Capitol Report: NJSBA monitors several bills as year ends
As the last session days of 2024 take shape, there are several bills the New Jersey State Bar Association is monitoring that have moved, including several addressing criminal law and election matters. The Association will continue to track the measures as they move through the legislative process:
Assaults against sports officials in youth sports
The NJSBA supports A4176 (Flynn), which upgrades certain types of assault against sports officials to aggravated assault, recognizing this problem is prevalent in youth sports. Under current law, an assault committed against a sports official is a disorderly persons offense. The bill upgrades these offenses to at least a fourth-degree offense, which is punishable by up to 18 months in jail, a fine of $10,000 or both. The Assembly Judiciary Committee voted the bill out of committee where it heads to a full vote in the Assembly.
Procedural rights for juvenile defendants tried as adults
The NJSBA supports A5018 (Park), which creates procedural safeguards for juvenile defendants who voluntarily elect to move their cases from the Family Court to the Criminal Part of the Superior Court. The bill requires that juvenile defendants receive information regarding the effects of their voluntary waiver to be tried as an adult, mandating a hearing for court approval of the waiver. The NJSBA noted that these procedural rights are already in place for involuntary waivers and such safeguards would establish whether the juvenile defendant’s action was done “knowingly, willingly, and voluntarily.” The bill heads to a full vote in the Assembly.
Moose’s Law – Prohibition on convicted animal cruelty offenders
The NJSBA supports S3746 (Singleton), known as Moose’s Law. The bill prohibits people convicted of criminal animal cruelty offenses from owning domestic companion animals and from working or volunteering at animal-related enterprises. It also establishes a presumption against pretrial intervention for certain people. The NJSBA supports this version of the bill because it “reflects a balanced approach to animal cruelty offenses with penalties based on the nature and severity of the crime.” The bill was passed out of the Senate Economic Growth Committee with an amendment to narrow the possibility that a co-owner who does not have the best interests of these animals ultimately gets ownership of these vulnerable animals.