Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) For purposes of this section:
1. "Law enforcement officer" or "officer" is defined as an individual employed as a permanent, full-time member of a State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency who is statutorily empowered to act for the detection, investigation, arrest, conviction, detention, or rehabilitation of persons violating the criminal laws of this State and statutorily required to successfully complete a training course approved by, or certified as substantially equivalent to such an approved course, by the Police Training Commission. See N.J.S.A. 52:17B-66 et seq. With the exception of the Juvenile Justice Commission, which is covered by this definition, the Department of Law and Public Safety shall not be considered a law enforcement agency for purposes of this definition.
2. "Firefighter" is defined as a full-time, paid firefighter employed by a public fire department as provided in N.J.S.A. 40A:14-200.
3. "Appellant" refers to a "law enforcement officer" or "firefighter" as defined in (a)1 and 2 above.
4. "Removal," "removal date," "and "removal effective date" shall mean the first date on which the law enforcement officer or firefighter is separated from employment without pay.
(b) If the law enforcement officer or firefighter requests a departmental hearing regarding his or her removal in accordance with N.J.A.C. 4A:2-2.5, the appointing authority shall conduct a hearing within 30 days of the removal's effective date, unless:
1. The officer or firefighter agrees to waive his or her right to the hearing; or
2. The officer or firefighter and the appointing authority agree to an adjournment of the hearing to a later date.
(c) The appointing authority shall issue a Final Notice of Disciplinary Action within 20 days of the hearing and serve the Final Notice to the appellant either by personal service or certified mail. If the appointing authority does not hold a hearing as required in (b) above, the appointing authority shall issue a Final Notice within 30 days of the removal effective date.
(d) The officer or firefighter shall have 20 days from the date of receipt of the Final Notice to appeal the removal. Receipt of the Final Notice on a different date by the appellant's attorney or negotiations representative shall not affect this appeal period. If the appellant does not receive the Final Notice as required by (c) above, he or she shall file an appeal of removal within a reasonable time. The officer or firefighter shall file the appeal simultaneously with the Office of Administrative Law and the Civil Service Commission using the Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Removal Appeal Form in the Appendix to this section. If the appellant files an appeal within 20 days of receipt of the Final Notice with the Civil Service Commission but not with the Office of Administrative Law, or the appellant files an appeal within 20 days of receipt of the Final Notice with the Office of Administrative Law but not with the Commission, the appeal shall still be considered timely. However, if the appellant fails to submit the appeal within 20 days to either the Office of Administrative Law or the Commission, the appeal shall be considered untimely and the Commission shall dismiss the appeal. See N.J.A.C. 1:4B for processing of the appeal at the Office of Administrative Law.
1. If the appellant fails to provide the information and documents required by the Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Removal Appeal Form, after notice of and reasonable opportunity to correct the deficiency, the Commission may dismiss the appeal.
(e) Once the administrative law judge at the Office of Administrative Law who is presiding over an officer or firefighter's removal appeal renders an initial decision, the Office of Administrative Law shall immediately transmit the decision to the Commission for review.
(f) The Commission shall complete its review and issue its final administrative determination regarding the appellant's removal appeal within 45 days of the Commission's receipt of the administrative law judge's initial decision. If the Commission does not issue its final administrative determination within 45 days, the administrative law judge's initial decision shall be deemed the final administrative determination, except that the Commission may, at its discretion, extend its review period by no more than an additional 15 days. If the Commission does not issue a final administrative determination by the end of the additional 15-day period, the administrative law judge's initial decision shall be deemed the final administrative determination, unless, for good cause, the Chairperson of the Commission provides a signed order of extension to the Director of the Office of Administrative Law and serves copies on all affected parties.
(g) The Commission's final administrative determination shall be rendered within 180 calendar days from the date on which the officer or firefighter was initially suspended without pay, except that:
1. This 180-day limit shall not apply to disciplinary charges related to a pending criminal investigation, nor to disciplinary charges which allege conduct that would constitute a violation of criminal law and which seek removal from employment. See N.J.S.A. 40A:14-201(a).
(h) If the Commission fails to render a final administrative determination of an appeal of an officer's or firefighter's removal from employment within the required 180 days, the appellant shall begin receiving the base salary that he or she was receiving at the time of his or her removal and shall continue to receive such salary until the Commission renders a final administrative determination, provided, however, that the following days shall not be counted toward the 180-day period:
1. The period between the date of removal and the date on which the officer or firefighter requests a departmental hearing;
2. The period of agreed-upon adjournment of a departmental hearing;
3. The period between the date of removal and the date on which the appellant appeals a Final Notice of Disciplinary Action with the Office of Administrative Law and the Civil Service Commission;
4. If applicable, the gap in time between the date of timely filing of an appeal with the Office of Administrative Law and the date of filing of the appeal with the Civil Service Commission;
5. If applicable, the gap in time between the date of timely filing with the Civil Service Commission and the date of filing of the appeal with the Office of Administrative Law;
6. The period of time for which appellant or his or her attorney or negotiations representative requests and is granted postponement of a hearing or other delay;
7. The period of time during which the appellant or his or her attorney or negotiations representative causes by his or her actions a postponement, adjournment or delay of a hearing;
8. The period of time for which the appellant or his or her attorney or negotiations representative agrees with the appointing authority to a postponement or delay of a hearing;
9. The period of time during which the administrative law judge or the Civil Service Commission, for good cause, postpones or delays a hearing;
10. The period of time for which the administrative law judge has been granted an extension for filing an initial decision in accordance with N.J.A.C. 1:1-18.8; and
11. The period of time for which the Commission has extended its period of review of the administrative law judge's initial decision in accordance with (f) above.
(i) The following are special circumstances which may affect the receipt of the appealing officer's or firefighter's base salary after the 180-day period:
1. If the appellant or the appellant's representative requests and is granted, or otherwise causes by his or her actions, the postponement, adjournment, or delay of a hearing, the appellant shall not receive full pay during the period of postponement, adjournment, or delay of a hearing.
2. The appellant shall not continue to receive his or her base salary if the administrative law judge's initial decision recommends that the appellant's appeal be denied, unless and until such time as the Civil Service Commission renders a final administrative decision rejecting the administrative law judge's recommendation and ordering the appellant's reinstatement to employment.
3. If the administrative law judge's initial decision recommends reversal of the removal, or that the officer or firefighter receive discipline other than removal, the appellant shall receive his or her base salary on the date provided in the administrative law judge's initial decision, provided, however, that if the appellant is already receiving his or her base salary at the time of the administrative law judge's initial decision, the appellant shall continue to receive such base salary.
4. If the Civil Service Commission grants the officer's or firefighter's appeal, the appointing authority shall immediately reinstate the appellant to employment, and the appellant shall receive his or her base salary, as well as, within 60 days of the issuance of the Commission's decision, all back pay, benefits, seniority, and counsel fees that may be due in accordance with N.J.A.C. 4A:2-2.1 0 and 2.12.
5. If the officer or firefighter appeals a Civil Service Commission decision upholding his or her removal to the Superior Court, Appellate Division, the appellant shall not be entitled to receive his or her base salary.
6. If the appointing authority appeals the Civil Service Commission decision to the Superior Court, Appellate Division, the officer or firefighter shall continue to receive his or her base salary during the pendency of the appeal.
(j) The following relates to an officer's or firefighter's obligation to reimburse his or her base salary to the appointing authority:
1. If the Civil Service Commission denies the officer's or firefighter's appeal, the appellant shall reimburse the appointing authority all pay he or she has received during the period of appeal. If the officer or firefighter fails to do so, the appointing authority may have a lien for the amount owed on any and all property and income to which the appellant has or will have an interest in, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-205(b).
2. If the appellate court affirms the appointing authority's removal of the officer or firefighter, the appellant shall reimburse the appointing authority for all pay he or she has received during the period of appeal. If the officer or firefighter fails to do so, the appointing authority may have a lien for the amount owed on any and all property and income to which the appellant has or will have an interest in, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-206(b).
APPENDIX
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