Question
and Answers
1. Can the Attorney
General or members of his staff provide
me with legal advice?
No.
The Attorney General is authorized to provide
legal advice only to departments, agencies
and instrumentalities of State government.
State law restricts the Attorney General
from providing legal advice to private citizens
or organizations. This is reflected in the
state law indicating that the Division of
Law in the Attorney General's Office is
authorized only to counsel agencies of state
government. See N.J.S.A. 52:17A-4 (e) and
52:17A-11.
You
may get a referral to a private attorney
in your county through the New Jersey Bar
Association's referral service.
You
may also qualify for free legal advice or
representation. For more information, contact
Legal Services of New Jersey at 1-888-576-5529
www.lsnj.org/hotline.htm
or locate the Legal Services office that
serves your county at www.lsnj.org/directory.htm.
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2. Where can I find
out more about NJ state laws?
You
may access the New Jersey Legislature home
page at www.njleg.state.nj.us.
The text of statutes may be searched and
viewed there.
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3. Who do I contact
if I want to make a complaint about a law
enforcement officer in New Jersey?
It
depends on the agency for whom the officer
works. Unless your complaint is about the
Law Enforcement Executive ( i.e. Chief,
Director, Prosecutor) of the agency, you
would go directly to the officer's employer
to make your complaint. All law enforcement
agencies in New Jersey have an Internal
Affairs policy including an officer or officers
assigned to perform Internal Affairs investigations.
In addition, their policy will include some
form of notice to you that the case was
resolved. (You are not entitled, however,
to know the discipline imposed - if any).
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