NJ A2311

Courts may extend the pretrial release decision deadline beyond 48 hours when a defendant is charged with any crime involving the use or possession of a firearm, upon request of the prosecutor.

The extended time period allows for firearms ballistic analysis to be conducted and provided to the court, with a maximum extension of seven days.

Current law requires pretrial release decisions within 48 hours of a defendant's commitment to jail; this bill creates an exception specifically for firearm-related offenses.

The bill amends New Jersey's Criminal Justice Reform Act (P.L.2014, c.31) by modifying sections governing pretrial detention procedures.