NJ S3996

Requires the New Jersey Supreme Court to dismiss and recall all unresolved charges, complaints, and arrest warrants for disorderly persons and petty disorderly persons offenses that have been pending in municipal courts for five years or more.

Covered offenses include simple assault, shoplifting under $200, disorderly conduct, harassment, lewdness, bad checks under $200, resisting arrest, drug paraphernalia possession, and possession of 50 grams or less of marijuana or 5 grams or less of hashish.

Municipal ordinance violations are excluded from the dismissal provisions, allowing municipalities to continue enforcing local laws and collecting associated revenue.

The Administrative Office of the Courts must submit two feasibility studies to the Legislature within six months: one on expanding existing conditional dismissal programs to handle these cases, and one on creating a "Fugitive Safe Surrender Program" for voluntary surrender in faith-based or neutral settings.

The bill takes effect 90 days after enactment and follows a 2019 Supreme Court order that dismissed over 700,000 unresolved minor municipal court matters more than 15 years old.