New Jersey A5154 requires a jury, not the judge, to determine if certain defendants are persistent offenders.

New Jersey A5154 amends sentencing laws to require a jury, rather than a judge, to determine if certain defendants qualify as persistent offenders. This change aligns with recent U.S. Supreme Court and New Jersey Supreme Court rulings. The bill specifies that a jury must unanimously find beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant has prior convictions for crimes committed on separate occasions and that the current crime was committed within ten years of the defendant's last release from confinement or the most recent prior conviction.

New Jersey A5154 requires a jury, not the judge, to determine if certain defendants are persistent offenders.

New Jersey A5154 amends sentencing laws to require a jury, rather than a judge, to determine if certain defendants qualify as persistent offenders. This change aligns with recent U.S. Supreme Court and New Jersey Supreme Court rulings. The bill specifies that a jury must unanimously find beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant has prior convictions for crimes committed on separate occasions and that the current crime was committed within ten years of the defendant's last release from confinement or the most recent prior conviction.