Spain Mexico
Philadelphia, PA Cherry Hill, NJ New York, NY Roseland, NJ 1-866-LOCKSLAW
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Locks Law Firm
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Get Started
  • No win, no fee
  • Free consultation
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • The Team
    • Office Locations
    • Newsroom
    • FAQ
  • About
    • About Us
    • The Team
    • Office Locations
    • Newsroom
    • FAQ
  • Practice Areas
  • Practice Areas
    • All Practice Areas
    • Medical Malpractice and Nursing Home Abuse
    • Environmental and Toxic Torts
    • Catastrophic Personal Injuries
    • Dangerous Drugs & Devices
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Get Started
  • Spain Mexico   Spanish
  • About
    • About Us
    • The Team
    • Office Locations
    • Newsroom
    • FAQ

    One of the most prominent personal injury law firms in the tri-state region, the Locks Law Firm is steadfastly committed to protecting the rights of seriously injured victims.

    Free Case Evaluation
  • Medical Malpractice and Nursing Home Abuse
    • Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
    • Hospital Acquired Infections
    • Medication Errors
    • Misdiagnosis / Failure to Diagnose
    • Surgical Errors
    • Needle Stick - CRPS

    Medical malpractice is any act by a health care provider that deviates from accepted standards of medical care and results in the personal injury, disability, or wrongful death of a patient. Nursing home abuse or negligence can take many forms. It can include physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, neglect, negligent care, and even financial exploitation.

    Free Case Evaluation
  • Environmental and Toxic Torts
    • Asbestos and Mesothelioma
    • Benzene
    • Chemical Exposure
    • Manganese Exposure
    • Natural Resource Damages
    • Toxic Injuries
    • Workplace Exposure
    • Camp Lejeune Water Contamination

    Exposure to toxic chemicals in the workplace or environment can cause serious, sometimes fatal health problems, including cancer.

    Free Case Evaluation
  • Catastrophic Personal Injuries
    • Burns and Chemical Burns
    • Traumatic Brain Injuries
    • Spinal Cord Injuries
    • Wrongful Death

    Catastrophic personal injuries include brain and spinal cord injuries, severe burns, carbon monoxide poisoning and, most seriously, death.

    Free Case Evaluation
  • Dangerous Drugs & Devices
    • Allergan Breast Implant Recall
    • Hernia Mesh
    • IVC Filters
    • Philips Respironics Lawsuit
    • Zantac (ranitidine)
    • NEC Baby Formula

    At the Locks Law Firm, our pharmaceutical litigation and defective drug lawyers are committed to serving personal injury victims and are well versed in the product liability laws that protect consumers.

    Free Case Evaluation

Locks Law Firm

Philadelphia, PA

(215) 893-0100

Cherry Hill, NJ

(856) 663-8200

New York, NY

(212) 838-3333

Roseland, NJ

(973) 671-1940

Locks Law Firm

Philadelphia, PA

The Curtis Center
Suite 720 East
601 Walnut Street

Cherry Hill, NJ

801 North Kings Highway

New York, NY

800 Third Ave 11th Floor

Roseland, NJ

3 Becker Farm Road
Suite 105

Locks Law Firm

Philadelphia, PA

[email protected]

Cherry Hill, NJ

[email protected]

New York, NY

[email protected]

Roseland, NJ

[email protected]

Blog

Dash Cam Videos will be harder to obtain in New Jersey

What I call dash cam videos are called mobile video recorders (MVRs) in New Jersey. A Tuckerton police officer was chasing a lady in a car. The car headed towards Barnegat Township, where two Barnegat Township police cars joined the chase. The MVRs in the Barnegat Township police cars recorded the chase and the subsequent stop of the fleeing car. The MVRs also caught the actions of a second Tuckerton police officer and his dog during the arrest. The woman was pulled from her car. The police dog was allowed to attack and injure the woman. The Tuckerton officer responsible for the dog was subsequently charged with second degree official misconduct, third degree aggravated assault, and other offenses arising from his use of the dog.

A request was made for the videos from the MVRs. The trial judge ordered the videos produced under the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”). On appeal, by a 2 to 1 vote, the Appellate Division affirmed the order releasing the MVRs. Paff v. Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, 446 N.J. Super. 163, 141 A.3d 300 (App. Div. 2016) (“Paff I”).

On further appeal, by a 4 to 3 vote, the New Jersey Supreme Court reversed the order releasing the MVRs. Paff v. Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, 2018 WL 3825737 (N.J., Aug. 13, 2018) (“Paff II”). The Court rejected two OPRA grounds for withholding the MVRs: the investigations in progress exemption and the privacy clause.

However, the Court accepted the criminal investigatory records exemption. This is complicated. The first question was whether the Barnegat Township Police Chief’s General Order requiring MVRs to be turned on in certain situations had the force of law. Counterintuitively, the Court held that it did not. The Court then held that the videos did pertain to a criminal investigation.

The person requesting the MVRs had also requested that they be released under a common-law right of access. The trial court did not address that issue. The Supreme Court remanded to the trial court to consider this request.

The obvious lesson from Paff II is that a request for MVRs should be made under the common law as well as under OPRA. The dissenters in the Supreme Court pointed out that the common law “will be a difficult and burdensome path fraught with litigation and increased costs.” But at least it is a path that remains open. OPRA itself is unlikely to result in release of MVRs unless and until the New Jersey Attorney General adopts a statewide policy regarding MVRs.

Videos are the best way of proving what happened in any type of incident, including a police encounter or a slip and fall or a bar fight. Locks Law Firm has experience in obtaining and preserving videos, and we stand ready to help you.

Jonathan W. Miller

Jonathan W. Miller

Partner
Philadelphia Office
Jonathan has specialized in complex cases, legal issues and appeals for over 40 years. Recent cases include medical malpractice and civil rights violations.
August 31, 2018 Jonathan W. Miller

Tell Us About Your Case

If you can read this, please avoid filling the following input field or your submission may be marked as spam.
Thank you for contacting us! We will be in touch with you shortly.
Uh oh. There was a problem processing your request. Please try again!
Previous Entry

Made in America Safety Tips

Next Entry

EPA Budget Cuts Leave Enforcement to the States and Individuals

Recent Entries

  • Locks Law Firm Announces New Partner: Victoria A. Schall, Esq.
  • Camp Lejeune and the PACT Act
  • Locks Law Firm Partner Al Anthony Helps Raise Over $1.3 Million for Pillar Care Continuum
  • Jennifer Emmons Named Managing Partner
  • Stephen M. Tatonetti Joins the Locks Law Firm Team

Archive

  • January2023
  • August2022
  • February2022
  • January2022
  • September2021
  • August2021
  • July2021
  • March2021
  • February2021
  • January2021
  • November2020
  • September2020
  • July2020
  • June2020
  • May2020
  • April2020
  • March2020
  • February2020
  • January2020
  • December2019
  • November2019
  • October2019
  • September2019
  • August2019
  • July2019
  • June2019
  • May2019
  • April2019
  • March2019
  • February2019
  • January2019
  • December2018
  • November2018
  • October2018
  • September2018
  • August2018
  • July2018
  • June2018
  • May2018
  • April2018
  • March2018
  • February2018
  • January2018
  • December2017
  • November2017
  • October2017
  • September2017
  • August2017
  • July2017
  • June2017
  • May2017
  • April2017
  • March2017
  • February2017
  • January2017
  • December2016
  • November2016
  • October2016
  • September2016
  • August2016
  • July2016
  • June2016
  • May2016
  • April2016
  • March2016
  • February2016
  • January2016
  • December2015
  • November2015
  • October2015
  • September2015
  • August2015
  • May2015
  • April2015
  • March2015
  • February2015
  • January2015
  • December2014
  • November2014
  • October2014
  • August2014
  • June2014
  • April2014
  • February2014
  • August2013
  • July2013
  • June2013
  • February2013
  • December2012
  • November2012
  • October2012
  • September2012
  • August2012
  • July2012
  • June2012
  • September2011
  • January2011
  • November2010
  • September2010
  • August2010
  • July2010
  • June2010
  • March2010
  • February2010
  • January2010
  • December2009
  • November2009
  • September2009
  • August2009
  • July2009
  • April2009
  • March2009
  • February2009
  • January2009
  • July2008
  • June2008
  • May2008
1-866-LOCKSLAW
[email protected]
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube
2021 Best Lawyers
Martindale-Hubble Award Ten Leaders

Copyright ©2023 Locks Law Firm. Made by Mindlark.

Locks Law Firm only provides legal advice after having entered into an attorney client relationship, which our website specifically does not create. Conversations that originate from website messaging, chat or other two way web based engagement  do not create an attorney client relationship. It is imperative that any action taken be done on the advice of counsel. Because every case is different, the description of awards and cases previously handled do not guarantee a similar outcome in current or future cases. The firm practices law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey & New York as Locks Law Firm. Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America and other organizations that rate attorneys are not designations that have been approved by the State Supreme Courts or the American Bar Association.