Criminal Justice
Assembly panel green lights bills aimed at reducing car thefts
The bills' supporters say they are intended to address a post-pandemic spike in car thefts state officials say has abated.
As gambling revenue climbs, lawmakers advance bills to curb gaming addiction
Lawmakers want to create a diversionary court for gambling addicts, ban gaming ads at colleges, and require education on compulsive gambling.
N.J. gun owners criticize ‘egregious delays’ in concealed carry permit process
Nearly nine months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of gun owners, gun advocates say it's too hard to obtain a concealed carry permit in New Jersey.
Video, 911 calls, released in fatal police shooting of Paterson’s Najee Seabrooks
The Attorney General’s Office released the records as protesters gathered in Paterson to demand justice for Seabrooks.
N.J. Supreme Court denies ex-cop’s bid for new trial in fatal bar fight
Juries that reject defendants' self-defense claims don't have to unanimously agree on exactly why they do so, the N.J. Supreme Court ruled.
Attorney general sets new rules for rape kit handling, testing
Attorney General Matt Platkin said the new directive will ensure that rape cases will be vigorously investigated by law enforcement.
Killing of Paterson man spurs demand for more mental health aid during police calls
Two Paterson police officers shot and killed Najee Seabrooks on March 3 after they responded to a 911 call about a person in distress.
N.J. Supreme Court upholds privacy rights in warrantless police searches of cars
Police can't search cars without a warrant unless the circumstances prompting the search are "unforeseeable and spontaneous," the court ruled.
Man charged in beating death of cellmate in South Jersey state prison
A Trenton man already behind bars for manslaughter has been charged with a new homicide, amid an uptick in inmate deaths.
Watchdogs blast reinstatement of prison guard acquitted of misconduct
By reinstating the fired guard, the courts undermined progress made to reform the troubled Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, its trustees say.
Governor Murphy wants $90M to replace scandal-plagued women’s prison
Officials say the money would allow the state to construct a new 434-bed prison to replace the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility.
U.S. Supreme Court signals sympathy with New Jersey’s bid to exit port watchdog
Lawyers from both sides of the Hudson asked the nation’s top court to decide whether New Jersey must continue to be a partner in the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor against its will indefinitely.