A 4318 New Jersey General Assembly · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Establishes 14 years old as minimum age for juvenile delinquency; requires AG to establish working group to advise on implementation.

This bill raises New Jersey's minimum age for juvenile delinquency to 14 years old. It changes the legal definition so that only juveniles aged 14 or older can be charged with delinquency for acts that would be crimes if committed by adults (like serious offenses or disorderly conduct), while exempting certain minor violations (such as traffic rules, curfews, or bicycle laws) for all ages. The bill also requires the Attorney General to create a working group - including mental health experts, law enforcement, civil rights advocates, and juvenile justice professionals - to advise on implementing these changes. This directly affects 14- to 17-year-olds who might face juvenile court charges for more serious offenses.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2024
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced May 10, 2024 Last action May 10, 2024
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May 10, 2024
Introduced
Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Jessica Ramirez
Jessica Ramirez
DDemocratic
NJ
32