Published Appellate Court Opinions

The grand jury indicted defendant, a sitting Superior Court judge, for official misconduct, N.J.S.A. 2C:30-2b, and two counts of hindering the apprehension of her boyfriend, the subject of an active arrest warrant for robbery. N.J.S.A. 2C:29-3a(1) and (2). The indictment alleged that with a purpose to benefit herself and her boyfriend, defendant refrained from performing a duty inherent in the nature of her office, i.e., to "enforce an arrest warrant . . . by failing to adequately notify the . . . Police Department of . . . [her boyfriend's] intended appearance or presence at her residence." The hindering counts alleged defendant "harbored or concealed" her boyfriend and offered or provided aid to avoid discovery or apprehension or to effect escape. The Law Division judge granted defendant's motion to dismiss the official misconduct charge but denied her motion as to the two hindering counts. The court granted each party's motion for leave to appeal.

The court affirmed, holding that under the circumstances presented, the judge did not have a duty, inherent in her office, to notify police of her boyfriend's location or that he was shortly appearing at her home. The court also concluded the State had produced some evidence before the grand jury to support the indictment on the hindering counts.