Bill > A3783

This bill amends New Jersey law concerning hindering apprehension or prosecution, which refers to actions taken to obstruct law enforcement's ability to detain, arrest, investigate, prosecute, convict, or punish someone for a crime. Specifically, the bill increases the penalties for interfering with the apprehension or prosecution of individuals who are charged with or liable to be charged with first-degree crimes, as defined by a specific statute (C.2C:43-7.2), by making such interference a second-degree crime, unless the person interfering is a close family member (spouse, domestic partner, civil union partner, parent, or child), in which case it becomes a third-degree crime. For other offenses, the bill clarifies that hindering apprehension or prosecution is a third-degree crime if the underlying offense is second-degree or greater, a fourth-degree crime if the underlying offense is third-degree, and a disorderly persons offense otherwise, with exceptions for close family members who face a fourth-degree crime penalty. The bill also makes specific changes to the penalties for hindering one's own apprehension or prosecution, particularly when force, intimidation, or deception is used against a witness or informant.