Permits court to admit evidence of prior offenses in certain criminal prosecutions.

This bill (A4730) allows New Jersey courts to admit evidence of a defendant’s prior domestic violence, child abuse, or sexual offenses in related criminal prosecutions. It specifically permits prosecutors to introduce such evidence - not to prove the defendant committed the specific act in question - but to provide context and refute defenses like "consent" in sexual assault cases or lack of prior history in domestic violence cases. The evidence can only be admitted after a judge determines it meets Rule 403 standards (balancing probative value against undue prejudice). This change directly affects victims and prosecutors in domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault cases, where limited evidence often leads to dismissed or downgraded charges.