Establishes rebuttable presumption that person charged with theft of motor vehicle be detained prior to trial.

This bill would establish a rebuttable presumption requiring pretrial detention for individuals charged with theft of a motor vehicle. Under current law, defendants charged with this third-degree crime (punishable by up to 5 years in prison) are generally eligible for pretrial release unless the court finds they pose a flight risk or danger to others. The bill would change this by creating a presumption that detention is necessary unless the defendant can show by a preponderance of evidence that release conditions would reasonably assure their appearance in court and public safety. This applies specifically to theft of motor vehicle charges under N.J.S.2C:20-2, which is currently a third-degree offense in New Jersey.