Following a vote in the New Jersey State Senate confirming Matthew J. Platkin as New Jersey’s next attorney general, Amol Sinha, Executive Director of the ACLU of New Jersey, issued the following statement:
“We congratulate Attorney General Platkin on his confirmation, and the ACLU-NJ looks forward to working with the Office of the Attorney General to advance civil rights, social justice, public safety, and freedom for all New Jerseyans. As always, we will work vigilantly to make sure the attorney general faithfully upholds his oath to defend the state Constitution.
“The decisions of the attorney general have an impact on the entire spectrum of issues that affect all of us, including whether police officers face meaningful accountability, whether immigrants feel forced into the shadows or free to participate in civic life, and whether defendants await trial in cages or in freedom, among countless other concerns that touch our daily lives. The Office of the Attorney General has significant power to make New Jersey fairer and more just, and we will advocate for the office to exercise it to create a New Jersey where people can live their lives more freely.
“During his time as acting attorney general and Governor Murphy’s chief counsel, Attorney General Platkin has shown a willingness to collaborate with key stakeholders, including those who are often underrepresented in positions of power, and a desire to serve people rather than politics. We will continue our efforts to collaborate with the OAG on priority issues facing our state such as the expansion of police accountability, jury reform, sentencing reform, and the advancement of immigrants’ rights and access to reproductive health care.”
