Bill
Bill > A408
NJ A408
NJ A408Expands offenses for which juvenile may be waived to adult criminal court to include certain thefts or unlawful takings of motor vehicles; makes use of juvenile in theft of motor vehicle strict liability crime.
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill expands the offenses for which a juvenile may be waived to adult criminal court to include certain thefts or unlawful takings of motor vehicles and makes the use of a juvenile in the theft of a motor vehicle a strict liability crime. Under current law, juveniles 15 years of age and older at the time of the alleged delinquent act who are charged with certain offenses, such as criminal homicide, carjacking, and sexual assault, are eligible to be waived to adult criminal court. This bill provides that in addition to the offenses set forth under current law, juveniles 15 years of age and older at the time of the alleged delinquent act who are charged with theft or unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and have previously been adjudicated delinquent for one of these offenses are eligible to be waived to adult criminal court. In addition, the bill makes the use of a juvenile in the theft of a motor vehicle a strict liability crime. Under current law, a person who is at least 18 years of age who knowingly uses, solicits, directs, hires, or employs a person who is 17 years of age or younger to commit theft of an automobile is guilty of a second degree crime. Current law further provides that it is not a defense to prosecution that the actor mistakenly believed that the person which the actor used, solicited, directed, hired, or employed was older than 17 years of age, even if the mistaken belief was reasonable. Under the provisions of this bill, a person who is at least 18 years of age who uses, solicits, directs, hires, or employs a person who is 17 years of age or younger to commit theft of an automobile is guilty of strict liability use of a juvenile in theft of an automobile. Strict liability use of a juvenile in theft of an automobile is a second degree crime. A second degree crime is punishable by five to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $150,000, or both.
AI Summary
This bill expands the circumstances under which a juvenile can be transferred to adult criminal court for certain motor vehicle theft offenses and makes it a strict liability crime for adults to use a juvenile in such thefts. Specifically, juveniles aged 15 and older who commit theft or unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, and have a prior adjudication for such an offense, can now be waived to adult court, in addition to existing offenses like homicide and carjacking. Furthermore, the bill establishes "strict liability use of a juvenile in theft of an automobile" as a second-degree crime, meaning an adult 18 or older who uses a person 17 or younger to steal a car is guilty regardless of whether they believed the juvenile was older, and this offense carries a penalty of five to 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $150,000.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (4)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee (on 01/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A408 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A0500/408_I1.HTM |
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