Chris Christie, a Republican, signed legislation withdrawing his state from the compact. New Jerseyalso known as the New York-New Jersey Waterfront Commission casewill soon be litigated in the U.S. Supreme Court, with oral arguments All rights reserved. The State Police has already become a presence in the port areas in New Jersey in advance of the March withdrawal deadline. The commission is authorized to deny or revoke the registration or licenses of those who involve themselves in criminal activity. The Six Men Sentenced for Roles in Illegal Loansharking, Check Cashing, Gambling & Money Laundering Schemes Linked to Genovese Crime Family. U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday indicated they might rule in favor of New Jersey leaving a bi-state agency with New York created to police ports, stem the Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. New York argued that when the compact was written, the states intended to prohibit unilateral termination, not allow it.. Vale pushed back, suggesting the commission, which employs about 70 people, makes it harder for corruption and undue influence to succeed.. The Waterfront Commission declined to comment. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson signaled that she was unconvinced that the 70-year-old agreement between the two states was meant to be binding forever. New York then entered the conversation, arguing that workers move back and forth between the two states ports and that it makes sense to keep the current compact intact. We look forward to an orderly transition from the Commission to the New Jersey State Police.. Justice Samuel Alito questioned her on that point. The two states created the Waterfront Commission in 1953 to fight crime and regulate employment at the ports. It asked for details on their current positions and resumes. Vale made a last attempt during her rebuttal to convince the justices of the commission's essential role in the region, saying that as recently as 2006 the compact governing the commission was amended by both states to strengthen the organization's work and therefore the two states should work together to determine the commission's future. 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. 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. Colleen Wilson covers the Port Authority and NJ Transit for NorthJersey.com. All rights reserved (About Us). The WCNYH has its own police division (a.k.a. Justice Elena Kagan reiterated that point. 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. Hochuls counsel has added that the commission remains a major player in the ongoing battle against organized crime and corruption in the ports shared by the two states. New Jersey Gov. The commission which includes one member from each state appointed by its governor [19], Among his final actions in January 2018 before leaving office, Christie signed legislation allowing the state to withdraw from pact. In separate letters sent to the U.S. Department of Justice this summer and obtained by POLITICO, the FBI, Department of Labor and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York also all argued the Waterfront Commissions role remains vital. Chris Christie signed the bill into law in his final week in office. The commission was set up in August 1953 (a year before the movie On the Waterfront) to combat labor racketeering. Some of Vale's arguments hinged on the idea that the creation of the Waterfront Commission was much like the inception of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. State officials have also not even suggested such a move might be under consideration, despite New Jerseys self-imposed deadline for withdrawal now three weeks away. The commission which includes one member from each state appointed by its governor has jurisdiction over all the regions piers and terminals, including the ports in Newark, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Staten Island and Brooklyn. Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Charges of racketeering conspiracy, extortion, theft of union benefits, mail fraud, false statements, loansharking, embezzlement of union funds, money laundering, and illegal gambling, dating back over three decades, were brought forth by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in February2008 against leaders of the Gambino crime family, their associates, and union officials. New Jersey has the support of the Biden administration, which has told the court that the compact's text suggests either state can withdraw on its own. It remains to be seen whether New York the other side of the long-standing waterfront partnership will stand by and allow a unilateral withdrawal. So, there has been tension over the past couple of decades about whether the Waterfront Commission should still exist in its current form or whether it should exist at all.. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a Bronx native, told Vale her argument "doesn't make any sense" and that "once you said the compact did not intend this to be perpetual, I think you ended the game.". The Waterfront Commission was created in response to the significant influence of organized crime at the ports during the 20th century including having power over the International Longshoremen's Association, the union that hires workers at the ports and the prevalence of criminal behavior at the docks, such as cargo theft, gambling and loansharking. On Monday, the chair of the New York Assemblys Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, Amy Paulin (D-Westchester), sent a letter urging Gov. January 18, 2023. The governor has set a March 28 date for the state to take over the enforcement role in the state's ports.NJ Governors Office. New Jersey, the justices questioned counsel for New York on whether New Jersey could be held to the 1953 Waterfront Commission Compact indefinitely. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. In 2018, then-New Jersey Gov. 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. But the high courts move doesnt end the commission if anything, it may intensify a simmering dispute between New Jersey and New York about the agencys future, adding to other state clashes between the two states over taxes and tolls. But while the high courts action ends the commissions efforts to stop New Jersey, that may not be the end of the battle. This underworld of crime was portrayed in the 1954 film "On the Waterfront," starring Marlon Brando. The agencys two commissioners and executive staff members were swept out and new leadership has since been installed. 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. Those supporters also showered state lawmakers with political contributions over the years. The Waterfront Commission, which has jurisdiction over the region's ports and marine terminals, would shut down unless New York goes to court.Star-Ledger file photo. That fight, if it comes, will almost certainly put more focus on the role of organized crime on the New York and New Jersey waterfront, which was the reason the commission was created in the first place. Phil Murphy at Port Newark in December. Resource. 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. WCNYH Background Information Questionnaire. Jeremy Feigenbaum, a lawyer for New Jersey, argued before the court that the 1953 agreement to create the commission had no language preventing one state from deciding to leave. All rights reserved. WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court seemed ready Wednesday to allow New Jersey to withdraw from a commission the state created decades ago with New York to combat the mob's influence at their joint port. One party cant keep the other on the hook forever, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The Waterfront Commission participated in the investigation of criminal activities by the leaders and members of the Gambino crime family and union leaders. The two states also are joined together through the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a far larger agency that serves as a massive economic engine, operates the airports, bridges, tunnels and seaports spanning the metropolitan area. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. WebWaterfront Commission of New York Harbor - Police News January 4, 2023 News Header: Warehouseman Application Denied Based on Felony Conviction, Fraud, Deceit Gov. After a federal judge struck down the New Jersey law ruling that the governor and the state Legislature could not simply walk away from its agreement with New York the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed the ruling. January 18, 2023. I guess what Im trying to push back on is that, if the reason they were silent was not because they thought this was in an agreement for all times, but because they were worried about signaling to the mob bosses that they would be leaving, Jackson said. Just as it was 70 years ago, the Waterfront Commission remains structured with one commissioner from New York and one commissioner from New Jersey. The bill was approved by Gov. [10], Officers wear a darkblue NYC-style police uniform, with:[11], It also includes a duty belt with equipment. Roughly $200 billion in cargo moves through the port each year. 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. The Division of Licensing and Employment Information Centers is responsible for screening, registering, and licensing individuals who are interested in working at the dock. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Additional motions and responses from the two states are expected to be filed to the Supreme Court through November. New Jersey, however, has sought for more than five years to kill the Waterfront Commission, calling the agency a vestige of a past. ", The U.S. attorneys who wrote to the court, led by Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, said New York's arguments in court documents are "mistaken" and "internally inconsistent," adding that New Jersey should be able to leave without New York's consent because it enables "each State to exercise its full sovereign authority.". 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. New Jersey argued that its state police force could take over the commission's work of vetting and licensing union labor. Description. The justices spent more time asking Feigenbaum how to craft their opinion in New Jersey's favor than challenging his arguments. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. But its enforcement efforts in recent years led to mounting political pressure in Trenton, with the New York Shipping Association and International Longshoremens Association arguing that the commission had long overstepped its authority. The Waterfront Commission itself was granted permission to file an amicus brief with the court, in support of New Yorks motion to stop New Jersey from killing the agency. Michael Murphy, the New Jersey representative on the commission whom Christie appointed, said that full divorce could happen early next year. 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." The commission added that the agency has worked to break the cycle of corruption on the waterfront by preventing individuals with mob ties from infiltrating the workforce. New Jerseys arguments have been bolstered by the U.S. Office of the Solicitor General, which argues the governments position for the federal Justice Department in cases before the Supreme Court and was specifically asked by the court to weigh in on this one. It maintained that New Jersey could not decide for itself that it no longer wanted to honor its obligations under a bilateral compact ratified by Congress. The bridge is now safer, more inviting to cross and, The Bunker Giorno Foundation, by Blake Sandberg, Column: NYC apartments were never really affordable, by George Fiala, Yes Virginia, there is (still) a Community Board, by Katherine Rivard, Public Place battle tamped down by EPA scientist, by George Fiala, Hamilton Avenue footbridge gets an upgrade, by Nathan Weiser, Under capitalism, there are ways to beat inflation, by Brian Abate and George Fiala, When people from all walks of life need help, by George Bellows, Quinn on Books: The Dairy Restaurant by Ben Katchor, Getting the real stuff during the pandemic, by Michael Fiorito. Chris Christie signed a bill allowing the state to pull out of the compact, charging the state lacks the authority to withdraw unilaterally. It agreed with the state and found that the commissions lawsuit impinges on the State of New Jerseys sovereignty., In a final appeal, lawyers for the Waterfront Commission went to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that if the decision were to stand, it will signal to states that they can destroy compact commissions they find irksome simply by appropriating the commissions functions for themselves.. Gov. New York, though, has yet take New Jersey to court over the states decision to end their partnership. The commission which includes one member from each state appointed by its governor has wide jurisdiction over the regions piers and terminals, including the ports in Newark, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Staten Island and Brooklyn. "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. 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