CJ Griffin Represents The Jersey Vindicator in OPRA Lawsuit Seeking Release of Police Bodycam Footage from Delaney Hall

CJ Griffin, Partner and Director of the Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C., is representing The Jersey Vindicator in an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) lawsuit against the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. The request is seeking the release of body-worn camera footage and related records connected to the arrest of an investigator accused of stealing a photojournalist’s camera equipment during protests outside Newark’s Delaney Hall immigration detention center.

According to authorities, the journalist was injured while covering demonstrations outside Delaney Hall on May 30 and sought medical treatment, after which her camera bag allegedly disappeared. Investigators later charged an Essex County Prosecutor’s Office sergeant with theft, alleging that his body-worn camera footage showed him interacting with a bag matching the victim’s equipment before the missing items were ultimately recovered during a search of his home.

After The Jersey Vindicator requested the body camera footage and related investigative records under New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA), the Prosecutor’s Office denied the request, citing the ongoing criminal investigation. On behalf of The Jersey Vindicator, Griffin argues that the requested footage was recorded before any criminal investigation into the officer began and therefore is not exempt from disclosure under New Jersey law. The lawsuit seeks release of the footage and responsive records, a detailed explanation of any redactions or withheld materials, and preservation of the records while the litigation is pending. 

From NorthJersey.com:

Griffin said taxpayers have poured "millions" into the state's body-worn camera program to ensure a record of police misconduct remains evident and accessible to the public that funded its documentation.

"There is no justification for keeping the video from the public. We deserve to see what occurred,” Griffin stated.

To read the full article in NorthJersey.com, click here.

On July 30, 2026, the New Jersey Attorney General released the footage to the public. To read the full article, “NJ Attorney General Releases Footage from Alleged Camera Theft at Delaney Hall Protest” in The Jersey Vindicator, click here.