Leftists are standing by New Jersey’s bail reform experiment, but Republican lawmakers point to a surge in auto crimes as proof that it’s not worthy of being defended.
The 2017 law scrapped cash bail; most New Jersey criminal defendants now enjoy a presumption of release.
New Jersey saw 14,320 vehicle thefts in 2021; the state is currently on pace for 17,000 thefts by the end of the year.
On Monday, Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-26) of Morris County testified before the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee and argued that “we don’t have the luxury to wait” to fix a broken bail reform system.
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