NEW BRUNSWICK -- A judge's order to release police use of force reports connected to a man's death is a small victory for government transparency, a New Jersey-based advocacy group said this week.

The Libertarians for Transparent Government had filed a lawsuit against the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office after it declined to release certain records in connection with the death of 28-year-old Daniel Nagahama, of Edison, in June.

"This is a matter of critical public importance, and I think the public is being well-served in trying to find out more about what happened and what caused the death," said John Paff, an open public records watchdog and the chairman of the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy Project.

Nagahama died at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick shortly after police found him lying on South Fifth Avenue in Highland Park. Police struggled with Nagahama briefly before taking him to a hospital, officials have said.

Judge Travis Francis, who presided over the lawsuit, ruled Nov. 18 that the use of force reports that the Libertarian group requested through an open records request can be released.

However, the reports have not yet been released, and officials have not released any further details about the encounter other than the initial reports shortly after the incident. It remains unknown when the use of force reports will be released to the public.

In response to the ruling, the prosecutor said groups that seek to gain access to documents may be inappropriately taking advantage of open records laws.

"The law is commonly abused by some individuals and their attorneys who file lawsuits with the primary goal of obtaining attorney's fees at the taxpayers' expense," Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey said in the statement.

Paff said of Carey's comment, "I find it appalling he would resort to this attack."

CJ Griffin, an attorney representing Libertarians for Transparent Government, said the use of force reports, "will let us know how many officers were involved, and what kind of force they used," among other things.

Paff said he was pleased with the outcome, calling it a partial victory. Judge Francis upheld decision to withhold other records in the incident, including the incident report and reports written by rescue personnel about the incident.

Nagahama was found by police in Highland Park on June 2. The prosecutor's office issued a statement after the incident saying that as police officers attempted to revive the man, he "became belligerent and struggled."

Nagahama was not arrested but instead taken to the hospital, where later that evening he was pronounced dead, officials have said.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.