Did Murphy Have the Constitutional Power to Lock Down N.J.? Here’s What the Experts Say.

Peter G. Verniero, Chair of Sills Cummis’ Corporate Internal Investigations and Appellate Practice Groups, was asked about Governor Murphy’s Constitutional power during the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to the article, “Peter Verniero, a former state attorney general and state Supreme Court justice, said those emergency powers, granted by the state Legislature, are ‘consistent with the strong executive office’ established under New Jersey’s 1947 state constitution.

“Traditionally, the judiciary has upheld gubernatorial actions during such periods, Verniero added. ‘Of course, executive authority is not unlimited. How the courts might react will depend on the facts and circumstances of each case.’”