NJ Appellate Law Blog – NJ Appellate Lawyer Bruce D. Greenberg blogs about Appeals and Appellate Law Practice

A Relatively Rare Exercise of Original Jurisdiction by the Appellate Division

Royal Tax Lien Services, LLC v. Shuaib, 2017 WL 1955269 (App. Div. May 11, 2017). Rule 2:10-5 authorizes an appellate court to exercise "such original jurisdiction as is necessary to...

"Summertime, Summertime, Sum-, Sum-, Summertime" in the Appellate Division

The Appellate Division schedule of Parts for the period June 19 through September 13 was published today and is available here. As usual, no judge is on duty for more...

"Technology" is the Key Word at the Third Circuit Judicial Conference

In this electronic age, technology is everywhere. So it was perhaps inevitable, and welcome to most, that the common thread running through much of the Third Circuit Judicial Conference, which...

Reinforcements for the Appellate Division

Due to a major of my own in a mass tort case on Tuesday of this week, I missed the announcement that five trial level judges are receiving additional temporary...

Offers of Judgment and High-Low Agreements

Serico v. Rothberg, 448 N.J. Super. 604 (App. Div. 2017). In this medical malpractice case, plaintiff and defendant entered into a "high-low" agreement while awaiting a jury verdict. As Judge...

Two Issues Under the Open Public Meetings Act

Kean Federation of Teachers v. Morell, 448 N.J. Super. 520 (App. Div. 2017). As a public body, Kean University's Board of Trustees is subject to the Open Public Meetings Act,...

Judge Barry Steps Away

The Associated Press has reported that Judge Barry has decided to go on inactive status. According to Chief Judge Smith, Judge Barry will be giving up her chambers and staff....

Judge Carol E. Higbee (1950-2017)

Judge Carol E. Higbee, who has been an Appellate Division judge for two years and, before that, a trial level judge in Atlantic County for 21 years, died on January...

Fee Awards Under Consumer Statutes Can Go Beyond the Extent of a Plaintiff's Success On His or Her Complaint

DeGarmeaux v. DNV Concepts, Inc., 448 N.J. Super. 148 (App. Div. 2016). As Judge Manahan stated in his opinion for the Appellate Division in this case, "[t]he issue of reasonbleness...

Volunteer Emergency Medical Technician is Not a "Public Servant" for Purposes of the Official Misconduct Statute

State v. Morrison, 227 N.J. 295 (2016). In today's unanimous opinion by Justice Albin, the issue was whether a volunteer emergency medical technician ("EMT") is a "public servant" who can...

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"Hot Fun in the Summertime": Appellate Division Summer Parts

In an Order available here, Chief Justice Rabner announced the lineup for the Appellate Division's summer Parts. As has been customary, the "summer" runs not between the meteorological start and end dates for summer, nor from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but from June 16 through September 7....

The Supreme Court Confirms That Municipalities Can be Subjected to Sanctions for Frivolous Litigation

Borough of Englewood Cliffs v. Trautner, ___ N.J. ___ (2025). This appeal presented the question of whether municipalities can be liable to pay sanctions for frivolous litigation, under the Frivolous Litigation Statute, N.J.S.A. 2A:15-59.1 ("the FLS"). In a 5-0 opinion written by Justice Fasciale (Chief Justice Rabner and Justice Hoffman did not participate), the Court affirmed, as modified, the decision of the Appellate Division that upheld the Law Division's imposition of FLS sanctions against the Borough....

The "Castle Doctrine"

State v. Bragg, ___ N.J. ___ (2025). A jury found defendant guilty of twelve charged counts, including attempted murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, endangering, and two lesser-included offenses of harassment. Some of those charges involved the use of deadly force. Persons may not use deadly force if the can retreat with complete safety. But under the "castle doctrine," an exception to the general rule, a person "is not obliged to retreat from his dwelling, unless he was the initial aggressor." N.J.S.A. 2C:3-4(b)(2)(b)(i). That doctrine derives from the common law....

No Arbitrariness in Rejection of Public Construction Bid That Failed to Include a Properly Signed, Required Consent of Surety

In the Matter of Protest Filed by El Sol Contracting and Construction Corp., Contract T100.638, ___ N.J. ___ (2025). This public bidding case resulted in a 5-2 split at the Supreme Court, the first non-unanimous ruling of the current Term. Justice Hoffman wrote the majority opinion, while Justice Fasciale authored the dissent for himself and Justice Pierre-Louis....