Emboldened by Election 2023 gains, Trenton Democrats are taking their social justice activism to the next level. This time? By attempting to pack juries with ex-cons convicted of serious crimes.
On Tuesday, an Assembly committee advanced the proposal (A-977) with amendments by a 4-1 vote; the bill “eliminates conviction of indictable offense as automatic disqualifier for jury service under certain circumstances.” The only exceptions: anyone convicted of murder, aggravated sexual assault, or currently serving a sentence for an indictable offense. A wide array of indictable offenses – ranging from arson to grand theft auto and drug offenses – would not longer disqualify a resident from being selected for a jury.
At the moment, anyone convicted of an indictable offense is excluded from state jury service.
Assemblyman Robert Auth (R-39) of Bergen County supplied the sole dissenting “no” vote.
“The public is relying on the jury to determine innocence or guilt without a question of integrity,” Auth lamented on X. “The defendant must have the best possible notion that they are being judged by a group of his or her peers. By doing this, we’re denying the public and the defendant the best possible opportunity for justice.”
Woke-ism hasn’t served the Garden State well to date. Phil Murphy’s Covid-19 campaign to empty New Jersey’s jails resulted in recidivism including alleged murder. Chris Christie’s bail reform program has weathered plenty of second guessing from Republicans and some Democrats in recent years amid spikes in certain crime categories.
