OPRA - police officer-involved lawsuits 2012-2019
Dear Tenafly Borough,
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 in above.
Yours faithfully,
UC Research
Dear Mr. Kim:
I received your Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request on May 27, 2020 in which you had requested a copy of “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); Please provide copies of the complaint in any lawsuits and cases described in above.”. As such, the seventh (7th) business day deadline to respond to your request is June 5, 2020. This response to your request is being provided to you on the 3rd day after I received said request.
There was only one lawsuit involving a member of the Tenafly Police Department during this time period, which was filed in November 2013 regarding a motor vehicle accident involving a police officer. The matter is referred to as a civil complaint with Docket # BER-L-8605-13. The matter was settled in March 2016.
The following records are being provided in their entirety and are responsive to your request:
1. General Release, Stipulation of Dismissal, and Civil Action Complaint (13 pages).
These records are being transmitted to you via e-mail, as per your request. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5.b., there is no cost associated with this request is it is being transmitted electronically.
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 Borough of Tenafly 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 answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.
Sincerely,
Lissette Aportela, MPA, RMC, CMC
Borough of Tenafly
201-568-6100
Fax: 201-568-5567