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. Currently, juvenile delinquency complaints are typically filed in the county where the incident occurred, but if the juvenile resides in a different county, the venue may shift to their domicile unless the court finds a valid reason to keep it in the original county. The proposed changes introduce a new provision that establishes a presumption for venue in cases where a juvenile is charged with offenses 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 the juvenile has a prior adjudication for one of these offenses.

Specifically, the bill inserts a new clause stating that for the aforementioned offenses, if the juvenile has previously been adjudicated delinquent for one of these acts, the venue shall be presumed to be in the county where the complaint was filed. This change aims to streamline the judicial process for handling repeat offenders in juvenile court and ensure that cases are managed in a manner that reflects the seriousness of the offenses. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

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