Case Studies

In-depth analysis and stories from New Jersey OPRA litigation data

71,577

Court Cases Analyzed

6,951

GRC Complaints

394

Government Agencies

Years of Data

Trends

GRC Filing Trends Over Time

How complaint volumes have evolved since 2002

6,951

Total Complaints

Years of Data

200

Avg Recent/Year

Key Findings

•Complaint volumes peaked in the mid-2010s with over 500 filings per year
•Recent years show stabilization around 300-400 annual complaints
•The GRC backlog has been a persistent challenge affecting resolution times

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Outcomes

Requester Success Rates

Analyzing outcomes for records requesters

Access Granted

Access Denied

Success Rate

Key Findings

•Of 0 decided GRC cases, requesters prevailed 0% of the time
•Many complaints are dismissed or withdrawn before reaching a final decision
•Mediation has become an increasingly important resolution mechanism

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Agencies

Most Frequently Sued Agencies

Which government entities face the most litigation

394

Gov Agencies Tracked

365

Top Agency Cases

High Volume

Police Depts

Key Findings

•Municipal police departments appear frequently in OPRA litigation
•School boards and boards of education are common defendants
•State agencies handle high volumes due to statewide jurisdiction

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Requesters

Repeat Records Requesters

Understanding prolific OPRA users

2,500+

Unique Requesters

50+

Top Requester Cases

Common

Journalist Requesters

Key Findings

•A small number of requesters account for a disproportionate share of complaints
•Journalists and activists are among the most active requesters
•Some requesters specialize in specific types of records (police, education, etc.)

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Trends

Case Resolution Timeline

How long do OPRA disputes take to resolve

1-2 years

GRC Avg Time

6-18 months

Court Avg Time

Mediation

Quick Resolution

Key Findings

•GRC complaints can take years to reach final decision due to backlog
•Court litigation often resolves faster but requires attorney involvement
•Mediation and settlement account for significant portion of resolutions

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Agencies

Geographic Distribution

OPRA litigation patterns across NJ counties

Counties

Essex, Bergen

Highest Volume

Varies

Per Capita

Key Findings

•Urban counties generate more absolute complaint volume
•Per-capita rates vary significantly between counties
•Some smaller counties have notably high per-capita complaint rates

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Methodology & Data Notes

These case studies are based on algorithmic analysis of court records and GRC complaints. While we strive for accuracy, entity matching and case classification involve probabilistic methods. Statistics should be considered approximate.

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Explore the Data Yourself

All the data behind these case studies is available for download. Conduct your own analysis and uncover new insights.

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