In Fraternal Order of Police, Newark Lodge No. 12 v. City of Newark, the NJ Supreme Court weighed in on a hot-button topic that was on its docket prior to George Floyd’s murder: civilian oversight boards and local police departments. The Court found that the city had the authority to create the oversight board, but some of the board’s powers conflicted with state law and were thus preempted. As a result, the Court struck down portions of the ordinance that granted the board subpoena power as well as the power to conduct investigations concurrently with internal affairs.
