State v. Catania

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

WILENTZ, C. J.

In this case we are called upon to interpret the minimization provision, N.J.S.A. 2A:156A-12(f), of New Jersey’s Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act (“Wiretap Act”). That provision requires those charged with monitoring the wiretap to make reasonable efforts to “minimize or eliminate the interception” of conversations other than those they have been authorized to overhear. This provision plays a crucial role in our overall wiretapping scheme, being one of the few provisions which regulate the conduct of police to protect…