Bill > A1272

Introduced Session

This bill requires the State Auditor to conduct an annual performance audit and submit it to the Governor and the Legislaturedescribing the Judiciary's progress regarding the development, maintenance, and administration of the Statewide Pretrial Services Program and the Statewide digital e-court information system, and the provision to the poor of legal assistance in civil matters by Legal Services of New Jersey and its affiliates. All of the information used or compiled by the Administrative Director of the Courts in preparation for the director's annual report will be made available to the State Auditor. In 2014, a law commonly referred to as "criminal justice reform" or "bail reform" was enacted to (1) establish statutory speedy trial deadlines for persons being detained in jail, both pre-and post-indictment; (2) reform the manner in which determinations for bail and other forms of criminal pretrial release are made; (3) provide courts with the authority to deny pretrial release and instead order pretrial detention; and (4) authorize the Judiciary to revise and supplement fees to help fund a pretrial risk assessment and monitoring program, and other court-related programs and services. That law also requires the Administrative Director of the Courts to issue an annual report on the Judiciary's use of funding provided under the law, and the Judiciary's progress toward the development, maintenance, and administration of a Statewide digital e-court information system. It is the sponsor's intent to have an unbiased and reputable third-party review the same information that the director reviewed and conduct an independent performance audit that may or may not be entirely consistent with the director's report. The purpose is to ensure public confidence in the evaluation of the Judiciary's performance by providing for a third-party audit that the public will have no cause to believe may be subject to the possible inherent bias of a judicial official's evaluation of the Judiciary. This bill appropriates monies from the General Fund to the State Auditor as determined to be necessary for the implementation of its provisions.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Alex Sauickie (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document