Superior Court of New Jersey — Law Division & Appellate Division — Atlantic County (Law Div.) / Appellate Division
Barber v. State of New Jersey — Street-Crossing PCR & Appeal (ATL-24-001934 / A-000313-25)
Barber v. State (Street-Crossing Appeal) · Docket ATL-24-001934
I. Case Background
The case stems from a February 2024 street-crossing stop in Atlantic County involving Officer Boyd.
The officer alleged jaywalking, though Mr. Barber maintains he crossed lawfully—walking at right angles within the roadway after briefly stopping in the center of a marked crosswalk.
He asserts that Officer Boyd, observing from the Walmart parking area, mistakenly believed he had crossed from the nearby Woodworks apartment complex.
When approached, Mr. Barber identified himself by name and website but declined to provide a date of birth or Social Security number, invoking his right to privacy.
Officer Boyd stated, “I’m not going to give you a ticket,” indicating the stop’s purpose appeared to be a warrant inquiry rather than pedestrian enforcement.
No interference with traffic or safety occurred.
Despite this, the encounter was escalated into a charge of obstructing the administration of law—a claim Mr. Barber characterizes as frivolous and retaliatory.
He questions what “investigation” he could have obstructed, whether any lawful investigation or warrant existed, and on what reasonable, articulable suspicion such surveillance or detention was based.
The subsequent filings and grand-jury referral, he argues, reflect a pattern of prosecutorial overreach and misconduct, criminalizing his assertion of constitutional rights after prior incidents of governmental abuse.
The resulting case was merged into Law Division docket ATL-24-001934.
Mr. Barber contends the stop, charge, and ensuing prosecution violated the Fourth Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment, and Article I, ¶¶ 1 and 7 of the New Jersey Constitution.
He sought post-conviction relief under R. 3:22 and appealed the Law Division’s failure to adjudicate or consolidate the record, maintaining that the proceedings exemplify systemic disregard for due process and equal protection.
filings: # Law Division (ATL-24-001934) PCR Filings
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Chief Clambrone Letter re Incident and Record Clarification” file: “09-25-2024-chief-clambrone-letter.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Demurrer and Plea in Abatement with Certificate (EF-3721525)” file: “Demurer-and-Plea-in-Abatement-with-Certificate_EF-3721525.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
# Appellate Division (A-000313-25) Filings
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date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting In Forma Pauperis Status” file: “order-granted-ifp.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/”
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date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting Appeal Docketing” file: “order-granted.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/” —
Filings and Submissions
| Date | EF ID | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-24 | EF-3454163 | Notice of Post-Conviction Relief |
| 2025-06-16 | EF-3436571 | Addendum to PCR Petition |
| 2025-05-23 | EF-3386114 | Certification of Merit |
| 2025-05-22 | EF-3385005 | Supporting Exhibit Filing |
| 2025-05-21 | EF-3382438 | PCR Petition |
| 2025-05-18 | EF-3373819 | Supplemental Brief |
| 2025-05-07 | EF-3352125 | Petition Filing |
| 2025-05-04 | EF-3344015 | Original Application |
filings: # Law Division (ATL-24-001934) PCR Filings
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Chief Clambrone Letter re Incident and Record Clarification” file: “09-25-2024-chief-clambrone-letter.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Demurrer and Plea in Abatement with Certificate (EF-3721525)” file: “Demurer-and-Plea-in-Abatement-with-Certificate_EF-3721525.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
# Appellate Division (A-000313-25) Filings
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date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting In Forma Pauperis Status” file: “order-granted-ifp.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/”
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date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting Appeal Docketing” file: “order-granted.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/” —
II. Procedural History
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 2024-02 | Street-crossing detention by Officer Boyd |
| 2024-05-04 | PCR petition filed under R. 3:22 (ATL-24-001934) |
| 2024-09-25 | Chief Clambrone Letter and Demurrer/Plea submitted |
| 2025-05-04 | Law Division PCR still pending disposition |
| 2025-10-29 | Notice of Appeal filed (A-000313-25) |
| 2025-11-05 | IFP and docketing orders granted |
| TBD | Transcript / briefing schedule notice (expected) |
filings: # Law Division (ATL-24-001934) PCR Filings
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Chief Clambrone Letter re Incident and Record Clarification” file: “09-25-2024-chief-clambrone-letter.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Demurrer and Plea in Abatement with Certificate (EF-3721525)” file: “Demurer-and-Plea-in-Abatement-with-Certificate_EF-3721525.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
# Appellate Division (A-000313-25) Filings
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date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting In Forma Pauperis Status” file: “order-granted-ifp.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/”
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date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting Appeal Docketing” file: “order-granted.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/” —
III. Key Filings and Exhibits
A. Underlying PCR — ATL-24-001934
Files located at: /cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/
| Date | Description | File |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-25 | Chief Clambrone Letter re Incident and Record Clarification | 09-25-2024-chief-clambrone-letter.pdf |
| 2024-09-25 | Demurrer and Plea in Abatement with Certificate (EF-3721525) | Demurer-and-Plea-in-Abatement-with-Certificate_EF-3721525.pdf |
filings: # Law Division (ATL-24-001934) PCR Filings
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Chief Clambrone Letter re Incident and Record Clarification” file: “09-25-2024-chief-clambrone-letter.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Demurrer and Plea in Abatement with Certificate (EF-3721525)” file: “Demurer-and-Plea-in-Abatement-with-Certificate_EF-3721525.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
# Appellate Division (A-000313-25) Filings
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date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting In Forma Pauperis Status” file: “order-granted-ifp.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/”
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date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting Appeal Docketing” file: “order-granted.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/” —
B. Appellate Filings — A-000313-25
Files located at: /cases/a-000313-25/
| Date | Description | File |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-29 | Notice of Appeal (CN 10502) | 2025-10-29_notice-of-appeal.pdf |
| 2025-11-05 | Order Granting In Forma Pauperis Status | order-granted-ifp.pdf |
| 2025-11-05 | Order Granting Appeal Docketing | order-granted.pdf |
filings: # Law Division (ATL-24-001934) PCR Filings
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Chief Clambrone Letter re Incident and Record Clarification” file: “09-25-2024-chief-clambrone-letter.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Demurrer and Plea in Abatement with Certificate (EF-3721525)” file: “Demurer-and-Plea-in-Abatement-with-Certificate_EF-3721525.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
# Appellate Division (A-000313-25) Filings
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date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting In Forma Pauperis Status” file: “order-granted-ifp.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/”
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date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting Appeal Docketing” file: “order-granted.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/” —
IV. Legal Issues
- Whether the detention and identification demand constituted an unlawful stop under Fourth Amendment and N.J. Const. art. I, ¶ 7.
- Whether selective enforcement or retaliation violated equal-protection and due-process rights.
- Whether appointed counsel’s omissions satisfy the Strickland/Fritz ineffective-assistance threshold.
- Whether the Law Division’s inaction and fragmented record deprived petitioner of meaningful post-conviction review.
filings: # Law Division (ATL-24-001934) PCR Filings
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Chief Clambrone Letter re Incident and Record Clarification” file: “09-25-2024-chief-clambrone-letter.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Demurrer and Plea in Abatement with Certificate (EF-3721525)” file: “Demurer-and-Plea-in-Abatement-with-Certificate_EF-3721525.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
# Appellate Division (A-000313-25) Filings
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date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting In Forma Pauperis Status” file: “order-granted-ifp.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/”
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date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting Appeal Docketing” file: “order-granted.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/” —
V. Related Cases and Context
This appeal is part of a larger continuum of public-record PCR and appellate matters documenting systemic fairness and access to justice:
Together, these cases illustrate how constitutional claims progress through New Jersey’s hybrid post-conviction and appellate systems.
filings: # Law Division (ATL-24-001934) PCR Filings
-
date: 2024-09-25 label: “Chief Clambrone Letter re Incident and Record Clarification” file: “09-25-2024-chief-clambrone-letter.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
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date: 2024-09-25 label: “Demurrer and Plea in Abatement with Certificate (EF-3721525)” file: “Demurer-and-Plea-in-Abatement-with-Certificate_EF-3721525.pdf” path: “/cases/atl-24-001934/pcr/”
# Appellate Division (A-000313-25) Filings
-
date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting In Forma Pauperis Status” file: “order-granted-ifp.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/”
-
date: 2025-11-05 label: “Order Granting Appeal Docketing” file: “order-granted.pdf” path: “/cases/a-000313-25/” —
VI. Purpose and Notice
This record consolidates both the Law Division and Appellate Division materials
into one accessible page for public accountability.
All cited files are verified uploads from eCourts or directly transmitted filings.
Notice: This summary is informational only and does not replace the official court record. Always verify filings with the Superior Court of New Jersey.
VII. AI-Powered Case Analysis
This case record is enhanced with automated analysis from OpenAI’s GPT models, providing two complementary perspectives:
Judicial Oversight Analysis
Analysis pending. This section will be automatically populated when the OpenAI analysis system processes this case record.
The judicial oversight analysis will focus on:
- Due process considerations
- Procedural propriety and compliance with court rules
- Constitutional issues raised in the filings
- Judicial conduct and adherence to established law
- Administrative justice concerns
Journalistic Commentary
Commentary pending. This section will be automatically populated when the OpenAI analysis system processes this case record.
The journalistic commentary will examine:
- Public interest and transparency implications
- Individual rights and civil liberties at stake
- Government accountability and institutional response
- Access to justice for self-represented litigants
- Broader societal implications of the case
- The human story behind the legal proceedings
About this analysis: The AI-powered analysis is generated automatically using OpenAI’s GPT models to provide accessible context and commentary on complex legal proceedings. It is not a substitute for legal advice and should be read alongside the official court record. See ANALYSIS-SYSTEM.md for more information.
Docket
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— Filing:
Written Appearance, ADA Accommodation & Motion to Dismiss
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