CJ Griffin Quoted in New Jersey Monitor Article regarding Successful Petition to Supreme Court

CJ Griffin, partner and director of the Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C., was quoted in a New Jersey Monitor article titled, “N.J. Supreme Court Weigh Whether Towns Must Disclose Some Residents’ Email Addresses.” The article discusses how Griffin successfully petitioned the New Jersey Supreme Court to hear an appeal in Rise Against Hate v. Cherry Hill, et al. Griffin’s client, Rise Against Hate, a non-profit organization, requested email newsletter distribution lists from three towns so that it could send emails to residents about important civil rights issues and racial disparities in the use of force by local police departments. The Appellate Division held that the lists were not subject to OPRA, but Rise Against Hate seeks to reverse that decision in the Supreme Court.

“Towns gather these email lists to send out emails to residents for a variety of valid reasons, but they also become tools for incumbents to spin their accomplishments. Rise Against Hate just wants to be able to let residents know about racial disparities in policing, rises in bias crimes, pay disparities … all stuff the local politicians likely wouldn’t send an email blast about,” said Griffin.

The New Jersey Supreme Court is expected to start hearing cases again in the fall.

The new standards being proposed by the appellate ruling “ignores OPRA’s plain language and legislative history” according to Griffin.

“We hope to prevail, which means Rise Against Hate will get the email list (just as we have from many other agencies) and be able to educate residents about important civil rights issues,” said Griffin.

To read the full article, click here.