Criminal defendants in New Jersey charged with firearms-related offenses, or arrested for committing a crime while on release awaiting trial, are now likely candidates for automatic pretrial detention under guidelines released on Thursday by the state Supreme Court.

The court announced the changes in the state's fledgling bail system, which went into effect Jan. 1, a day after Attorney General Christopher Porrino requested the changes, and issued guidelines to law enforcement that call for prosecutors to seek pretrial detention in more cases.

The state's voters approved changes in the state's bail system in a constitutional referendum in 2014. Under the new system, those charged with violent crimes, or who have a history of committing violent crimes, are likely to be held without bail until trial. Those charged with relatively minor, nonviolent offenses are more likely to be released without posting monetary bail.