American Civil Liberties Union

There’s nothing wrong with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie communicating with Fox News President Roger Ailes. That is, unless Christie wants to hide what he says under the cloak of executive privilege.

And that’s exactly what the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey wants to prevent. ACLU-NJ sued Christie on behalf of the popular blog Gawker. One of its reporters, John Cook, had requested copies in May of any correspondence, calendar entries or phone logs from Christie’s office pertaining to Ailes pursuant to New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act.

We told you yesterday about the plight of Raquel Nelson, a suburban Atlanta woman who was convicted of charges connected to the death of her four-year-old son, who was killed last year by a drunk driver as they crossed a street.

Nelson was found guilty of homicide by vehicle, jaywalking and reckless conduct, and faced up to three years in prison, even though the driver in the hit-and-run tragedy only served six months in jail. Fortunately, some common sense prevailed in court yesterday, when state Judge Kathleen Tanksley sentenced Nelson to a year’s probation and community service. Tanksley also took the unusual step of offering Nelson the option of a new trial, which she has accepted in an effort to clear her name. Good for her. Better yet, the state should drop all charges and allow Nelson and her family the opportunity to fully heal from this horrible accident.