A federal appeals court has partially reinstated a civil suit filed by a New Jersey Superior Court judge claiming she was subjected to a hostile work environment, including a meeting where an audio recorder was snatched from her purse.

A federal trial court “correctly dismissed [Judge Deborah] Gross-Quatrone’s First Amendment, civil conspiracy, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 conspiracy, and 42 U.S.C. § 1985 claims but erred in dismissing her claims under the New Jersey Civil Rights Act (NJCRA), the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD), the Equal Protection Clause, and the Fourth Amendment,” said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled.