CJ Griffin Discusses Public Records Denial of Elizabeth, NJ Police Bodycam Footage with Politico
CJ Griffin, Partner and Director of the Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C., recently spoke with Politico regarding a policy bodycam case in Elizabeth, New Jersey. On June 3, 2026, Elizabeth police arrested Democratic campaign manager Justin Shoham after an argument with officers over campaign signs in a public park, which has raised questions about whether the police are improperly withholding body camera footage and records from the public.
From Politico:
Why was the Elizabeth Police Department’s top civilian present for a petty dispute over a campaign sign?
Is it constitutional to ban campaign signs from public parks? Almost certainly not, according to CJ Griffin, an attorney who specializes in public records and the First Amendment. And Griffin said the public records denial also appears wrong. “The bodycam law was passed so that we have immediate access to body cameras of police interactions, especially uses of force. There is no provision of the law that allows them to deny access to this type of video,” she said, adding that she’s seeing more towns improperly claiming such exemptions thanks to changes in the public records law last year, which eliminated mandatory payment of legal fees for people who successfully sue to get them.
To read the full article in Politico, click here.
