November 9, 2017

November 9, 2017 Mostly cloudy with highs in the low 50s. But colder weather is on the way. MENENDEZ CONFIDENT AS JURY DELIBERATIONS REACH THIRD DAY After the second full day of jury deliberations in his bribery trial, Sen. Bob Menendez said Wednesday that he is confident he will be cleared of wrongdoing. "I am convinced we will be exonerated, and that’s worth waiting for,” the New Jersey Democrat said outside the courthouse, according to Talking Points Memo. But if a verdict isn't reached today, Menendez may have to wait even longer. The judge has promised to excuse one juror who has vacation plans, and if an alternate is seated deliberations would need to start from scratch. SLEEP APNEA DIAGNOSED IN 44 NJ TRANSIT ENGINEERS Over the last year, 44 NJ Transit engineers were taken off duty because of sleep apnea, NJ.com reported. Engineers were required to undergo screening for sleep disorders after the fatal crash in September 2016 at the Hoboken train station. A spokeswoman for NJ Transit said that 44 engineers were found to have sleep apnea and that all but three have returned to work after beginning treatment. MURPHY EXPECTED TO MOVE QUICKLY WHEN HE TAKES OFFICE Gov.-elect Phil Murphy campaigned on strengthening the state's economy and he is expected to act swiftly when he takes the oath of office in mid-January, John Reitmeyer writes for NJ Spotlight. With a bigger Democratic majority in the Legislature, there may be few roadblocks for a $15-an-hour minimum wage and a higher income tax rate on earnings over $1 million. MARIJUANA CALLED BIG WINNER IN 2017 ELECTION The election of Democratic governors in New Jersey and Virginia and the success of ballot measures in a number of states on Tuesday will have an impact on efforts to legalize marijuana, Forbes writes. On election night in New Jersey, Gov.-elect Phil Murphy said: "The criminalization of marijuana has only served to clog our courts and cloud people’s futures, so we will legalize marijuana. And while there are financial benefits, this is overwhelmingly about doing what is right and just.” CONVICTIONS OVERTURNED, 2 FREED AFTER 24 YEARS BEHIND BARS Two Paterson men whose murder convictions were recently overturned walked out of the Passaic County Jail on Wednesday after 24 years of incarceration, The Record reports. The convictions of Eric Kelley, 53, and Ralph W. Lee, 55, in the killing of a video store worker in 1993 were overturned based on new DNA evidence. “I waited, I waited, and I waited," Lee said. "And now, we finally made it. I’m a great believer in Jesus. He kept me sane. I’m just thankful, man.”