Colleen Murphy

January 03, 2023 | Law.com

"As a threshold matter, the district court did not abuse its discretion by limiting its sentencing scope and refusing to reconsider Maldonado-Passage's previously denied motion to dismiss for multiplicity," stated Senior Judge Michael R. Murphy in his written opinion for the court. "Therefore, no vehicle to challenge the § 1958(a) components of his sentence as multiplicitous remains. Nonetheless, this court also confirms § 1958(a)'s 'plot centric' unit of prosecution permits separate offenses and consecutive sentences when, as here, two unrelated hitmen are hired to kill the same person."

By Colleen Murphy

6 minute read

January 01, 2023 | New Jersey Law Journal

"Kean and Montclair took actions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in compliance with EOs issued pursuant to the governor's powers under the EHPA," Judge Richard J. Geiger wrote. "Permitting plaintiffs to recover damages related to those actions would run counter to the legislature's purpose in granting authority to the executive branch to take such actions to thwart the dangers posed by the COVID-19 pandemic."

By Colleen Murphy

6 minute read

December 30, 2022 | Law.com

"Jeremy Markiewicz and Stephen Hedlund are talented lawyers, and are ready to make significant contributions to the trial court bench," said Brown. "Both will bring a passion for justice, devotion to their communities, and empathy for the litigants that will appear before them."

By Colleen Murphy

2 minute read

December 29, 2022 | New Jersey Law Journal

"In other words, bad faith is not required, but a court in its discretion may look for 'indicia of bad faith,' as one factor in deciding whether to remand," Judge Patty Shwartz said. "Accordingly, we cannot conclude that the district court's statements, reflecting reality, were in error."

By Colleen Murphy

6 minute read

December 28, 2022 | New Jersey Law Journal

"Here, it is undisputed that the third action involves the same parties as contemplated in the proposed amended complaint in the second action," the opinion said. "Further, the causes of action advanced in the third action repeat the exact same causes of action as the proposed amended complaint in the second action."

By Colleen Murphy

6 minute read

December 27, 2022 | The Legal Intelligencer

"He does not explain how the trial court abused its discretion in reaching its conclusion that the jury's verdict was not conscience-shocking," said Judge Mary Jane Bowes. "As such, he has failed to establish his entitlement to relief from this court on his weight claim."

By Colleen Murphy

6 minute read

December 27, 2022 | New Jersey Law Journal

In a notice to the bar, Directive #14-22 laid out new procedures for carry permit applications for handguns in New Jersey that removed the state's judiciary from the initial permitting process, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in "N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen."

By Colleen Murphy

4 minute read

December 27, 2022 | Law.com

"In the case of children who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, cisgender, transgender, or gender nonconforming, they are entitled to treatment—regardless of its outcome—that does not take a cavalier approach to their 'dignity and worth,'" a Colorado federal judge said. "And at the bare minimum, they are also entitled to a state's protection from therapeutic modalities that have been shown to cause longstanding psychological and physical damage."

By Colleen Murphy

6 minute read

December 27, 2022 | New Jersey Law Journal

"This isn't an ordinary nonprofit organization that is purely private. It is controlled government employees and staffed and funded with taxpayer resources," said CJ Griffin, a partner at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden who argued the cause for amicus curiae Libertarians for Transparent Government. "Yet, this decision allows it to escape all transparency."

By Colleen Murphy

7 minute read

December 22, 2022 | New Jersey Law Journal

A Cherry Hill attorney with no prior disciplinary record received a censure after representing that his client was a first-time DWI offender in two different municipal court proceedings on the same day.

By Colleen Murphy

5 minute read