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

Another Consumer Arbitration Clause Case, and a Criminal Appeal, for the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has granted certification in two new cases. The first is yet another matter involving whether and when consumer disputes can be forced into arbitration. That case (actually,...

"Deemed Adopted" Administrative Law Judge Disciplinary Decision Gets the Same Deference on Appeal as Agency's Imposition of Discipline or Trial Court's Sentencing Decision

In re Hendrickson, 235 N.J. 145 (2018). This first Supreme Court opinion of the current Term is by Justice Albin. The opening paragraphs of his ruling concisely and completely describe...

House Judiciary Committee Votes for Live Streaming of U.S. Supreme Court and Circuit Court of Appeals Oral Arguments

The House Judiciary Committee, by a voice vote, advanced the Judiciary Reforms, Organizational and Modernization Act of 2018, known as "the Judiciary ROOM Act." The bill number is H.R. 6755....

As Summer Nears Its End, the Third Circuit Cranks Out Opinions

This time of the year there are slim pickings in terms of published opinions of the Supreme Court of New Jersey or the Appellate Division. Even unpublished Appellate Division opinions...

Back in Action!

Due to travel over most of the past two weeks (and getting "back in the game" once having returned), there have been no posts here. But the courts have been...

A Big (In Every Way) Decision Under the New Jersey Constitution's Legislative Review Clause

Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO v. New Jersey Civil Service Commission, 234 N.J. 483 (2018). In one of the biggest constitutional decisions of the current term, an unusually divided Supreme...

State University Development Proposals: A Tweak to Rutgers v. Piluso

Montclair State University v. County of Passaic, 234 N.J. 434 (2018). This case centered on the proper application of Rutgers v. Piluso, 60 N.J. 142 (1972). As discussed here, in...

Court Rule Amendments Effective on September 1, 2018

The Supreme Court announced late yesterday that it has adopted a number of amendments to the New Jersey Court Rules, effective as of September 1, 2018. The full list of...

The Supreme Court Takes Up Two More Criminal Cases and a Spill Act Appeal

The Supreme Court announced today that it has granted certification in three more cases. Two of those are criminal appeals, each involving sentencing issues. The third case presents an issue...

Some Holders of Tax Sale Certificates May Have Standing to Challenge Development Approvals on Neighboring Property

Cherokee LCP Land, LLC v. Linden Planning Bd., 234 N.J. 403 (2018). The Municipal Land Use Law, N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq. ("MLUL") confers standing to actions of municipal land use...

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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....