Last week, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano's (Union) bill, A1649, was voted out of the State and Local Government Committee and is now going before the full Assembly. As proposed, this law modifies and extends current protections (C. N.J.S. 2C:20-31.1) for law enforcement officers, which prohibits posting or publishing on the internet the home addresses or telephone numbers, to include judges and prosecutors.

The APANJ supports passage of A1649. This bill comes in response to the barbaric attack upon U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas’ family. The judge made an impassioned plea for legislators to act and protect the privacy of judges.

Assemblywoman Quijano said “[A1649] seeks to better protect the privacy of judges and prosecutors by prohibiting their personal addresses and contact information from being shared online without their consent." Violators are punishable as a third or fourth degree offenders and are subject to civil liability.

We applaud Assemblywoman Annette Quijano for acting fast to amend existing law and extend its protections beyond law enforcement officers to include all active and retired officers, judges and prosecutors.

We urge the legislature to enact A1649.

David V. Calviello,

President, APANJ