Criminal Statute of Limitations and the Effect of DNA Testing: The Supreme Court Will Speak

The Supreme Court announced today that it has granted certification to review the Appellate Division’s decision in State v. Thompson. The question presented, as phrased by the Supreme Court Clerk’s office, is “When does the statute of limitations for a ...

Justice Pierre-Louis’s First Opinion for the Court

State v. Outland, ___ N.J. ___ (2021). This unanimous ruling was the first opinion authored by Justice Pierre-Louis. It was a robbery case in which defendant, who had a prior criminal record and was at the time of trial serving ...

Two FDCPA Opinions From Judge Porter

Moyer v. Patenaude & Felix, A.P.C., ___ F.3d ___ (3d Cir. 2021); Klotz v. Celentano Stadtmauer and Walentowicz LLP, ___ F.3d ___ (3d Cir. 2021). These two opinions, both by Judge Porter, came from two different panels, of which Judge ...

Governor Murphy Nominates Rachel Wainer Apter to the Supreme Court

That did not take long. As discussed here, Justice LaVecchia announced on March 8 that she would leave the bench in August. Today, one week later, Governor Murphy announced that he was nominating Rachel Wainer Apter to fill that seat. ...

Successor Liability (or Non-Liability) on a Commercial Lease

160 West Broadway Associates, LP v. 1 Memorial Drive, LLC, ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2021). Judge Messano issued this opinion for the Appellate Division today. Though there were other issues and claims against other parties at the trial ...

The Supreme Court Addresses the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

Delanoy v. Township of Ocean, ___ N.J. ___ (2021). As discussed here, the Appellate Division issued the first opinion regarding the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a component of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, in this case last year. The ...

Justice LaVecchia Will Retire From the Bench

Justice LaVecchia announced yesterday that she will retire from the Supreme Court in August of this year. Her full statement follows: “It has been a privilege to hold the position of an Associate Justice for these more than 21 years. ...

The Direct Action Statute and Arbitration

Crystal Point Condominium Ass’n v. Kinsale Ins. Co., 466 N.J. Super. 471 (App. Div. 2021). Plaintiff filed a construction defect litigation regarding balconies and slabs at plaintiff’s 42-story condominium building. Among the defendants were the structural engineer for the construction ...

Another Mass Tort Case Headed for the Supreme Court?

Hrymoc v. Ethicon, Inc., ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2021). This lengthy opinion by Judge Sabatino reversed trial verdicts for plaintiffs in two product liability cases involving pelvic mesh medical devices. The two verdicts together totaled $83 million in ...

Unemployment is Not “Substituted Employment,” and Unemployment Benefits Are Not “Pay or Salary”

Ciripompa v. Bd. of Educ. of Borough of Bound Brook, ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2021). Judge Gummer well summarized her opinion for the Appellate Division today in its first paragraph: ” Plaintiff appeals the Commissioner of Education’s final ...