Assembly Judiciary Committee advances package of domestic-violence bills, moves ignition-interlock measure

At a New Jersey General Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing, lawmakers released several bills intended to strengthen responses to domestic violence and advanced a companion ignition-interlock measure for certain DWI offenses.

The committee moved bills that would create a multiyear pilot for integrated domestic-violence courts in four counties, make certain trespass conduct a third-degree crime when directed at victims protected by final restraining orders, allow transfer of wireless-billing responsibility to victims or their designees, expand counseling and custody presumptions for children in domestic-violence cases, require law enforcement danger assessments for victims, and expand a public-awareness campaign to include coercive control. The committee also released Assembly Bill A5411 (and companion Senate Bill S4144) to clarify ignition-interlock installation for some DWI offenses.

The measures drew testimony from court officials, victim advocates and public-safety groups and advanced out of committee either with or without amendments. The Administrative Office of the Courts opposed establishing a separate, integrated domestic-violence specialty court, citing New Jersey’s unified court structure and resource concerns. Victim-service advocates supported many provisions but urged closer stakeholder planning, stronger protections for victims, and funding for services that likely would see increased demand.

Pam Gellert, legislative liaison for the Administrative Office of the Courts, told the panel that an integrated court of the type proposed in A5425 would be inappropriate in New Jersey because the state uses a unified, “one judge, one family” system: “Unlike New York, New Jersey already uses a unified court system,” Gellert said, and she noted the bill “does not provide any appropriation” to implement a new court. She warned the bill’s integrated docket would be difficult to reconcile with criminal procedures that require…