13:1E-130 Subpoena power.

5. a. Whenever the Attorney General determines that there exists a reasonable suspicion that any person may have information or knowledge relevant to an investigation conducted pursuant to this act, he may issue in writing and cause to be served upon that person a subpoena to appear and be examined under oath before the Attorney General.

b. The subpoena shall:

(1) Identify the licensee, permittee or applicant, or business concern that has been issued a soil and fill recycling license who is the subject of the investigation;

(2) Advise that person that he may have an attorney present when he appears and testifies or otherwise responds to the subpoena, that he has a right, at any time before the return date of the subpoena, to file in Superior Court a petition to modify or set aside the subpoena, as provided in subsection f. of this section;

(3) Prescribe a date and time at which that person must appear to testify, under oath, provided that this date shall not be less than seven days from the date of service of the subpoena.

c. Except as otherwise provided in this section, no information derived pursuant to the subpoena shall be disclosed by the Attorney General or the department without the consent of the person testifying.

In any investigation conducted pursuant to this act, the Attorney General may present before the department, court or grand jury any information disclosed pursuant to the subpoena, subject to any protective order deemed proper by the Superior Court.

d. Service of a subpoena pursuant to this section shall be by any of those methods specified in the New Jersey Court Rules for service of summons and complaint in a civil action.

e. Whenever any person fails to comply with any subpoena duly served upon him under this section, or whenever satisfactory copying or reproduction of any material cannot be done and he refuses to surrender the material, the Attorney General may file in the Superior Court a petition for an order of the court for the enforcement of the subpoena.

f. At any time before the return date specified in the subpoena, the person who has been served with the subpoena may file in the Superior Court a petition for an order modifying or setting aside the subpoena. The time allowed for compliance with the subpoena shall not run during the pendency of this petition. The petition shall specify each ground upon which the petitioner relies in seeking relief, and may be based upon any failure of the subpoena to comply with the provisions of this section or upon any constitutional or other legal right or privilege of the petitioner. In this proceeding, the Attorney General shall establish the existence of an investigation pursuant to this act and the nature and subject matter of the investigation.

L.1983, c.392, s.5; amended 1991, c.269, s.5; 2019, c.397, s.6.