ASSEMBLY, No. 1945
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
217th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CRAIG J. COUGHLIN
District 19 (Middlesex)
Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman L. GRACE SPENCER
District 29 (Essex)
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Diegnan
SYNOPSIS
Requires AG and county prosecutor to provide notification on website concerning persons indicted or prosecuted for crimes under certain circumstances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee on February 4, 2016, with amendments.
An Act concerning certain prosecutorial information posted on websites and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes and Title 2A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. 1[To the extent possible, the Attorney General shall remove, from the Office of the Attorney General website, all references and information, including, but not limited to, press releases, concerning indictments by the State and prosecutions by the Attorney General of persons who were thereafter acquitted of the charges or persons who had the charges against them dismissed.
In addition,] For all indictments by the State and prosecutions by the Attorney General of persons who were thereafter acquitted of the charges or persons who had the charges against them dismissed,1 the Attorney General shall inform the public that the person who was indicted 1[by the State]1 or prosecuted 1[by the Attorney General]1 was acquitted of the charges or that the charges were dismissed which shall include, but not be limited to, posting 1[an updated] a1 press release on the Office of the Attorney General website.
b. The Attorney General shall provide a letter to every person who was indicted by the State or prosecuted by the Attorney General and was thereafter acquitted of the charges or who had the charges against him dismissed, certifying that the person was acquitted of, or that there was a dismissal of, all charges arising from the indictment or prosecution.
2. a. 1[To the extent possible, each county prosecutor shall remove, from the county prosecutor’s website, all references and information, including, but not limited to, press releases, concerning indictments and prosecutions by the county prosecutor of persons who were thereafter acquitted of the charges or persons who had the charges against them dismissed.
In addition,] For all indictments
and prosecutions by the county prosecutor of persons who were thereafter
acquitted of the charges or persons who had the charges against them dismissed,1 a
county prosecutor shall inform the public that the person who was indicted by
the county grand jury or prosecuted by the county prosecutor was acquitted of the
charges or that the charges were dismissed which shall include, but not be
limited to, posting 1[an updated] a1 press
release on the county prosecutor’s website.
b. A county prosecutor shall provide a letter to every person who was indicted or prosecuted by the county prosecutor and was thereafter acquitted of the charges or who had the charges against him dismissed, certifying that the person was acquitted of, or that there was a dismissal of, all charges arising from the indictment or prosecution.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month following enactment.