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

Judge Gooden Brown Will Become Presiding Judge of Part D of the Appellate Division

Judge Haas, the Presiding Judge of the Appellate Division's Part D, will soon reach age 70, the mandatory judicial retirement age. As a result, as stated in a February 12...

Non-Disparagement Agreements Do Not Violate the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination

Savage v. Township of Neptune, 472 N.J. Super. 291 (App. Div. 2022). Judge Haas issued this opinion of the Appellate Division. Plaintiff, a former sergeant with the Neptune Township police,...

With Judge Alvarez Retiring and Returning on Recall, Judge Haas Becomes Presiding Judge of the Appellate Division's Part D

Chief Justice Rabner issued two orders that affect Part D of the Appellate Division. One of those orders notes that Judge Alvarez is to retire on pension on March 27...

BPU Inaction for 20 Months Results in a Remand for the Agency to Act

In re Verified Petition of Retail Energy Supply Ass'n, ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2021). This appeal was from the inaction (not any action) by the Board of Public...

Back in Action

The appellate courts have not been idle since the most recent post on this blog. Opinions have been issued, the Supreme Court has taken up more cases for review, and...

Barring Owner of Two-Family Home From Leasing Both Units to Renters is Unlawful

Tirpak v. Borough of Point Pleasant Beach, 457 N.J. Super. 441 (App. Div. 2019). This per curiam opinion, issued today by a panel consisting of Judges Sabatino, Haas, and Sumners,...

Rulings on Lack of Personal Jurisdiction and Forum Non Conveniens Normally Require a Discovery Record

Rippon v. Smigel, 449 N.J. Super. 344 (App. Div. 2017). This opinion by Judge Haas today reverses a dismissal that was based on lack of personal jurisdiction, forum non conveniens,...

No Valid Settlement With DEP Absent Signature and Public Notice of Proposed Settlement

Cumberland Farms, Inc. v. New Jersey Dep't of Environmental Protection, 447 N.J. Super. 444 (App. Div. 2016). Plaintiff ("CFI") operates convenience stores and gas stations in many locations in New...

Twenty One Day Advance Voter Registration Requirement is Held Constitutional

Rutgers University Student Assembly v. Middlesex Cty. Bd. of Elections, 446 N.J. Super. 221 (App. Div. 2016). This appeal involved the constitutionality of N.J.S.A. 19:31-6.3b, which requires eligible voters to...

Hospitals Lose Their Appeal of Horizon's OMNIA Health Alliance

Capital Health System, Inc. v. New Jersey Dep't of Banking & Insurance, 445 N.J. Super. 522 (App. Div. 2016). In September 2015, the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance...

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The 2025-26 General Assignment Order

Chief Justice Rabner announced the 2025-26 General Assignment Order. It is available here....

New Jersey's Charity Care Program for Hospitals is Not a Per Se Unconstitutional Taking of Property

Englewood Hospital & Medical Center v. State, ___ N.J. ___ (2025). New Jersey has had a charity care program, in one form or another, for 178 years. As Justice Fasciale summarized the current charity care program in his opinion for a unanimous Supreme Court, under the current program "hospitals cannot turn away a patient for inability to pay, N.J.S.A. 26:2H-18.64, and patients who qualify for charity care shall not be billed for services rendered, N.J.A.C. 10:52-11.4. Instead, ‘disproportionate share hospitals' (DSHs), or hospitals that serve a disproportionate number of low-income patients, see N.J.S.A. 26:2H-18.52, receive annual subsidies from the Health Care Subsidy Fund (HCSF) in exchange for providing charity care, see N.J.S.A. 26:2H-18.52, .58, .58d."...

A Municipal Court Administrator is Employed by the Township, Not the Administrative Office of the Courts

Palmisano v. State of New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts, ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2025). The opening paragraph of Judge Marczyk's opinion for the Appellate Division well encapsulates what the appeal was about and what the result was. "Plaintiff Lindsay Palmisano appeals from the trial court's April 1, 2024 order dismissing her complaint with prejudice against defendant State of New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts and Municipal Division (AOC) pursuant to Rule 4:6-2(e). The primary issue on appeal is whether plaintiff, a municipal court administrator, is an employee of the AOC, thereby allowing her to assert a claim against the AOC under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD), N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 to -49. Based on our review of the record and the applicable legal principles, we conclude plaintiff was employed by Vernon Township (Township), not the AOC, and, therefore, we affirm."...

Supreme Court to Take Up Two Published Appellate Division Opinions

The Supreme Court announced that it has granted review in two new appeals. One is before the Court on leave to appeal. The Court granted certification in the other matter....