Bill > ACR82

This Concurrent Resolution proposes an amendment to the New Jersey Constitution to re-establish the death penalty for certain murder convictions, which was previously eliminated in 2007. The amendment would require the Legislature to enact a new law allowing for capital punishment under specific circumstances, including for individuals who committed murder directly or as an accomplice by payment. A key provision is that a death sentence could only be imposed if a jury, or the court if there's no jury, unanimously agrees, without any doubt, that the aggravating factors of the crime outweigh the mitigating factors, a stricter standard than before. The resolution also introduces strict time limits for appeals in death penalty cases, requiring the New Jersey Supreme Court to issue an opinion within 150 days and setting a one-year deadline for further appeals after the U.S. Supreme Court's final decision, though these deadlines would not prevent the death penalty from being imposed if not met.