

Jul 9, 2007 9:15 PM CDT

Fearful Witnesses Protect Gangs

Police fighting gang crimes in Trenton, N.J., are stymied by witnesses who are too afraid to come forward. At least 20 people were present during a gang gunfight more than a year ago that injured an innocent bystander: 7-year-old Tajahnique Lee who was struck in the face by a bullet…

Jul 9, 2007 5:29 PM CDT

Opinion Opens Door to MDP

A New Jersey ethics opinion gives a boost to law firms that invest in outside businesses. The private opinion, made public in the July 2 edition of New Jersey Lawyer, according to the New Jersey Law Journal, says lawyers may refer clients to investment companies in which they have an…

Jul 9, 2007 2:14 PM CDT

Civil Union Law Lacks Clout

Same-sex couples who got hitched under a New Jersey civil-unions law are running into roadblocks that bar them from getting the same benefits as married couples. A survey by the gay-advocacy group Garden State Equality found that as many as one in eight couples were denied at least some of…

Jul 2, 2007 5:58 PM CDT

N.J. Chief Justice Confirmed

The New Jersey Senate has approved a new chief justice and attorney general. Stuart Rabner will leave his job as attorney general to head the state’s top court and Anne Milgram will replace him, the New Jersey Star-Ledger reports. At age 46, Rabner will be New Jersey’s youngest-ever chief justice.…

Jun 22, 2007 5:04 PM CDT

N.J. Lawyer Accused in Accident Scheme

A New Jersey personal injury lawyer and his law firm face charges that they sought insurance payments for a phony car accident. The indictment accuses Irwin Seligsohn and his West Orange, N.J., firm of conspiring to submit $32,500 in insurance claims for the fake accident, according to New Jersey Lawyer.…

Jun 22, 2007 1:52 PM CDT

N.J. AG Nominee Has Prosecution Credentials

A woman who helped win some of the first convictions under laws intended to protect human trafficking victims will attend hearings today on her nomination to become New Jersey’s attorney general. Anne Milgram obtained the trafficking convictions at the U.S. Justice Department, the New York Times reports in a profile.…

Jun 21, 2007 2:17 PM CDT

Lone N.J. Juror Can Decide Retardation

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a defendant may not receive a death sentence if at least one juror finds he is mentally retarded. The court said the finding must be made in a sentencing hearing after a guilty verdict, the New York Times reports. The court said…

Jun 19, 2007 3:13 PM CDT

Second Lead-Paint Suit Fails

State supreme courts handed paint manufacturers two victories this week in lawsuits seeking cleanup costs for lead paint used before it was banned as a health hazard in 1978. Today the New Jersey Supreme Court dismissed a public nuisance suit filed against lead paint makers by 26 towns and counties,…

Jun 15, 2007 8:42 PM CDT

Seizure of Unproductive Land Blocked

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled today that local governments may not seize land merely because it is unproductive and could be put to better use. The court said the state constitution permits seizure of land for redevelopment only if it is blighted, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Supreme Court Chief…

Jun 13, 2007 7:17 PM CDT