SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[Second Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 4367

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  OCTOBER 22, 2020

      The Senate Judiciary Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments the Second Reprint of Assembly Bill No. 4367.

      This bill, as amended, would codify existing municipal court procedures that have been developed by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), which permit a defendant charged with a matter falling within a municipal court’s jurisdiction to do the following via the Internet: plea negotiations with a municipal prosecutor; entry of a guilty plea; and payment of a fine or penalty.  These procedures are currently administered by the AOC through its Municipal Case Resolution Program, and the bill further provides that municipal prosecutors would be required to utilize this program when engaging with defendants on procedures handled through the program.

     This bill, as amended and reported by the committee is identical to Senate Bill No. 2794, as amended and also reported by the committee today.

      The committee amendments to the bill:

      - delete provisions which would have permitted municipal court plea negotiations to be conducted by mail or email for most motor vehicle and traffic violations set forth in Title 39 of the Revised Statutes;

      - codify the existing municipal court procedures which may be conducted online via the Internet and that are administered by the AOC through its Municipal Case Resolution Program, as described in the statement above; and

      - update the bill’s title and synopsis to more accurately reflect the changes made by the amendments.