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APPEALS ADDED IN THE NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT LISTED NEWEST TO OLDEST

The following statements of issues on appeal are prepared by the Office of the Clerk for the convenience of the reader. They have been neither reviewed nor approved by the Supreme Court. Please note that, in the interest of brevity, some issues may not have been summarized.

Beginning on July 16, 2010, each appeal summary posted on this website includes its "posted" date, which is necessary for calculating certain due dates for filing briefs and motions under revised Rule 1:13-9, "Amicus Curiae."

In addition, website addresses cited in the Court's opinions may change or disappear over time. An attempt has been made to capture the material cited in an opinion and to provide links to those sources, when available.

A-1-17 State v. Melvin T. Dickerson (079769)

Is the State required to produce search warrant information (including the affidavit filed in support of the search warrant and supporting investigative reports) prior to a detention hearing held pursuant to the Criminal Justice Reform Act (CJRA), N.J.S.A. 2A:162-15 to -26?

[Note: This appeal has been accelerated by order of the Court, and will be calendared for oral argument on the Court’s session of November 6-8. Should any entity wish to file a motion to participate as amicus curiae, the motion and any proposed brief must be served and filed on or before noon on 10/3/17. The State and the defendant may file answers to any such amicus motion, together with a proposed response brief to the amicus brief, on or before noon on 10/19/17. No further submissions shall be accepted unless requested by the Court.]

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  • Leave to appeal granted : Sept. 8, 2017
  • Posted: Sept. 8, 2017
  • Argued: Nov. 8, 2017
  • Decided: Feb. 5, 2018

A-91-16 State v. Melvin Hester; State v. Mark Warner; State v. Anthony McKinney; State v. Linwood Roundtree (079228)

Do the Ex Post Facto Clauses of the United States and New Jersey Constitutions preclude defendants from being charged, under a 2014 amendment to the applicable statute, with third-degree violations of their special sentences of community supervision for life (CSL)?

[Note: This appeal has been accelerated by order of the Court dated 7/20/17, and no supplemental briefing is scheduled. Any motion for leave to appear amicus curiae shall be served and filed with the proposed amicus brief on or before 8/21/17, and any answer shall be served and filed with the proposed brief in response on or before 9/20/17.]

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  • Certification granted : July 20, 2017
  • Posted: July 21, 2017
  • Argued: Nov. 28, 2017
  • Decided: May 30, 2018

A-90-16 Keith Williams v. Raymours Furniture Co., Inc. (079411)

Does the Division of Workers’ Compensation have jurisdiction to hear this claim petition filed by a New Jersey resident who worked exclusively in New York and was injured there?

  • Certification granted : July 20, 2017
  • Posted: July 21, 2017
  • Dismissed by Order : Dec. 4, 2017

A-89-16 Dunbar Homes, Inc. v. Zoning Board of Adjustment of the Township of Franklin (079076)

When is a submission to the planning board considered an “application for development” that triggers the “time of application rule,” which states that the regulations in effect on the date of submission of an application for development govern the review of that application?

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  • Certification granted : July 20, 2017
  • Posted: July 21, 2017
  • Argued: April 9, 2018
  • Decided: June 20, 2018

A-88-16 Maureen McDaid v. Aztec West Condominium Association (079325)

Does the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur (a Latin phrase meaning “the thing speaks for itself”) apply to plaintiff’s claims for injuries resulting from her being struck by a closing elevator door in her condominium complex?

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  • Certification granted : July 10, 2017
  • Posted: July 10, 2017
  • Argued: March 12, 2018
  • Decided: July 17, 2018

A-87-16 Robert Ferrante v. New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Group (078496)

Can plaintiff recover underinsured motorist (UIM) benefits from his insurance carrier where he did not notify his UIM carrier of his suit against the tortfeasor, including the existence of a high-low agreement, until after entry of the jury’s verdict?

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  • Appeal as of right (Appellate Division dissent)
  • Posted: June 29, 2017
  • Argued: Jan. 3, 2018
  • Decided: April 11, 2018

A-85/86-16 State v. Robert L. Evans (079144)

Under the circumstances presented, did the “plain feel” exception to the warrant requirement justify defendant’s strip search?

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  • Certification granted : June 29, 2017
  • Posted: June 29, 2017
  • Argued: Feb. 27, 2018
  • Decided: June 28, 2018
  • Corrected : Oct. 10, 2018

A-84-16 Kean Federation of Teachers v. Ada Morell (078926)

Did the Board comply with the Open Public Meetings Act (“OPMA”) obligation to make meeting minutes “promptly available” to the public (N.J.S.A. 10:4-14) when it took ninety-four days and fifty-eight days, respectively, to release the minutes of two meetings; and did the Board violate the OPMA by failing to send notification to all of the employees whose employment status was scheduled to be affected by the action the Board took at its meeting?

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  • Certification granted : June 29, 2017
  • Posted: June 29, 2017
  • Argued: Jan. 17, 2018
  • Decided: June 21, 2018

A-83-16 Gerardo Martinez v. Board of Trustees, Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (078823)

Is a hostage situation resulting in the fatal shooting of the suspect an undesigned and unexpected traumatic event for a police hostage negotiator, so as to satisfy the traumatic-event standard for the award of accidental disability retirement benefits?

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  • Certification granted : June 15, 2017
  • Posted: June 16, 2017
  • Argued: Nov. 28, 2017
  • Decided: June 5, 2018

A-82-16 Cherokee LCP Land, LLC v. City of Linden Planning Board (079146)

Do plaintiffs have a sufficient interest in the property adjacent to the property to be developed (the development property), such that they have standing to challenge the municipal planning board’s site plan approval for the development property?

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  • Certification granted : June 15, 2017
  • Posted: June 16, 2017
  • Argued: Feb. 26, 2018
  • Decided: Aug. 2, 2018

A-81-16 Greg Noren v. Heartland Payment Systems, Inc. (079169)

Read Order

Under the circumstances, which included the Appellate Division’s reversal and remand for a jury trial on plaintiff’s claim for violation of the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), N.J.S.A. 34:19-1 to -14, did the Appellate Division err in its disposition of the trial court’s award of fees to defendant?

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  • Certification granted : June 15, 2017
  • Posted: June 16, 2017
  • Argued: Jan. 3, 2018
  • Decided by Order : Jan. 12, 2018

A-80-16 State v. Tariq S. Gathers (079274)

Can the State compel defendant to provide a buccal swab for DNA testing where defendant previously provided his DNA to the State in connection with a prior conviction?

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  • Leave to appeal granted : June 15, 2017
  • Posted: June 16, 2017
  • Argued: April 23, 2018
  • Decided: July 24, 2018

A-72/73/74/75/76/77/78/79-16 Allstars Auto Group, Inc. v. New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (078991)

Were these licensed motor vehicle dealers entitled to contested case hearings prior to the imposition of license suspensions and fines for their failure to comply with Motor Vehicle Commission regulations?

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  • Certification granted : June 2, 2017
  • Posted: June 2, 2017
  • Argued: Jan. 30, 2018
  • Decided: July 18, 2018

A-71-16 Freedom from Religion Foundation v. Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders (079277)

Does the County’s voter-approved program providing grants to non-profit organizations that own buildings on the state or federal historic register, including churches and other religious institutions, violate Article I, paragraph 3 of the New Jersey Constitution?

[Note: This appeal has been accelerated by order of the Court dated 6/2/17 and by subsequent amended scheduling orders. Any motion for leave to appear amicus curiae shall be served and filed with the proposed amicus brief on or before 7/17/17, and any answer shall be served and filed with the proposed brief in response on or before 8/18/17. No further submissions, beyond the parties’ supplemental briefs as authorized by the Court’s order, shall be accepted unless requested by the Court.]

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  • Certification granted : June 2, 2017
  • Posted: June 2, 2017
  • Argued: Oct. 23, 2017
  • Decided: April 18, 2018

A-70-16 State v. Julian B. Hamlett (079145)

Did police improperly search defendant’s center console while looking for the vehicle's registration and rental agreement; and, did the municipal court judge err in issuing a warrant to search defendant’s motel room?

  • Certification granted : June 1, 2017
  • Posted: June 2, 2017
  • Dismissed as improvidently granted : May 30, 2018

A-69-16 Lucia Serico v. Robert M. Rothberg, M.D. (079041)

Did plaintiff waive her right to pursue attorney’s fees, pursuant to the offer of judgment rule (R. 4:58-1 to -6), by entering into a high-low agreement without expressly reserving her right to recover fees?

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  • Certification granted : May 19, 2017
  • Posted: May 22, 2017
  • Argued: April 9, 2018
  • Decided: July 19, 2018

A-68-16 RSI Bank v. The Providence Mutual Fire Insurance Company (079116)

May the victim of an alleged crime pursue a civil action to enforce a criminal restitution order entered as a condition in a Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) agreement?

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  • Certification granted : May 19, 2017
  • Posted: May 22, 2017
  • Argued: Jan. 17, 2018
  • Decided: Aug. 7, 2018

A-67-16 State in the Interest of A.R., a Minor (078672)

Was defendant denied his right to confrontation when the trial court allowed the prosecution to present the minor victim’s hearsay statements at trial, despite finding that the victim was not competent to testify under the criteria of N.J.R.E. 601?

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  • Certification granted : May 19, 2017
  • Posted: May 22, 2017
  • Argued: Feb. 26, 2018
  • Decided: July 11, 2018

A-66-16 Janell Brugaletta v. Calixto Garcia, D.O. (079056)

Does the absolute privilege of documents developed as part of a hospital’s self-critical analysis, pursuant to the Patient Safety Act (the Act), N.J.S.A. 26:2H-12.23 to -12.25, apply to the documents at issue in this medical malpractice action?

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  • Leave to Appeal granted : May 5, 2017
  • Posted: May 8, 2017
  • Argued: March 12, 2018
  • Decided: July 25, 2018

A-63/64/65-16 State v. James E. Jones and Likisha Jones (077964)

Did the DNA exception to the statute of limitations apply (N.J.S.A. 2C:1-6(c)), such that the five-year limitations period did not bar defendants’ prosecution (see also State v. Gary Twiggs, A-51-16); and, did defendants’ conduct over ten years make the conspiracy a continuing offense, such that the statute of limitations was not a bar to prosecution?

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  • Certification granted : May 5, 2017
  • Posted: May 8, 2017
  • Argued: Jan. 29, 2018
  • Decided: June 19, 2018