[20][1], The Supreme Court has paused New Jersey's withdrawal from the compact creating the commission until it has addressed the merits of an injunction filed by the State of New York.[21][22]. "I am optimistic that New Jersey will prevail in this case and will finally be allowed to reclaim authority over its ports with a regulatory structure more suited for the 21stcentury," Murphy's statement said. Container ships are docked at the Port of New York and New Jersey in Elizabeth, N.J. (Seth Wenig/AP). Upon assuming the position, current Governor Phil Murphywho previously promised members of the International Longshoremens Association that he would, as he declared in his campaign speech before the 2017 election, figure out the damn Waterfront Commission once and for allwas faced with a lawsuit on his first day of office. That sets up a three-month transfer period where some of the duties of the commission are assumed by the state. Gov. The How NJ lost $850M to NY:A look inside the negotiations to split federal transit funds. The commission was created in 1953 when organized crime had infiltrated the port and was demanding payments from workers and shippers through extortion and violence. Chief Justice John Roberts disagreed, at one point saying it's "hard to unscramble the eggs" of the Port Authority but it's not so "disruptive" to dissolve a much smaller organization such as the Waterfront Commission, whose work is limited to performing background checks and investigations into suspected criminal port activity. New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum, arguing the case for New Jersey in Washington on Wednesday, said there was nothing in the plain text of the compact that prohibited the state from leaving the Waterfront Commission. Marlon Brando in the 1954 motion picture "On the Waterfront." We know here that the parties never intended for this to be perpetual, said Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who grew up in New York. It has argued that its agreement with New York no longer makes sense in an age that brought game-changing mechanization to all the ports, ultimately relocating most activity on the waterfront almost entirely to New Jersey. The U.S. Supreme Court will not intervene in New Jerseys efforts to kill the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor a bi-state agency created more than 65 years ago to police the regions ports ending for now a years-long legal fight over the policing of the ports of New York and New Jersey. The bi-state agency was founded in 1953 by a Congressional authorized compact between New York and New Jersey "for the purpose of eliminating various evils on the waterfront in the Port of New York Harbor." Austin Raynor, assistant to the solicitor general for the U.S. Department of Justice, took questions from the court about department's defense of New Jersey. Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor (WCNYH) News. If you dont believe me, go to the website of the supposed non-profit, Open, There are many things that set New York City apartits spirit, grit, bustle and community boards. The survival of the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor came before the nine justices after New York sued New Jersey over the Garden States unilateral effort to shut down the bistate agency. The state says the commission has become an impediment to economic growth.. The Waterfront Commission had sued to stop New Jersey from abandoning the agreement that established it decades ago, a move that would have effectively killed it. While a federal judge struck down the New Jersey law, ruling that the governor and the state Legislature could not abandon the bi-state agreement, the ruling was overturned by he U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Solicitor General, as well some states including Texas, have since sided with New Jersey. The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor has since 1953 cracked down on mob activity and unfair hiring practices at the sprawling ports. The justices only ruled on whether it would hear the commissions arguments to strike down the action by the governor and the Legislature in New Jersey. Roughly $200 billion in cargo moves through the port each year. Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar said while the compact was silent on the matter of whether either state could unilaterally withdraw, she said the agreement was structured and funded in such a way that the continuing cooperation of each state was necessary for the Waterfront Commission to function effectively. In essence they New York, though, has yet take New Jersey to court over the states decision to end their partnership. We just dont know what the court is going to do., The new beautiful people who love to equate social justice with unconstrained real estate development love to say that everybody could get a great place to live whereever they want if only developers were allowed to build anyplace they wanted to, as tall as they like. A year later, the New York State Crime Commission identified forms of labor racketeering, extortion, and union corruption, and issued a report with numerous recommendationsincluding the creation of the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor. It argued that New Jersey could not simply decide for itself that it no longer wanted to honor its obligations under a bilateral compact ratified by Congress. The WCNYH has its own police division (a.k.a. Elena Kagan, who also grew up in New York, was similarly skeptical of the state's argument as was the court's only member from New Jersey, Justice Samuel Alito. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Local journalism needs your support. Judith Vale, New York's deputy solicitor general, tried to convince the court that New Jersey's departure from the 70-year-old commission would "upset and destabilize" the region. The two-member commission with one commissioner from each state oversees licensing and inspections at the Port of New York and New Jersey and has its own police force. [6][7], WCPD uses marked police patrol cars (such as Ford Explorer[8]), command centre vehicles[9] and boats for water work. Ultimately, New York took the issue to the Supreme Court, which handles disputes between states. Justice Elena Kagan reiterated that point. Now, all eyes are turning to New York and to the merits of the commission itself and whether organized crime is still a major threat. We want to know if you are interested in transitioning your employment from the current commission to the state of New Jersey, wrote State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan in a letter sent last week to Waterfront Commission employees. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Following release of the report, the large majority of the commission's executive staff were fired, including the New Jersey Commissioner Michael J. Madonna (the New York Commissioner's seat was vacant at the time of the report's release, although the report faulted the actions of the former New York Commissioner, Michael C. [5] The Police Division utilizes numerous vehicles in its vehicle fleet, including marked police cars and trucks. A long-running battle challenging New Jerseys right to walk away from the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor came under sharp questioning by justices Our journalism needs your support. The letter said New Jerseys move cannot go unchecked.. Make descriptions so clear that persons unfamiliar with the work can understand exactly what is done.. Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court. It asked for details on their current positions and resumes. Chris Christie signed a law withdrawing from the commission and handing over law enforcement operations on the New Jersey side of the port to the New Jersey State Police. Rather, the justices were most interested in the sovereign powers of states involved in a bi-state commission, and the minutiae of contract and compact law used to create the commission. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals decision, which now stands, found that the commission doesnt have standing to sue New Jersey. We are reviewing all options, Hochuls press secretary, Hazel Crampton-Hays, said in a statement. And on Friday, the shipping industry said it would no longer pay millions in annual charges to the commission, pointing to the states position that it would not be able to operate legally without a quorum. Description. To put the workforce into context, about 40,000 to 50,000 workers were showing up at the docks in 1953 and about 8,000 registered workers were showing up by 1980, according to Catapano. In arguments before the court, New York Deputy Solicitor General Judith Vale said while there was no expectation that the new commission created to clean up the port would be permanent, she told the justices there was an intention to prohibit unilateral withdrawal by either side. It also argues that the industry today is not what it was in the 1950s and that this particular type of regulator (the compact) is not warranted. Michael Murphy, the New Jersey representative on the commission whom Christie appointed, said that full divorce could happen early next year. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. WebCertified Police Officer - Detective. She noted the bistate agreements silence on the matter of whether the states intended for this to continue forever, or that they would jointly agree to leave, but that one couldnt decide Im done and out. . Paulins letter to Hochul seems to question the polices readiness by noting the commissions decades of institutional knowledge that cannot be replaced by another agency.. Phil Murphy has announced that New Jersey will withdraw from the commission in three weeks despite letters from the office of New York Gov. In 1950, the U.S. Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce was created to investigate crime, particularly in the shipping industry, as Senate hearings became increasingly covered by newspapers as well as shown in local theaters to the public. Wednesday's court appearance came less than a year after New York sued New Jersey over its attempt to exit the commission, a process that began in 2018 when the New Jersey Legislature approved the withdrawal. New Jersey began the process of withdrawing from the Waterfront Commission in 2018 as some state lawmakers made the case that the commission was no longer necessary to police the ports and instead the New Jersey state police could take over that work, particularly with 80% of port activity taking place in New Jersey. All rights reserved. The U.S. Supreme Court ordered an abrupt halt Thursday to New Jerseys planned exit from a bi-state watchdog agency that regulates the ports and piers of New York Harbor, just four days before the state was ready to call it quits. The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor was created to address racketeering and unfair hiring practices at the jointly run Port of New York and New Jersey. [2] The commission was initially created to combat unfair hiring practices on the waterfront in response to the growing number of crimes being committed there. Six Men Sentenced for Roles in Illegal Loansharking, Check Cashing, Gambling & Money Laundering Schemes Linked to Genovese Crime Family. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Colleen Wilson covers the Port Authority and NJ Transit for NorthJersey.com. The decision Monday means the high court declined to hear the commissions appeal in a lawsuit arguing that New Jersey could not unilaterally walk away from the federally approved interstate compact that established the agency. If not, that would open the door to an ongoing fight should New York go to court to seek an injunction. That led Gov. The Supreme Court is not trying to get into the goods or bads of the commission, but really the simple legal question of whether New Jersey can unilaterally leave this bi-state compact, said Rivard. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin and New York Solicitor General Barbara Underwood were in the courtroom, though New York Attorney General Letitia James was not. All rights reserved (About Us). If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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