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 introduces a new provision that establishes a presumption for venue in cases where 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, provided that the juvenile has previously been adjudicated delinquent for one of these offenses. Under this new provision, the venue will be presumed to be in the county where the complaint was filed, rather than the juvenile's domicile.

The bill aims to streamline the judicial process for these serious offenses by clarifying the venue rules, which currently allow for flexibility based on the juvenile's domicile unless good cause is shown to retain the venue in the county of the incident. By establishing a presumption for venue in the county of the complaint filing for repeat offenders, the bill seeks to ensure that cases are handled more consistently and efficiently within the court system. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

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