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NJ high court to hear case between Catholic diocese, prosecutor over investigating sex abuse claims

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NJ high court to hear case between Catholic diocese, prosecutor over investigating sex abuse claims


TRENTON, N.J. — A Catholic diocese wants to stop New Jersey from trying to empanel a grand jury to investigate allegations of clergy sexual abuse, with arguments before the state’s high court set for Monday.

After a Pennsylvania grand jury report found over 1,000 children had been abused since the 1940s, New Jersey formed a task force in 2018 and intended to empanel its own grand jury to investigate allegations of abuse there. But the Diocese of Camden pushed back in court in 2021, arguing that state law doesn’t permit having a grand jury investigate possible abuse by private church officials.

That legal battle has happened away from public view for years, as courts had sealed the proceedings in New Jersey and the attorney general’s office didn’t share updates. But last month, the state Supreme Court unsealed a handful of documents between the diocese and the attorney general after the Bergen Record obtained records detailing the court battle.

The diocese argues that such grand jury investigations are only for governments and public officials.

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In 2023, a trial court judge sided with the diocese, finding that such a grand jury would lack authority because it would be focused on “private conduct,” rather than a government agency’s actions. An appeals court affirmed that judgment last year, and Attorney General Matt Platkin appealed to the state Supreme Court.

The documents that the high court unsealed in March sketch out some of what the state’s task force has found so far but don’t include specific allegations. The papers show that 550 phone calls alleging abuse from the 1940s to the “recent past” came into a hotline the state had set up.

The diocese argues a grand jury isn’t needed in large part because of a 2002 memorandum of understanding between New Jersey Catholic dioceses and prosecutors. The memorandum required church officials to report abuse and said authorities would be provided with all relevant information about the allegations. One of the court documents says abuse had been “effectively eradicated” in the church.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden, N.J., Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Credit: AP/Matt Rourke

But the Pennsylvania grand jury report in 2018 touched off a reexamination of statute of limitations law in New Jersey, which overhauled its civil statute of limitations on childhood sex abuse claims in 2019. The new law allows child victims to sue until they turn 55 or within seven years of their first realization that the abuse caused them harm. The previous statute of limitations was age 20 or two years after first realizing the abuse caused harm.

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Also in 2019, New Jersey’s five Catholic dioceses listed more than 180 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors over a span of several decades, joining more than two dozen other states that have named suspects of abuse in the wake of the landmark Pennsylvania grand jury report.

Many priests on the lists were deceased; others were removed from ministry.

The Camden diocese, like others across the country, filed for bankruptcy amid a torrent of lawsuits — up to 55, according to court records — stemming from the relaxed statute of limitations.

Then in 2022, the diocese agreed to pay $87.5 million to settle claims involving clergy sex abuse with some 300 accusers in one of the largest cash settlements involving the Catholic church in the United States.

The agreement by the diocese, which encompasses six counties in southern New Jersey on the outskirts of Philadelphia, exceeded the nearly $85 million settlement in 2003 in the clergy abuse scandal in Boston, but was less than other settlements in California and Oregon.

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Yellowcard Brings Ocean Avenue to New Jersey’s Own Ocean Avenue

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Yellowcard Brings Ocean Avenue to New Jersey’s Own Ocean Avenue


Yellowcard played the Stone Pony Summer Stage on Friday June 12th. It was an astounding set. The band performed nineteen tracks from every era and iteration of the band. It was a special night for anyone who is a fan. 

Openers Plain White T’s and New Found Glory also deserve special credit for fitting the bill flawlessly. It was the perfect way to set the stage for the show to come. Both bands have a strong stage presence and were able to captures the crowd’s full attention.

Yellowcard opened with a video of the Paramount stars. They continued their set by playing interlude snippets of other major movies such as “Back To The Future,” “Top Gun,” “The Goonies,” and the “Ghostbusters.” It really felt like we were watching a cinematic experience as well as a concert. The production was second to none. There was even pyro during certain moments of the show.

The band played six tracks off their new album Better Days. This was a huge highlight of the show. Better Days is not only the best Yellowcard album since Ocean Avenue, it’s one of the best pop-punk releases of the decade. The band worked tightly with Travis Barker, Avril Lavigne, and Alkaline Trio to enhance all aspects of the genre. The new tracks warranted even more of a reception than older tracks. We were truly watching a band in their prime. 

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Overall, Yellowcard are showing us the new heights bands can reach within the pop-punk genre. Their breakup and triumphant return displays to us that anything is possible. Please enjoy our gallery below from photographer Anthony Vito Cosentino.

Plain White T’s

New Found Glory

Yellowcard

All Photos by Anthony Vito Cosentino

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Historical marker recognizing Lawnside, New Jersey, to be unveiled Friday

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Historical marker recognizing Lawnside, New Jersey, to be unveiled Friday


From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

The borough of Lawnside in Camden County will be honored with a historical marker from the New Jersey Historical Commission as part of the state’s Black Heritage Trail.

A ceremony unveiling the marker will take place at 10 a.m. Friday at Lawnside Borough Hall on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Road.

Marsharee Wright, aide to Lawnside Mayor Mary Ann Wardlow and long-time resident, said everyone is thrilled about the marker unveiling.

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“We’ve invited the entire community and neighboring towns to come share the celebration with us,” Wright said.

Linda Shockley, president of the Lawnside Historical Society, said it’s “an extreme honor” for the borough to be included in the state’s program, especially as Lawnside is amid a year-long celebration of its centennial.

“It really lifts our profile and hopefully more people will understand and know what Lawnside is about and what it means in the nation,” Shockley said.

Lawnside was one of six sites selected in Camden County in 2024, including “The Point,” a historic Black neighborhood in Haddonfield. Its marker was unveiled last June.

During the ceremony, the borough’s history will be showcased, along with the original documents signed by Gov. A. Harry Moore in 1926, which made way for the borough’s creation.

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Though there are many Black enclaves in South Jersey, the borough is the state’s only incorporated antebellum Black community. First known as Free Haven, and later Snow Hill, it was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Peter Mott built a three-floor dwelling in 1844 that was once part of sprawling farmland where he helped slaves escape.

Mott’s house, now owned by the Lawnside Historical Society, serves as an Underground Railroad museum.



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Is ICE giving up on Roxbury detention center? NJ leaders laud report

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Is ICE giving up on Roxbury detention center? NJ leaders laud report


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  • State leaders were celebrating a New York Times report that federal officials are considering ending plans for ICE dentention center in Morris County.

Federal officials are considering abandoning plans for a controversial immigration detention facility in Roxbury, New Jersey, according to a June 18 report by The New York Times, prompting local leaders and state officials to declare a victory after months of legal and political opposition.

The proposed facility, a warehouse property purchased to serve as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, faced intense criticism from local residents, environmental advocates and elected officials who argued the site was unsuitable for housing detainees.

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In a joint statement issued Thursday, Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said the Department of Homeland Security appeared to be backing away from the project following legal challenges that halted development.

“Today the New York Times is reporting that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is backing down on its mass detention center in Roxbury,” the statement said. “That is a big win for public safety, for the township of Roxbury, and for New Jersey.”

According to the Times report, the Roxbury facility is one of seven ICE is planning to dispense with by transferring ownership to other federal agencies or selling them. 

Opponents argued the warehouse was designed as a logistics facility and lacked the infrastructure necessary to support a large detention center. They also raised concerns about the potential strain on local water and sewage systems and the impact on environmentally sensitive land surrounding the site.

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State officials said they joined Roxbury Township in court to challenge the project, contending that federal plans violated local regulations and posed risks to the community.

“DHS’s plans were always illegal,” the statement said. “The Roxbury warehouse is a logistics center fit for packages, not thousands of people.”

Rep. Rob Menendez said in a statement on Thursday: “We are working to confirm reporting that ICE is abandoning its Roxbury warehouse plans, but if true, this would be big news. From day one, we have fought to stop this facility, bringing together thousands of New Jerseyans in opposition. Now we are on the cusp of an important win for our state.” 

The detention center was expected to become part of the federal government’s broader immigration enforcement and detention network. However, the project became a flashpoint in New Jersey, drawing opposition from both local officials and residents concerned about public safety, environmental impacts and the facility’s compatibility with surrounding land uses.

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Federal officials have not publicly confirmed whether the property will be sold or formally removed from consideration. The Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the reported change in plans.

Opponents vowed to continue monitoring the situation until the project is officially terminated.

“This isn’t a partisan issue,” the statement said. “We’re grateful for our partnership with the Roxbury community as we keep DHS’s feet to the fire to ensure this facility is never opened.”



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