A 709 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Establishes rebuttable presumption of pretrial detention for child sexual abuse.

This bill creates a rebuttable presumption requiring pretrial detention for defendants charged with sexual assault (N.J.S. 2C:14-2) or criminal sexual contact (N.J.S. 2C:14-3) when the victim is a minor. It directly affects individuals facing these specific child sexual abuse charges in New Jersey. The key mechanism shifts the burden: defendants must prove they shouldn't be detained (e.g., through bail or conditions), rather than the prosecution proving detention is necessary. This applies automatically unless the defendant successfully rebuts the presumption at a hearing. The bill does not change sentencing or penalties, only pretrial release decisions for these offenses.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Jan 13, 2026
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Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee
lower
2 primary · 1 co-sponsor

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