Supreme Court rules New Jersey can’t be hostage to decades-old compact with New York
Kaelan Deese
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The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of New Jersey on Tuesday, saying the state can unilaterally withdraw from a decades-old agreement surrounding New York Harbor.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the unanimous majority that a ruling for New York would have allowed the Empire State essentially to hold its neighboring state hostage. The agreement, known as the Waterfront Commission, was established in the 1950s to combat organized crime at the harbor.
SUPREME COURT SYMPATHETIC TO NEW JERSEY’S PLEA TO BREAK COMPACT WITH NEW YORK
New Jersey contended that the commission has outrun its usefulness, claiming the compact limits harbor business and has caused labor shortages.
“In sum, background principles of contract law, reinforced here by principles of state sovereignty and the fact that the States did not intend for the Compact to operate forever, indicate that New Jersey may unilaterally withdraw from the Waterfront Commission Compact,” Kavanaugh wrote for the full court.
During oral arguments over the case in March, justices on the 6-3 Republican-appointed high court appeared to lean more sympathetic to New Jersey’s claims.
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This is a developing story and will be updated.