Judiciary

This bill (S 2565) expands access to closed-circuit television testimony for victims and witnesses specifically in human trafficking cases. It allows courts to order such testimony after finding clear evidence that testifying in person would cause severe emotional distress, with safeguards ensuring the victim/witness testifies under oath, faces cross-examination, and their demeanor remains observable. The law permits victims, prosecutors, defendants, or judges to request this testimony, and includes special confidentiality rules for minors (under 18) regarding audio recordings of their testimony. This directly affects human trafficking victims and witnesses in New Jersey criminal trials, making it easier for them to participate without facing traumatic in-person courtroom settings.

This New Jersey bill eliminates time limits for prosecuting human trafficking crimes, allowing criminal charges to be filed at any time. For civil cases where victims sue traffickers, it extends the filing deadline to 10 years after the crime occurred, or until the victim turns 18 if they were a minor at the time, or two years after discovering the harm. The bill directly affects victims of human trafficking (who gain extended legal options) and individuals accused of trafficking offenses (who face no time limit for prosecution). It modifies existing laws to remove fixed time periods for both criminal prosecutions and civil lawsuits related to human trafficking.

This bill allows elderly victims of domestic violence in New Jersey to file restraining orders electronically and attend court hearings remotely to improve safety and accessibility. It also creates a new Elder Financial Exploitation Unit within the Attorney General's Office to specifically investigate financial abuse targeting older adults. The legislation expands existing protections by enabling judges to issue emergency orders based on sworn testimony without requiring the victim to be physically present in court. Additionally, the bill ensures that information about firearms accessible to an abuser remains confidential while making legal forms available at various police and court locations.

This bill restricts how criminal records that have been expunged can be shared or used in New Jersey. It makes it a crime for any individual or organization to reveal the existence of an expunged arrest or conviction and holds record-keeping businesses responsible for immediately removing such data from their systems. The law also requires these businesses to provide a free way for people to correct their records and imposes fines of up to $5,000 for those who knowingly distribute expunged information. Additionally, the bill clarifies that agencies are not liable if they fail to remove records due to errors by law enforcement, while also protecting the privacy of license applicants by limiting the public disclosure of their home addresses.

This bill modifies how the New Jersey Parole Board handles the release of adult inmates and the penalties for parole violations. It requires the board to provide specific written reasons when denying parole, including evidence for subjective factors and a clear explanation for setting future hearing dates. Additionally, the bill allows parole officers to issue arrest warrants for violations if there is a risk the individual will not appear at a hearing or poses a danger to public safety. These changes aim to increase transparency in parole decisions and streamline the process for revoking parole under certain conditions.