It has been 8 years since we first filed our lawsuit to gain access to the guide. Here are some of the highlights:
- NJ2AS compelled NJ to admit that the guide is the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all municipality police departments regarding the processing of firearms permit applications and the issuance of permits. This proved invaluable during Operation Establish Compliance, where NJ2AS was successful in getting nearly 30 separate townships to drop their illegal additional requirements and, in the process, our undercover videos and recordings caught the attention of the Christie Administration and eventually led to FARS, NJ’s automated permitting system.
- During our first appeal, NJ2AS, remarkably, in conjunction with the ACLU, was successful in forcing the State of NJ to revise its regulation exempting Law Enforcement SOP’s from disclosure under OPRA. The regulation was a component of the codification of Governor Christies’ Executive Order 47. The regulation was revised to only exempt SOP’s or parts of SOP’s that would cause harm if released.
- NJ2AS lost at the superior court level and was denied the entire guide, but then won on appeal. The case was remanded back to the original judge with instructions to give us a redacted copy of the guide, based on their ruling and the new regulation. NJ2AS was awarded over $100,000 from the court for legal fees.
- Back at the superior court, the redactions were in two parts. The first part was content deemed to be investigatory in nature, and therefore exempt from OPRA. The second were the attachments which were letters from the AG’s office containing guidance. These letters were deemed to be “attorney client privileged” and therefore, exempt from OPRA.
- NJ2AS appealed. The “investigative procedure” portion was upheld and the “attorney client” portion was remanded back to the superior court.
- At our third appearance at the superior court level, Judge Hurd, out of patience and unwilling to be overturned a third time, granted our motion for summary judgement.
If anything can be learned from our recent victory, it is that NJ2AS absolutely will not stop, ever, until all unconstitutional infringements on our right to keep and bear arms in NJ are gone. We will seek out and expose every violation, every person who is complicit in those violations and every government entity that participates and/or covers them up. We will bring into the light the negative impact of NJ’s poorly worded and over-criminalized legislation. We will use any and all legal means available to do so.
The State Police now has 30 days to provide NJ2AS the attachments in unredacted form. We will share them as soon as we receive them.
Please click here for the two guides we have been provided:
Link to 2000 New Jersey State Police Firearm Investigative Guide
Link to redacted 2005 New Jersey State Police Firearm Investigative Guide
Please join, renew, or donate to NJ2AS so we can continue the fight! Anyone that joins, renews or donates will automatically be entered into our gun giveaway! We will be giving away a Modern Materiel AR15 from our sponsor Modern Materiel! Also, the winner of this rifle will receive a free 3 Hour training session from Joe Savio of Modern Materiel/G S T, where they will learn the safety and operation of the AR15.
Anyone who donates $20 or more will be automatically entered into the giveaway. Also, anyone becoming a proud card-carrying member of NJ2AS or renews their membership will automatically be entered into the giveaway. All NJ2AS Frontline donors will be entered into each giveaway automatically. Current Frontline Donors have already been entered into the giveaway.
Enter the giveaway by clicking here to become a member or donor!
Click here to read the rule and regulations and to enter without joining.