This bill amends existing New Jersey law regarding the venue for juveniles charged with specific acts of delinquency, particularly those related to motor vehicle offenses. It establishes that when a juvenile is charged with acts such as theft of a motor vehicle, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, carjacking, or burglary with the intent to commit theft of a motor vehicle, and has a prior adjudication for one of these offenses, there will be a presumption that the venue for the case will be in the county where the complaint was filed. This change aims to streamline the judicial process for repeat offenders by clarifying the venue determination.

The bill modifies Section 5 of P.L.1982, c.77 (C.2A:4A-24) by adding a new subsection (e) that outlines this presumption of venue for certain delinquent acts. This contrasts with the current practice where venue is typically determined by the juvenile's domicile unless good cause is shown to retain it in the county of the incident. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2A:4A-24