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

A Slew of New Supreme Court Grants of Review

The Supreme Court announced that it has granted review in seven new appeals. Two of those matters (one civil and one criminal) involve leave to appeal, while the others are before the Court on grants of certification....

A Criminal Appeal Involving the "Duty to Retreat," and a Civil Case About the Statute of Limitations for Breach of an Installment Contract

The Supreme Court announced that it has granted certification in two new appeals. One is a criminal matter and the other a civil case. The criminal case is State v....

The First Two Supreme Court Grants of Review in the 2024-25 Term

The Supreme Court announced today that it has granted review in two appeals. They are the first grants of review of the current Term. One involves a grant of leave...

"Compact" Ward Boundaries Under the Municipal Ward Law

Jersey City United Against the New Ward Map v. Jersey City Ward Commission, 478 N.J. Super. 132 (App. Div. 2024). [Disclosure: My firm, Lite DePalma Greenberg & Afanador, LLC, represents...

The Supreme Court Affirms in State v. Rosado

State v. Rosado, 256 N.J. 93 (2023). As discussed here, the Appellate Division, in an opinion by Judge Gilson, held that a January 3, 2002 amendment to the criminal statute...

Another Short Week, and Another Catch-Up Post

In the past two weeks, an Appellate Division brief and a Supreme Court petition consumed much time. So, in this shortened Thanksgiving week, it's time to catch up on the...

Last Week's Appellate Division Published Opinions

Preparation for an Appellate Division oral argument made it difficult to keep up with that court last week. The Appellate Division issued three published opinions during that time. (The Supreme...

And One More Thing …

This should have been in the previous post. The Supreme Court granted certification in State v. Rosado. The questioned presented, as phrased by the Supreme Court Clerk's office, is "Does...

Verizon's Arbitration Agreement "Unenforceable in Its Entirety" Since it is "Permeated by Provisions Which Are Unconscionable and Violative of New Jersey Public Policy"

Achey v. Cellco Partnership, 475 N.J. Super. 446 (App. Div. 2023). New Jersey and federal law favor arbitration, and courts will often enforce arbitration clauses contained in consumer contracts. But...

2002 Amendment to the Criminal Statute of Limitations Cannot Apply Retroactively to Allow Prosecution of an Offense Allegedly Committed in 1990

State v. Rosado, 475 N.J. Super. 266 (App. Div. 2023). Judge Gilson began his opinion for the Appellate Division in this case today as follows: "This appeal presents a novel...

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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....