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TRENTON – Senator Donald Norcross (D-Camden/Gloucester), chair of the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee, issued the following statement today after the committee held a public hearing on legislation the senator sponsored to allow voters to decide whether to give state judges discretion in determining if a person charged with a crime should be held without bail prior to trial.

The proposed Constitutional Amendment (SCR-107) would provide judges with the ability to prevent violent offenders from committing additional acts of violence by denying pretrial bail. Camden County First Assistant Prosecutor Gladys Rodriquez and Camden Police Department Detective Bureau Commander Greg Carlin testified before the committee about the immediate positive impact the change would have on law enforcement statewide, from preventing serious crimes to promoting cooperation of witnesses to criminal acts. The amendment would bring the state bail system in line with the federal structure:

“Today we heard from law enforcement officials about the tremendous obstacles they can face in stemming the bloodshed caused by violent criminals and those involved in the illegal drug trade. Because these individuals have access to substantial resources, often times no amount of bail guarantees they will remain incarcerated after they have committed a violent crime, regardless of the threat they pose to the public. Instead, they are released to commit more crimes, to intimidate witnesses and to take innocent lives.

“We must give judges the ability to keep our residents safe, and to weigh the risk to the public when setting bail for dangerous offenders.

TRENTON – Senator Donald Norcross today introduced two bills aimed at reforming the state’s criminal justice system, by keeping the most dangerous offenders off the streets until trial and helping non-violent offenders struggling with substance abuse obtain treatment.

The first measure would allow voters to decide whether to give judges discretion in determining if a person charged with a crime should be held without bail prior to trial. The proposed Constitutional Amendment would provide judges with the ability to prevent violent offenders from committing additional acts of violence by denying pre-trial bail.

“Offenders who have committed heinous crimes in the community and demonstrate that they are a continued threat to the public should not be released back onto our streets to commit additional violent acts,” said Senator Norcross (D-Camden/Gloucester). “Providing judges with the ability to use discretion in deciding whether to allow bail will ensure there is an effective system to safeguard our residents against the state’s most dangerous offenders.”