TRENTON — Amid mounting criticism that their tactics violated civil liberties, the state attorney general today ordered the State Police to stop taking pictures of protesters at Gov. Chris Christie's town hall meetings — for any reason.

The order came a day after a man who identified himself as a member of the State Police photographed people who disrupted one of the governor's usually highly orchestrated events.

In a statement issued to The Star-Ledger, acting Attorney General John Hoffman said he and State Police Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes had "instructed the State Police to no longer photograph at these events for security or any other purposes."

Christie plans to hold another town hall meeting Thursday in Flemington.

In calling for a halt to the practice, Hoffman said: "The State Police is responsible for the safety and security of the governor and the public at town hall meetings. In doing so, the State Police are careful to guarantee that First Amendment rights are respected and the public — whether expressing positive or negative sentiments toward the governor and his policies — have ample opportunity to make their positions known."

Floyd Abrams, an expert in First Amendment law, said in an interview that he was hard-pressed to find an acceptable reason for State Police to take pictures of people critical of the governor.

"This is not a situation where there appear to be concerns that terrorists or individuals are engaging in criminal conduct," said Abrams, a partner at Cahill Gordon and Reindel in New York. "If that’s so, the only reason for photographing people is either to chill their speech in the future or otherwise seek to persuade them to stay away. These are not reasons consistent with the First Amendment."

A spokesman for the governor said Christie was unaware that his critics were being photographed.

"Such security matters are determined by the State Police," the spokesman, Kevin Roberts, said. "The governor had no knowledge this was happening, and you should direct your questions to the Attorney General’s Office."

A spokesman for Hoffman did not respond to questions after issuing the statement, including who came up with the idea of taking the photographs.

About a dozen protesters who identified themselves as college students and union members were escorted from the meeting by police after they rose from their seats in unison and chanted: "Governor Christie, we are here to demand you stop your corrupt uses of Hurricane Sandy money."

Abrams said the First Amendment does not protect people from being removed from public meetings when they make it impossible for the speaker to proceed, but that taking photographs of those speaking out was a different matter.

"If they wouldn’t move, if there was a situation where there was a conflict which had something to do with the security of the governor, that’s something else," he said. "But if it has anything to do with the fact that they are asking hostile questions, it’s simply unacceptable behavior."

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey urged the State Police to destroy any records of the photographs and to release its policies on taking pictures of protesters, and Capt. Stephen Jones, a spokesman for the State Police, said the photographs would be destroyed.

"Any photographs taken during town hall meetings were taken strictly for the purposes of enhancing security," Jones said.

Udi Ofer, executive director of the state’s ACLU, said in a statement that it was up to the State Police to "come clean and explain to New Jerseyans whether it has a practice or policy of photographing people engaged in First Amendment protected speech."

"New Jerseyans must be able to express their viewpoints without having to fear police officers photographing them and creating political dossiers on them," Ofer said.

On Tuesday after the town hall meeting, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) accused the Christie administration of a "Nixonian tactic" and "political intimidation."

Today, Weinberg applauded the swift reversal.

"I am delighted to hear it, and I hope whoever ordered it to begin with has learned a little lesson about liberty in our state," she said. "I have no problem with the extra security if they deem it necessary, but this was really stepping over the bounds."

The picture-taking dovetailed with an increase in security at the town hall meetings. Last week in Mount Laurel, State Police began "wanding" people with hand-held metal detectors.

Weinberg said Christie’s town halls were inherently confrontational affairs. At the beginning of each event — there have been 114 to date — the governor half-jokingly recites rules and warns those in attendance to behave themselves.

"It’s the whole atmosphere of ‘You know what, you want to give it to me, you’re going to get it back,’ " Weinberg said. "Well, this is very unequal. You’re the guy with the State Police."

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