Judge Denies Release Of Morgan Shooting Footage

A judge on Wednesday denied the release of footage taken by a police car dashboard video camera of the night  Officer Rachel Morgan was shot, citing her right to privacy.

North Jersey Media Group, which publishes the Record, filed an Open Public Records Act request for the camera footage and police dispatch audio recordings from the night of Feb. 6, when Morgan was shot four times after trying to make a traffic stop.

A Record reporter asked the Borough for the recordings in February, but her request was denied by Borough Clerk Toni Falato. North Jersey Media Group filed a complaint in March requesting that the recordings be released.

While Judge Peter Doyne said the Borough has to release the audio recordings, he said releasing the video would violate Morgan's privacy rights.

"A police officer does not lose all reasonable expectation of privacy because she is a public employee, as may be the case for individuals who serve the public," he said in his decision. "There need be recognized a vestige of humanity in protection of such a reasonable expectation of privacy."

Morgan said in an email that she was "ecstatic, relieved and grateful" for Doyne's decision. She criticized North Jersey Media Group for seeking the video, adding that "they were given every ounce of information that they asked for."

"Displaying the video serves no other purpose than to make North Jersey Media Group a quick buck and a couple web hits," she said. "I'm sure that if it was the attempted murder of one of their owners or employees this wouldn't even be an issue."

As of post time, North Jersey Media Group hadn't returned a request for comment.

Morgan was hospitalized with four gunshot wounds after she and Officer Ryan Hayo  with Michael Carmody on Super Bowl Sunday. Carmody  days after the shooting.