OPRA-Req-25-1523
Date Received: 9/22/2025
Status: Received
Applicant: J. BRESSMAN
Information Requested: Please accept this electronic request for
public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access.
I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular
software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-6(f), which
states that an email from a requestor including all of the
information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of
a completed form as a valid government record request.

I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws
of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.

I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial
purpose.

I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.

Records requested: The original incident report; investigative
reports; witness statements; case summaries and all other
responsive materials relating to the December 1982 sexual
assault/homicide of Helen Morrell.

Yours faithfully,

J. Bressman

RESPONSE:

The original incident report; investigative reports; witness
statements; case summaries and all other responsive materials
relating to the December 1982 sexual assault/homicide of Helen
Morrell.

Incident Report-Exempt

This incident involved a criminal arrest/investigation and as such
is exempt from OP RA under the following: Criminal Investigatory
Record N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 North Jersey Media, Inc. v. Lyndhurst Twp,
Janeczko v. NJ Dep't of Law and Public Safety, Div. of Criminal
Justice, GRC 2002-79, GRC 2002-80,

investigative reports-

THE ABOVE OPRA REQUEST IS NOT SPECIFIC AND THEREFORE INVALID FOR
THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

A) OPRA is not intended as a research tool litigants may use to
force government officials to identify and siphon useful
information. Under OPRA, agencies are required to disclose only
"identifiable" governmental documents not otherwise exempt.
Wholesale requests for general information which have to be
collate d, analyzed and compiled by the entity are not required.
This governmental custodian is not required to conduct research,
analyze, collate, compile and/or correlate data from existing
government records.
A blanket request for all documents is not a document request
pursuant to O PRA and existing case law. MAG Entm't, LLC v . Div
of ABC, 375 N.J. Super. 534,546-549 (App. Div. 2005), "under OPRA,
agencies are required to disclose only 'identifiable' government
records and not otherwise exempt..
In short, OPRA does not countenance open-ended searches of
agency's files" Id. (emphasis added). Bent v. Stafford Police
Dep't. 381 N.J. Super. 30,37 (App. Div. 2005), N.J. Builders Ass'n
v. N.J. Council on Affordable Hous., 390 N.J. Super. 166, 180
(App. Div. 2007); Schuler v. Borough of Bloomsbury, GRC C omplaint
No. 2007-151 (February 2009).
B) A request for a "file" "all" "any and all" etc. is invalid
because it represents a blanket request for a class of various,
unidentifiable records and constitutes a broad and unclear
request. See Morgano v Essex Cnty. Prosecutors's Office, GRC
Complaint No. 2007-190 (February 2008); Nunley v N.J. State Parole
Bd., GRC Complaint No. 2013 -335 (July 2014); Redden v. Cape May
Cnty. Prosecutor's Office GRC Complaint No. 20 07-206 (September
2009); Bragg v. N.J. Dep t of Corrections, GRC Complaint No.
2010-145 (March2011); Bradley-Williams v. Atlantic Cnty. Jail, GRC
Complaint No. 2011-232 (December 2012); Torian v. N.J. State
Parole Bd., GRC Complaint No. 2013-245 (June 2014)
C) This request seeks information or asks questions and does not
identify specific government records. As such, your request is an
invalid OPRA request and is denied. When a request is "complex"
because it fails to specifically identify the documents sought,
then tha t request is not "encompassed" by OPRA. See New Jersey
Builders Association v. New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing,
390 N.J.Super. 166, 180 (App. Div. 2007). A proper request unde r
OPRA must identify with reasonable clarity those documents that
are desired, and a party cannot satisfy this requirement by simply
requesting all of an agency's documents. See Bent v. Stafford
Police Department, 381 N.J.Super. 30, 37 (App. Div. 2005).
Custodians are not required to conduct research or create new
records i n response to an OPRA request.

witness statements-EXEMPT.

This incident involved a criminal arrest/investigation and as such
is exempt from OPRA under the following: Criminal Investigatory
Record N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 North Jersey Media, Inc. v. Lyndhurst Twp,
Janeczko v. NJ Dep't of Law and Public Safety, Div. of Criminal
Justice, GRC 2002-79, GRC 2002-80,

All other responsive materials relating to the December 1982
sexual assault/homicide of Helen Morrell

THE ABOVE OPRA REQUEST IS NOT SPECIFIC AND THEREFORE INVALID FOR
THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

A) OPRA is not intended as a research tool litigants may use to
force government officials to identify and siphon useful
information. Under OPRA, agencies are required to disclose only
"identifiable" governmental documents not otherwise exempt.
Wholesale requests for general information which have to be
collate d, analyzed and compiled by the entity are not required.
This governmental custodian is not required to conduct research,
analyze, collate, compile and/or correlate data from existing
government records.
A blanket request for all documents is not a document request
pursuant to O PRA and existing case law. MAG Entm't, LLC v. Div of
ABC, 375 N.J. Super. 534,546-549 (App. Div. 2005), "under OPRA,
agencies are required to disclose only 'identifiable' government
records and not otherwise exempt..
In short, OPRA does not countenance open-ended searches of
agency's files" Id. (emphasis added). Bent v. Stafford Police
Dep't. 381 N.J. Super. 30,37 (App. Div. 2005), N.J. Builders Ass'n
v. N.J. Council on Affordable Hous., 390 N.J. Super. 166, 180
(App. Div. 2007); Schuler v. Borough of Bloomsbury, GRC C omplaint
No. 2007-151 (February 2009).
B) A request for a "file" "all" "any and all" etc. is invalid
because it represents a blanket request for a class of various,
unidentifiable records and constitutes a broad and unclear
request. See Morgano v Essex Cnty. Prosecu tors's Office, GRC
Complaint No. 2007-190 (February 2008); Nunley v N.J. State Parole
Bd., GRC Complaint No. 2013 -335 (July 2014); Redden v. Cape May
Cnty. Prosecutor's Office GRC Complaint No. 20 07-206 (September
2009); Bragg v. N.J. Dept of Corrections, GRC Complaint No.
2010-145 (March2011); Bradley-Williams v. Atlantic Cnty. Jail, GRC
Complaint No. 2011-232 (December 2012); Torian v. N.J. State
Parole Bd., GRC Complaint No. 2013-245 (June 2014)
C) This request seeks information or asks questions and does not
identify specific government records. As such, your request is an
invalid OPRA request and is denied. When a request is "complex"
because it fails to specifically identify the documents sought,
then tha t request is not "encompassed" by OPRA. See New Jersey
Builders Association v. New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing,
390 N.J.Super. 166, 180 (App. Div. 2007). A proper request unde r
OPRA must identify with reasonable clarity those documents that
are desired, and a party cannot satisfy this requirement by simply
requesting all of an agency's documents. See Bent v. Stafford
Police Department, 381 N.J.Super. 30, 37 (App. Div. 2005).
Custodians are not required to conduct research or create new
records in response to an OPRA request.

If your request for access to a government record has been denied
or unfilled within the seven (7) business days required by law,
you have a right to challenge the decision by the Township of Old
Bridge to deny access. At your option, you may either institute a
proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint
with the Government Records Council (GRC) by completing the Denial
of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free
telephone at 866-850-0511, by mail at P.O. Box 819, Trenton, NJ,
08625, by e-mail at [email address], or at their web site at
www.state.nj.us/grc. The GRC can also answ er other questions
about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superi
or Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.
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