May 2007

ANJC pursues multi-prong attack on court decision

New Jersey chiropractors are fighting for the right to provide extra-spinal adjustments. In April, a panel of appellate judges in New Jersey ruled that state law limits chiropractic adjustment to the spinal column and does not include adjustment of other joints.

The Association of New Jersey Chiropractors (ANJC) is pursuing a multi-pronged attack on the court’s decision, according to Jeff Randolph, ANJC general council. In an e-mail, he identified the steps ANJC has taken to restore the scope of practice to New Jersey chiropractors. He said ANJC:

• Appeared before the Board of Chiropractic Examiners to request that the Board join in the appeal of the case to the Supreme Court. The Board unanimously voted to have the Deputy Attorney General assigned to the Board to review the transcripts and briefs with the possibility of filing an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief.

• Has obtained the ACA Board of Director’s approval for the ACA to appear as friend of the court in the appeal to the Supreme Court. 

• Requested assistance from the Department of Consumer Affairs.

• Has collected more than 30,000 signatures on patient petitions to submit to the Supreme Court on the appeal.

In addition, the legal department has filed a petition to the Supreme Court to review the case. It has also filed a separate motion arguing that the court must review the decision, due to constitutional concerns of vagueness of the chiropractic regulatory scheme, as well as another motion to supplement the record before the Supreme Court to include multiple minutes of the Board of Chiropractic Examiners, which state the Board’s position that extraspinal manipulation is within the scope of practice.

The ANJC has also been in contact with other patient-centric groups such as labor unions and the teachers union to request that they, as well, join as friend of the court in the appeal.

Source: Association of New Jersey Chiropractors, www.anjc.info

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