OPRA: police officer-involved lawsuits 2012-2019
Dear Rockaway Township,
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:
1. A list of all lawsuits and cases in which any officer of the police department was involved between 2012 and 2019. For each lawsuit/case, please provide the date (month and year) of the alleged incident at issue, whether the alleged incident was excessive force, settlement amount (if any), and final compensation amount ruled (if any).
2. Please provide copies of the complaint in any lawsuits and cases described above.
Yours faithfully,
UC Research
Good Afternoon,
Owing to the scope of your request and the COVID-19 permitted extensions, you may expect a further response to your request on or before June 19, 2020.
Thank you,
Matt Bansch, RMC, CMR
Asst. Municipal Clerk
Township of Rockaway
65 Mount Hope Road
Rockaway, NJ 07866
O: 973-983-2834
F: 973-627-1081
Good Afternoon,
Owing to the scope of your request and the continued COVID-19 permitted extensions, you may expect a further response to your request on or before June 26, 2020.
Thank you,
Matt Bansch, RMC, CMR
Asst. Municipal Clerk
Township of Rockaway
65 Mount Hope Road
Rockaway, NJ 07866
O: 973-983-2834
F: 973-627-1081
Good Afternoon,
In response to your OPRA Request of 5/27/2020, please be advised as follows:
1. Concerning item 1 of your request, please be advised that there are no records responsive to this item of your request.
2. Concerning item 2 of your request, please be advised that this portion of your request is overly broad and vague. When a request is “complex” because it fails to specifically identify the documents sought, then that 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 under 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.
Best,
Christina Clipperton, RMC
Township Clerk
Township of Rockaway
65 Mt. Hope Road
Rockaway, NJ 07866
(973)983-2834