ASSEMBLY LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

ASSEMBLY, No. 4373

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED:  JULY 20, 2020

 

      The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 4373.

      As reported by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 4373 provides the court with discretion to consider the age of a youthful defendant as a mitigating factor during sentencing.

      Current law provides 13 mitigating factors that the court may consider when sentencing a defendant.  The only mitigating factor related to the age of a youthful defendant permits the court to consider whether the defendant’s conduct was substantially influenced by another, more mature person. Under the bill’s provisions, the court would be permitted broadly to consider as a mitigating factor whether a defendant was under the age of 26 when an offense was committed.