New Jersey Firemen's Ass'n v. Doe

We are asked to decide whether, after a public entity denies a citizen’s record request, the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 to -13, and the common law right of access preclude the public entity from instituting a proceeding under the Declaratory Judgment Act (DJA), N.J.S.A. 2A:16-50 to -62. We also decide whether the records sought in this case— financial relief checks that the New Jersey Firemen’s Association (Association) issued to one of its members, John Doe1—are exempt from disclosure under OPRA and the common law right of access.

A month after the Appellate…