Expands offenses for which juvenile may be waived to adult criminal court to include certain thefts or unlawful takings of motor vehicles; makes use of juvenile in theft of motor vehicle strict liability crime.

This bill (S 367) expands when New Jersey juveniles can be tried as adults by adding two specific motor vehicle-related offenses to the list of crimes eligible for waiver to adult court: theft of a motor vehicle and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. It makes it a strict liability crime for a juvenile to be involved in such thefts, meaning prosecutors do not need to prove the juvenile intended to steal the vehicle. The bill directly affects juveniles aged 15+ charged with these offenses, who would now face automatic referral to adult court without the juvenile’s consent if prosecutors meet specific criteria. The key change is broadening the waiver eligibility to include these thefts and removing intent as a factor for liability. This does not change sentencing for adults but alters the pathway for juvenile cases involving motor vehicle theft.