Oral argument on the Borough’s case involving the eruv was scheduled to be held on January 9, 2018 before U.S. District Court Judge John Michael Vazquez. However, before argument was to begin, Judge Vazquez asked counsel to chambers to discuss the matter and stressed that he believed the case should be mediated or the parties should engage in settlement discussions. He noted that both Mahwah and Montvale, who face similar cases filed before him, were engaged in similar discussions.
Judge Vazquez then read his initial impression of the extensive papers filed in the matter, which he said were not final and did not contain any formal findings, in order to provide the parties with his areas of concern for further argument. He again strongly urged the parties to reach a settlement. He then asked counsel to confer with their clients to discuss whether they were willing to engage in settlement discussions over the next three weeks and to put off argument for that time if there were no settlement.
The parties agreed to put off argument until February 7, 2018.
The Borough Council is scheduled to meet in a special closed meeting Monday night, January 15, 2018, to discuss the ongoing litigation and the possibility of a settlement.