Alan J. Karcher takes a critical look at how and why the boundary lines of New Jersey's 566 municipalities were drawn, pointing to the irrationality of these excessive divisions.

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New Jersey’s legal system was plagued with injustices from the time the system was established through the mid-twentieth century. In Battleground New Jersey, historian and author of Boardwalk Empire, Nelson Johnson chronicles reforms to the system through the dramatic stories of Arthur T. Vanderbilt—the first chief justice of the state’s modern-era Supreme Court—and Frank Hague—legendary mayor of Jersey City. Two of the most powerful politicians in twentieth-century America, Vanderbilt and Hague clashed on matters of public policy and over the need to reform New Jersey’s antiquated and corrupt court system. Their battles made headlines and eventually led to legal reform, transforming New Jersey’s court system into one of the most highly regarded in America. Vanderbilt’s power came through mastering the law, serving as dean of New York University Law School, preaching court reform as president of the American Bar Association, and organizing suburban voters before other politicians recognized their importance. Hague, a remarkably successful sixth-grade dropout, amassed his power by exploiting people’s foibles, crushing his rivals, accumulating a fortune through extortion, subverting the law, and taking care of business in his own backyard. They were different ethnically, culturally, and temperamentally, but they shared the goals of power. Relying upon previously unexamined personal files of Vanderbilt, Johnson’s engaging chronicle reveals the hatred the lawyer had for the mayor and the lengths Vanderbilt went to in an effort to destroy Hague. Battleground New Jersey illustrates the difficulty in adapting government to a changing world, and the vital role of independent courts in American society.

New Jersey has long been a breeding ground for political corruption, and most of it is perfectly legal. Public officials accept favors from lobbyists, give paid positions to relatives, and rig the electoral process to favor their cronies in a system where campaign money is used to buy government results. Such unethical behavior is known as “soft corruption,” and former New Jersey legislator William E. Schluter has been fighting it for the past fifty years. In this searing personal narrative, the former state senator recounts his fight to expose and reform these acts of government misconduct. Not afraid to cite specific cases of soft corruption in New Jersey politics, he paints a vivid portrait of public servants who care more about political power and personal gain than the public good. By recounting events that he witnessed firsthand in the Garden State, he provides dramatic illustrations of ills that afflict American politics nationwide. As he identifies five main forms of soft corruption, Schluter diagnoses the state government’s ethical malaise, and offers concrete policy suggestions for how it might be cured. Not simply a dive through the muck of New Jersey politics, Soft Corruption is an important first step to reforming our nation’s political system, a book that will inspire readers to demand that our elected officials can and must do better. Visit: www.softcorruption.com (http://www.softcorruption.com)

Now issued as an annual paperback and in EPUB format(R), Adobe(R) Digital Editions (pc and mac). The digital edition is in EPUB format, with hyperlinks to the full text of cases, statutes and other authoritative content for all your legal research needs. "A narrative context for the myriad of issues. It is a powerful asset to this book that the author has included such extensive and detailed forms." -- Steven M. Richman, Esq., Duane Morris, LLP, "New Jersey Lawyer Magazine" This extraordinary volume is the definitive work in the field of New Jersey consumer fraud and is worth its weight in gold as a reference book. Since the Consumer Fraud Act is one of only two areas of law that allows for treble damages, a single consumer fraud case could well be worth the price of the product. A downloadable eBook is included with your order, with hyperlinks to the full text of cases, statutes and other authoritative content.Released as an annual paperback and in EPUB format, the eBook is viewable on Apple iPad or iPhone, SONY Reader, Barnes & Noble NOOK(R), Adobe(R) Digital Editions (PC and Mac) for all your legal research needs.

Now issued as an annual paperback and in EPub format, New Jersey Local Government Deskbook is published in cooperation with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. This plain-language handbook organizes and updates a towns procedural and regulatory obligations.