A New Jersey appeals court has reinstated a whistleblower suit by a detective who said he suffered adverse job consequences after complaining of errors made by colleagues while investigating the deaths of a prominent couple.

A trial judge said Jeffrey Scozzafava failed to demonstrate an adverse employment action after his alleged whistleblowing activity. Among other things, he was reassigned to a job that he felt was less prestigious but which paid the same salary as his previous assignment. But the appeals court said the adverse actions complained of by Scozzafava were sufficient to state a claim for whistleblowing, since the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, as a remedial statute, should be applied broadly.