Criminal justice reform in New Jersey is now two years old. As we gain more experience with the underlying rules and procedures, it is worth reviewing whether they are achieving their stated goals and the effect they are having on our criminal justice system. State v. Hyppolite, recently decided by…
Everyone here is scrambling to implement the criminal justice reforms that become effective on January 1, 2017. As stated in a previous posting, the new laws and procedures change New Jersey’s criminal justice system in many significant ways. The new bail procedure departs substantially from current law. Under the current…
Major changes to the processing of criminal cases in New Jersey will take effect on January 1, 2017. On the surface, these changes address two areas of criminal practice: (a) pretrial release and bail; and (b) speedy trial. However, it is anticipated that these changes will ultimately affect virtually every…
One of the first decisions made in any criminal case involves setting bail. In New Jersey state courts, the initial bail is frequently set by a municipal court judge. This judge will decide if the defendant will be required to post bail or be released on their own recognizance. If…