This bill amends New Jersey's three strikes law to ensure that it applies only to individuals over the age of 18. Specifically, it stipulates that a person convicted of certain serious crimes, who has two or more prior convictions for similar offenses committed on separate occasions, will face life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. However, the bill explicitly excludes any crimes committed by the individual while they were a juvenile, thereby reversing a recent New Jersey Supreme Court decision in *State v. Ryan* that allowed juvenile convictions to count as predicate offenses for life sentences.

By excluding juvenile convictions from the three strikes law, the bill aims to provide judges with greater discretion in sentencing, allowing them to consider the age and individual circumstances of the defendant. This change is intended to prevent the imposition of harsh life sentences on individuals who committed crimes as minors, aligning with concerns about the Eighth Amendment and the need for judicial discretion in sentencing. The bill's provisions will take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2C:43-7.1