Bill > A318

Introduced Session

This bill amends the existing statutory requirement concerning domestic violence training for judges and judicial personnel. Presently, while section 4 of P.L. 1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-20) requires all judges and judicial personnel to receive some initial and annual training, no minimum amount of training is required by statute. Although the Supreme Court provides and requires a substantial amount of domestic violence training for Judges of the Superior Court, Family Division, judges at the municipal court level hearing domestic violence cases have no minimum hours of training requirement. This bill directs the Administrative Office of the Courts to develop and approve a domestic violence and sexual assault training course and a curriculum, with the training course consisting of at least three hours, for all municipal court judges, Superior Court judges responsible for the adjudication of domestic violence matters, and judicial personnel involved with the intake and processing of domestic violence complaints on the handling, investigation and response procedures concerning allegations of domestic violence and allegations of sexual offenses outside of the domestic violence context. This will ensure that judges and judicial personnel at all levels, including at the municipal court level, receive at least this level of training. The training shall consist of at least 1.5 hours devoted to issues impacting sexual violence, such as the dynamics of sexual violence, the impact of sexual violence on survivors and families, sexual violence risk factors and lethality, the impact of sexually violent crime on society, and the statutory and case law concerning sexual offenses.

AI Summary

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Michele Matsikoudis (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document