Atlantic County OPMA Transcript available on-line

The transcript of the June 26, 2009 oral argument of my OPMA case against the City of Port Republic (Atlantic County) is on-line here.

the Internet. Despite City Attorney Salvatore Perillo's attempts to complicate the issue presented, Judge Stephen P. Perskie ruled on the sole, narrow before the Court: Whether the City Council is required by law to publicly disclose some version of the minutes of its executive sessions promptly after the meeting. Perskie took care to NOT opine on other issues, such the level of detail that closed minutes need to contain.

He ultimately ordered that the City Council "shall publicly disclose draft versions of the City Council’s nonpublic meeting minutes, redacted as lawfully allowed, within thirty (30) days after the nonpublic meeting is held or prior to the City Council’s next scheduled meeting, whichever occurs first." The signed order is on-line here.

The transcript is entertaining. Perskie is obviously frustrated when Perillo seems to be evading his direct questions. For example, at page 19, Perskie asks Perillo: "Which one of us is Abbott and which one is Costello?" Perillo's reply: "Hopefully neither."