This bill amends current law to lower the age at which the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Family Part may waive jurisdiction over a juvenile delinquency case from 15 years old to 14 years old. Under the revised law, a prosecutor can file a motion to waive jurisdiction without the juvenile's consent if the juvenile is 14 years old and has allegedly committed a delinquent act that, if committed by an adult, would constitute certain serious crimes, including violent offenses and drug-related crimes. The court will still be required to consider various factors, such as the juvenile's age, maturity, and criminal sophistication, when evaluating the motion.

Additionally, the bill maintains the requirement for the court to receive evidence from both the State and the juvenile during the hearing. It also stipulates that the Attorney General may develop guidelines to ensure uniform application of the law across the state. The bill aims to streamline the process for handling serious juvenile offenses while still considering the individual circumstances of each case. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2A:4A-26.1