Criminal Justice

This New Jersey bill requires a jury, instead of a judge, to decide if certain defendants qualify as "persistent offenders" who deserve harsher prison sentences. The law applies specifically to individuals accused of repeated crimes involving stolen vehicles and shoplifting, provided they have prior convictions within a ten-year window. Under the new rules, a jury must determine whether the defendant meets the legal criteria for an extended term of imprisonment before the court can impose it. This change shifts the responsibility of establishing the grounds for enhanced sentencing from the judge to a jury trial for these specific categories of repeat offenders.

New Jersey bill A 2738 amends the state's child endangerment law to create penalties for using social media to endanger children. It specifically targets individuals who knowingly share or distribute content via electronic communication (including social media platforms) that harms a child's physical, mental, or moral welfare under age 18. The law defines "child endangerment" through electronic communication as actions likely to cause harm, with penalties ranging from a third-degree crime for most people to a second-degree crime if the person has legal care responsibility for the child. The bill excludes Section 230 providers (like social media platforms themselves) from liability under this provision.