NJ Enacts New Digital Privacy Law After Murder Of Federal Judge’s Son
New Jersey has enacted a state law that criminalizes the publishing of personal addresses and phone numbers of judges and their families, after the murder of the son of a federal judge in North Brunswick this summer.
Governor Phil Murphy signed Daniel’s Law, named after Daniel Anderl, in an emotional ceremony Friday as his mother, U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, described the impact the law will have. The law -- which prohibits the publication of home addresses and home phone numbers for any active or retired judge, prosecutor, or law enforcement officer -- takes effect immediately.
“In the seconds before his death, Daniel asked me to keep talking to him because he loved talking to me. Well Daniel, on behalf of all New Jersey judges, I thank you son for all you have done -- not just for daddy and I, but for all judicial officers,” Salas said through tears.
Salas and Anderl, a Catholic University student who was home to celebrate his 20th birthday, were talking in the basement of their North Brunswick home on July 19th when the doorbell rang. Anderl answered the door and was shot by Roy Den Hollander -- a self-proclaimed "anti-feminist" lawyer who filed lawsuits against ladies' nights at bars -- who was posing as a FedEx worker. Salas believes Hollander found her address online.
Salas's husband, defense attorney Mark Anderl, was standing behind Daniel Anderl and also wounded in the shooting.
“With today's bill signing, I believe, symbolically Daniel is doing what he did for his father and I. He is protecting the lives of countless judicial officers,” Salas said Friday.
Den Hollander was found dead a day later near the side of the road in Rockland, NY from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had ranted about Salas and other judges, and authorities said that he had a photograph of New York's Chief Judge, Janet DiFiore, in his possession, as well as a list of other judges. The FBI later linked Den Hollander to the fatal shooting in California of a rival men's rights lawyer, Marc Angelucci as well.
Investigators believe Den Hollander targeted Salas for not moving quickly enough on a lawsuit he had brought challenging the constitutionality of the male-only draft. He also allegedly harbored a grudge against Angelucci because Angelucci won his male-only draft case in California.
Salas has handled several high profile cases since her appointment by President Barack Obama in 2010. In 2014, she presided over a fraud case involving "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice and her husband Joe Giudice. She also sentenced Farad Roland, the leader of a Newark street gang, to 45 years in prison in 2018.
“We will never be able to bring the man who targeted the judge and Marc, and your family, and who took Daniel's life to justice for this awful crime. But my hope is that by enacting this law today -- ensuring greater protections for those who sit on the bench and enforce our laws and protecting them for being targeted in the same fashion -- we are doing something good for the cause of justice, and something good in Daniel’s blessed memory,” Murphy said at the bill signing.
Salas is also calling for the same protections enacted as federal law. "We, the federal government need a new comprehensive approach to judicial security, particularly, considering the vast amount of personal information that's available on the internet," she said at the bill signing. "It is my sincere hope that we can address this critical issue at a national level, specific steps must be taken to restrict access to judges' personally identifiable information, develop ways to monitor serious threats and improve courthouse and judicial security systems."