S1880

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would consolidate and refocus efforts to review the State’s criminal sentencing provisions to ensure greater fairness and efficient use of New Jersey’s resources was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 34-2, receiving final legislative approval.

“It’s become a common Trenton tradition for legislators to advance bills calling for mandatory minimum criminal sentences, to appear tough on crime to their constituents,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, and a member of the Judiciary Committee. “A side-effect of this tradition though is a State judiciary system devoid of judicial discretion, with judges having to rely on a formula rather their own legal considerations for sentencing. This informal policy of policymakers legislating criminal sentences has created a needlessly complex and arbitrary criminal code, and is contrary to the principle of separation of powers which is at the core of our government.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would consolidate and refocus efforts to review the State’s criminal sentencing provisions to ensure greater fairness and efficient use of New Jersey’s resources was approved by the Assembly today by a vote of 60-14, with 3 abstentions.

“For too long, New Jersey lawmakers have advanced legislation with mandatory minimum sentencing requirements, to send the message to voters that they’re tough on crime,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, and a member of the Judiciary Committee. “This policy crosses the partisan divide, and unfortunately, a side-effect from our tampering with criminal sentencing is a judiciary in the Garden State with very little judicial discretion. Under the checks and balances of government in this country, the courts are the final arbiter of justice, but when their hands are tied by mandatory sentencing guidelines, legislators are overstepping their bounds.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would consolidate and refocus efforts to review the State’s criminal sentencing provisions to ensure greater fairness and efficient use of New Jersey’s resources was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 38-0.

“New Jersey’s lawmakers have recently relied on mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines to tell their constituents that they’re tough on crime,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, and a member of the Judiciary Committee. “However, the side effect of the convoluted sentencing guidelines on the books is a State judiciary without judicial discretion, unable to make penalty decisions from the bench. We need to take a serious look at the maze of sentencing guidelines in New Jersey, and where appropriate, give greater discretion to the talented judges appointed in the Garden State.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would consolidate and refocus efforts to review the State’s criminal sentencing provisions to ensure greater fairness and efficient use of New Jersey’s resources was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee today.

“In an effort to appear tough on crime, New Jersey’s lawmakers have, over the years, relied on mandatory minimum sentences to get the point across,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, and a member of the Judiciary Committee. “However, by removing judicial discretion from the criminal justice system, we’ve unwittingly created a monster of one-size-fits-all penalties for even non-violent crimes. We need to take a look at the criminal justice system in New Jersey, and adopt a fairer set of guidelines which makes the most of State resources.”