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

Law of the Case Doctrine Does Not Extend From One Party to Another Party Not in Privity

State v. K.P.S., 221 N.J. 266 (2015). Two defendants who had been charged in the same indictment with many of the same crimes sought to suppress certain evidence. The Law...

The Appellate Division Addresses a "Rehash"

New Jersey Healthcare Coalition v. New Jersey Dep't of Banking & Insurance, 440 N.J. Super. 129 (App. Div. 2015). According to today's opinion by Judge Reisner, every few years "health...

FLSA Plaintiff Wins Under an Exception to an Exemption

McMaster v. Eastern Armored Services, Inc., 780 F.3d 167 (3d Cir. 2015). Plaintiff Ashley McMaster was a driver and/or guard (some days she drove, and other days she rode as a...

The Supreme Court Revisits the Constitutionality of the Redevelopment Law

62-64 Main Street, LLC v. Hackensack Mayor & Council, 221 N.J. 129 (2015). The Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-1 to -73, defines when an area is blighted and...

A "Case of First Impression": Who Bears the Cost of a Special School Election?

In re December 9, 2014 Special School Election, 439 N.J. Super. 416 (App. Div. 2015). The City of Cape May sought to withdraw from a limited purpose school district that...

No Constitutional Right to Encroach on State Property

State v. Cherry Hilll Mitsubishi, Inc., 439 N.J. Super. 462 (App. Div. 2015). The State brought a summary action against the defendant car dealers, alleging that those dealers had been encroaching on...

"[T]echnical Defects Should Not Serve to Defeat an Otherwise Valid Filing"

Vanderslice v. Stewart, 220 N.J. 385 (2015). This case arose out of a mandatory, non-binding arbitration of an auto accident. Rule 4:21A-6(b)(1) requires that a party who seeks to appeal...

Trial Period Plan Agreement With Mortgage Lender is a Conditional Agreement to Modify a Mortgage

Arias v. Elite Mortgage Group, Inc., 439 N.J. Super. 273 (App. Div. 2015). This opinion by Judge Reisner affirmed a grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendant bank...

The Effect of a Master Plan Reexamination Report

Myers v. Ocean City Bd. of Adj., 439 N.J. Super. 96 (App. Div. 2015). This opinion by Judge Ostrer, issued last Friday, addresses N.J.S.A. 40:55D-62(a), a provision of the Municipal...

Keeping Current With the Entire Controversy Doctrine

Ricketti v. Barry, 775 F.3d 661 (3d Cir. 2015). State court judges see a lot of New Jersey's entire controversy doctrine ("ECD"). Some federal judges, not so much. This opinion,...

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The 2025 Omnibus Court Rule Amendments and Other Changes

The Supreme Court announced amendments to Court Rules and appendices, as well as certain other procedural changes. That announcement is embodied in an Omnibus Rule Amendment Order that is available here....

"Abuse of Discretion" vs. "Patent and Gross Abuse of Discretion"

State v. Taylor, ___ N.J. ___ (2025). N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6(c), a part of the Graves Act, makes the use or possession of a firearm during the commission, attempted commission, or flight from the commission of certain designated offenses a sentencing factor that triggers the imposition of a mandatory term of imprisonment. A later-added section of the Graves Act, N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6.2, creates an "escape valve," under which a prosecutor may seek from the court a waiver of the imposition of a mandatory minimum sentence where the prosecutor believes that such a sentence would not serve the interest of justice....

A "Swan Song" for a False Light Invasion of Privacy Claim on Statute of Limitations Grounds

Chipola v. Flannery, ___ N.J. ___ (2025). As discussed here, this case was one of two that the Supreme Court agreed to review in its first grants of review of the current Term. The question presented was "Does a claim alleging false light invasion of privacy have a one-year statute of limitations, see Swan v. Boardwalk Regency Corp., 407 N.J. Super. 108 (App. Div 2009)?" Today, agreeing with the Law Division and the Appellate Division, the Supreme Court answered "yes."...

What Weapons Offenses Are Subject to the Parole Ineligibility Requirement of the Graves Act?

State v. Cromedy, ___ N.J. ___ (2025). The Graves Act, N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6(c), prescribes a minimum term of incarceration for firearm-related offenses under certain subsections of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5, as well as a mandatory period of parole ineligibility. In this case, the issue was whether a weapons offense conviction of violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(j) is covered by the Graves Act. The Law Division and the Appellate Division each held that it was. The Supreme Court reversed in a unanimous opinion by Justice Noriega....