All complaints concerning 680 Main Street in Evesham.
Patrick Duff made this OPRA request to New Jersey Division of Children & Families This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.
Dear New Jersey Division of Children & Families,
This is a request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form. Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
Records requested:
All complaints concerning 680 E Main Street in Evesham.
Yours faithfully,
Patrick Duff
Dear Mr. Duff,
I need some clarity on your request. Can you please advise whether the address you listed is a private home, a daycare center, a school, etc., and what kind of complaints you are seeking? Thank you for any additional information you can provide.
Warmest Regards,
Brittany
Brittany Competello, Esq.
Legal Specialist / Ethics Liaison Officer / OPRA Custodian
Office of Legal Affairs
Department of Children and Families
Office: 609-888-7780
Dear DCF OPRA Custodian [DCF],
It is a private address, and the home of Rebecca Halbach and Brandon Leconey, who were recently arrested for having 100 plus dead dogs in their home with a young child living there on August 28th of this year. I am seeking any complaints made by individuals, school officials or law enforcement about the property or Rebecca Halbach's two children. Last year the little girl ran into a 7-11 seeking help and telling the story about having dead animals all over her house and that she couldn't live there anymore. The police brought her back to the house and told the 7-11 workers everything was kosher, when we know now that it was far from kosher.
Yours sincerely,
Patrick Duff
Dear DCF OPRA Custodian [DCF],
Can you please respond? This is long overdue.
Yours sincerely,
Patrick Duff
Dear Mr. Duff,
My sincere apologies for the delayed response and thank you for your
patience. I had been anticipating your reply with the additional
clarifying information but then missed your response when it came in, I am
very sorry about that. Thank you for sending that additional information.
Your original OPRA request sought the following: All complaints concerning
680 E Main Street in Evesham.
Upon request for clarification, you provided this additional information:
It is a private address, and the home of Rebecca Halbach and Brandon
Leconey, who were recently arrested for having 100 plus dead dogs in their
home with a young child living there on August 28th of this year. I am
seeking any complaints made by individuals, school officials or law
enforcement about the property or Rebecca Halbach's two children. Last
year the little girl ran into a 7-11 seeking help and telling the story
about having dead animals all over her house and that she couldn't live
there anymore. The police brought her back to the house and told the 7-11
workers everything was kosher, when we know now that it was far from
kosher.
Unfortunately your request for records must be denied under OPRA. The
Department can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any such records
regarding allegations or investigations of child abuse, including
Institutional Abuse records, due to their high degree of confidentiality.
N. Jersey Media Grp. v. Bergen Cnty. Prosecutor’s Office, 447 N.J. Super.
182 (App. Div. 2016). The contents of the Department’s investigative
records and case files are confidential under N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.10a, which
provides that “all information obtained by [the Department] in
investigating such reports . . . shall be kept confidential” and therefore
exempt from OPRA. (Effectuated by N.J.S.A. 47:1A-9).
I have attached a receipt closing this request. Should you wish to make
any additional OPRA requests from the Department of Children and Families
in the future, kindly utilize our online portal to submit your request:
[1]https://www-njlib.state.nj.us/NJ_OPRA/de... and choose
“Children and Families” from the Department drop down list.
Thank you and warmest holiday wishes to you,
Brittany
Brittany Competello, Esq.
Legal Specialist / Ethics Liaison Officer / OPRA Custodian
Office of Legal Affairs
Department of Children and Families
Office: 609-888-7780
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