SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1685

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JANUARY 14, 1997

      The Senate Judiciary Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1685.

      Title 2C, "The New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice," was enacted in 1978. As part of that enactment, the maximum amount for fines that ordinarily may be imposed for the various degrees of crime were established in N.J.S.2C:43-3. Since 1978, these amounts have not been raised. Presently, for crimes of the first or second degree, a fine of up to $100,000.00 may be imposed and for crimes of the third or fourth degree a fine of up to $7,500.00 may be imposed. The bill would raise the maximum fines for crimes under Title 2C as follows: for crimes of the first degree, up to $200,000.00; for crimes of the second degree, up to $150,000.00; for crimes of the third degree, up to $15,000.00 and for crimes of the fourth degree, up to $10,000.00.

      Chapter 35 of Title 2C deals with drug offenses and chapter 37 of 2C deals with gambling offenses. In recognition of the monetary gains which often motivate these types of crimes, the fines set forth in Chapters 35 and 37 have traditionally been set at considerably higher levels than generally provided under N.J.S. 2C:43-3. The bill would also raise these fines.