In April 2010, Police in Maplewood Township (Essex County) cited a man for violating the Township's "public intoxication" code even though the Township Committee repealed that provision of the code approximately a year and a half earlier. The municipal court accepted the man's guilty plea and assessed $80 in fines and costs.

I believe that it's reasonable for citizens, at a minimum, to expect government officials to refrain from enforcing laws that the government itself has previously repealed. Accordingly, I wrote to Maplewood Mayor Victor DeLuca and the Township Committee requesting that immediate steps be taken to prevent more people from being charged with repealed ordinances. My letter, with exhibits, is on-line here.

This letter was followed up with an Internal Affairs complaint that can be viewed here.