WILLIAM O. WAGSTAFF III, ATTORNEY FOR THE FAMILY OF MAURICE GORDON JR. URGES NJ SENATE TO PASS POLICE DISCIPLINARY TRANSPARENCY BILL

October 21, 2020 – William O. Wagstaff III, the attorney who represents the family of the 28-year-old Black man killed by a New Jersey State Trooper in May, has signed a letter urging Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin to prioritize passage of Senate Bill 2656. The bill, co-sponsored by Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) and Senator Nia H. Gill (D-Essex), would make police disciplinary records publicly accessible. This transparency measure is foundational to meaningfully address police accountability and racial injustice in the criminal legal system.

Mr. Wagstaff represents the family of Maurice Gordon Jr., a 28-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by New Jersey State Trooper Randall Wetzel on May 23^rd, two days before George Floyd was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, MN. While Chauvin’s identity and police record were immediately made public, the same wasn’t true for Randall Wetzel. It took more than two weeks to learn Wetzel’s identity, and now nearly 5 months since Maurice Gordon Jr.’s life was cut short, Wetzel’s police record has yet to be released.

“This entire case has been void of transparency from the beginning, particularly as it relates to the Attorney General’s Office, but the reality that law enforcement officials can comb through and uncover details about a victim’s life, while the public is relegated to simply the identity of the police officer’s name is unacceptable,” said Mr. Wagstaff. “It’s time to put the law on the side of police shooting victims and their families”.

Earlier this year, police unions stymied a policy put forth by New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal requiring police agencies to disclose the names of officers who received “serious discipline.” As New Jerseyans await a decision by the court, they should be aware that the policy is insufficient because disclosure is limited to the names of officers who were fired, demoted or suspended for more than five days. The underlying complaints would remain confidential.

 New Jersey is one of 20 states where police disciplinary records are completely off limits to the public and accessible only to police department internal affairs units. The implications are critical. This lack of transparency disproportionately affects Black and Latinx communities, particularly in community policing. Furthermore, Civilian Complaint Review Boards CRB cannot adequately investigate complaints against officers without full access to IA records. Passage of this bill would bring New Jersey in line with neighboring states including New York and Connecticut.

Measures under Senate Bill 2656 would include specific complaints filed against officers, the departments’ factual findings into complaints, and any resulting discipline. The bill protects sensitive personal information such as an officer’s medical records, biographical data, and home address. The New Jersey Legislature has an opportunity to meet the moment and respond to demands for greater police transparency and accountability.