Citizens See Increased in NJ Crime With Police Layoffs

Posted on November 23, 2011 by dave

Five cities in New Jersey have seen major police layoffs in the past year and this drop in patrolling officers has already led to fewer arrests as the departments must re-prioritize. Citizens claim they already see the effects, with some low-level criminals being more brazen in their activities. Continue reading →

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New Jersey’s New Anti-Bullying Law Toughest in the Nation

Posted on November 15, 2011 by ben

This year, New Jersey has a much-discussed new law that is considered the nation’s toughest anti-bullying statute. Adopted following the suicide of Rutgers University student, Tyler Clementi. Continue reading →

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New Jersey Cops Can’t Find Work, Rioting Suggested

Posted on October 4, 2011 by dave

In departments across the state, police officers have been laid off in alarming numbers this year. And while many hope to get hired back or find another job in law enforcement, most are collecting unemployment and taking on side work as they wait. One union president has warned the frustration among cops may lead to rioting, but it seems there are no organized revolts in the immediate future. Continue reading →

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N.J. High Court Issues Ruling Changing Eyewitness Identification Procedures

Posted on August 29, 2011 by dave

The New Jersey Supreme Court issued a ruling this week that could go on to change eyewitness identification handling procedures in courts across the country. Not because their ruling has to be followed throughout the nation but because the NJ High Court is often recognized as a trailblazer in criminal law. The changes are seen as much needed and a step towards reducing wrongful convictions. Continue reading →

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Governor Christie Gives Medical Marijuana a Green Light

Posted on July 27, 2011 by dave

After placing medical marijuana on the backburner for three months, and leaving many people suspicious that it would never come to fruition, Governor Chris Christie has given state officials the ok to get the program up in running, possibly by the end of the year. And he hasn’t only asked them to move ahead with the plan, but to “move forward as expeditiously as possible.” Continue reading →

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Unintended Consequences of New Ban on Drug Convicted School Board Members

Posted on July 21, 2011 by dave

Forty years after a drug conviction, Rasheed Abdul-Haqq is in his second term serving on the local Plainfield school board. But he stands to lose this position because of a new law that bans people convicted of certain crimes from serving on any school boards in the state. Abdul-Haqq has contacted the ACLU and states he will not leave his post willingly. Continue reading →

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NJ Reckless Driving Charge for Cell Phone?

Posted on July 21, 2011 by dave

The New Jersey legislature is proposing to make use of a cell phone while driving fall under the state’s reckless driving statutes. Continue reading →

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MS-13 Members Charged Under Gang Criminality Law

Posted on July 15, 2011 by dave

Ten members of the notoriously dangerous MS-13 gang have been arrested in Plainfield for conspiring to kill a man who slapped one of their gang members. Under the state’s gang criminality law (§2C; 33:29), those suspects will be facing a more serious penalty specifically because they acted in conjunction with other gang members for furtherance of the gang’s objectives. Continue reading →

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Christie Backtracks on Criminal Sentencing Reform

Posted on June 7, 2011 by dave

Last month Governor Chris Christie signed legislation canceling the mandatory early release program that set inmates free after serving only a portion of their sentence. He stated that it took away the discretion of the parole board to determine who warranted an early release. More recently, Christie backtracked on a plan to send drug addicted inmates into residential treatment programs. All of these changes are quite possible spurred by fear of looking soft and losing political clout. Continue reading →

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New Jersey Criminal Code Called Contradictory and Confusing

Posted on May 19, 2011 by dave

In an effort to point out glaring problems with the New Jersey criminal code, the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) released a study this week outlining some of the offenses and related penalties and how the public views their rationality. What they found is the law is extremely out of line with what the people of New Jersey see as just and this is largely due to lawmakers playing politics. Continue reading →

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