Even African-Americans and Hispanics who pass the multiple-choice test are less likely to receive promotions because their scores are lower, according to the 10-page lawsuit filed against the state and the Civil Service Commission. The suit seeks to block the state from using the test.

The Hoboken Southwest Redevelopment plan may face further delays, as state Superior Court Judge John O’Shaughnessy remanded it back to the planning board because a witness was not sworn in while giving testimony to board.

The judge ruled that planning consultant of Heyer, Gruel & Associates had not been sworn while giving testinomy at a board hearing last year.

The board was considering a blight study that was required to declare the southwest of Hoboken an area in need of development. The planning board must now hold another public meeting to rehear the tesimony under oath.

But the judge did not rule on the substance of the complaint. One of the plaintiffs, Dawn Zimmer, who is in the run-off for the Fourth Ward City Council seat, has been calling for more park space as well as reduced density of development. She said she wants a traffic study and flood study completed before the plan is finalized.

Councilman Peter Cammarano, who also is a member of the planning board, said it is extremely unlikley that the final outcome would change, and that the decision was based on a technicality.

NJ.Com Comments:

7048. Port-O-Podium Pete loses in Court
by TrutzFirst, 5/16/07 9:52 ET

Members of the Southwest Parks Coalition (Stojovic, Soares, Gregorios, Zimmer and a few others ) filed to throw out the testimony of the city's "expert testimony"

The judge sided with the Plantiff's because the "experts were not sworn in. Any amateur could figure that one out.

What was Councilman Preppy Pete doing that night? Did he leave his law book home?

Was he fixing his Burberrey Tie?

Or was he absent that day at Seton Hall "Law School"

Now they SW Redevelopment zone has to start from Scratch.

All because Preppy Pete was too stupid and not paying attention.

"Simply put, Zoning Board approvals are for sale," states the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Newark yesterday by Leonia developer Ralph Lieber. "Developers who contribute to the mayor's various war chests are rewarded with unanimous decisions for their projects. ... Those few dissenters who refuse to 'play the game' or those not savvy enough to even know the game is being played, risk almost certain rejection."

Lawrence S. Lustberg, who argues frequently before the court and represents the gay plaintiffs in the case at hand, said the decision in the case, Lewis v. Harris, “is the most eagerly anticipated opinion” he has ever seen.

Dr. Oscar Sandoval, who bribed and then helped imprison a former county executive, said he made tapes that back up his earlier allegations that attorney and Menendez friend Donald Scarinci ordered him to share his county jail contracts with another physician, or else lose them.

In March, the council withdrew an ordinance authorizing the condemnation of two Grand Street properties, citing a lawsuit filed by the redeveloper, Ursa/Tarragon.

In a victory for the Bush administration, the justices said the government's interest in effectively managing operations outweighs the interests that protect employee speech, even in cases where employees may be reporting inefficiencies or wrongdoing.

Critics predicted that the impact on public employees -- about 20 million at the local, state and federal levels -- would be sweeping, from silencing police officers who fear retribution for reporting department corruption, to subduing workers who want to reveal problems with government hurricane preparedness or terrorist-related security.

There was an interesting state appeals court ruling Wednesday that will probably be closely read by Hudson County's municipal officials involving the rights, or rather lack of rights, to videotape open government meetings.   The three-judge court unanimously dismissed a lawsuit by a Camden County man who claimed he was wrongfully arrested for attempting to videotape two borough council meetings in September 2000.