Miscellaneous

Opposites Repel

By Anne Skove, Esq.

What's the opposite of night court?

Day jail.

That's what the Hunterdon, NJ, community will get if the local sheriff closes the justice center (which appears to include both the jail and court) at night. She claims budget cuts are forcing the measure.

The county -- guess what? -- disagrees!

Such justice v. county wars are playing out across the country. Overcrowding? Underspending? Either way, threats/promises (real or imagined) of releasing prisoners into the world, reducing security, etc. are made. That's a big stick, and one that should not be used unless the justice system really is in dire straits. Never cry wolf.

The county administrators (called Freeholders -- New Jersey is home to the vicinage and other quaintly-termed entities) say no way. The problem as they see it is poor scheduling, not lack of funds.

The backstory seems to be a dispute over salaries. The sheriff has advocated for raises for her people; the Freeholders think she needs fewer undersheriffs.

See Sheriff Trout: I'll Cut Night Hours at Justice Center, Warren Cooper, Hunterdon County Democrat (June 10, 2009).

See also the shocking Food Fight Breaks out at N. Hunterdon High School, Gene Robbins, Hunterdon County Democrat (June 10, 2009) -- if you dare!

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on June 10, 2009 (boomark / email).