Supreme Court of New Jersey
State v. J v. (082507) (Passaic County and Statewide)
June 11, 2020
Summary
The Supreme Court of New Jersey held that the new juvenile waiver statute, N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-26.1, applies only prospectively and does not retroactively benefit J.V., who was waived to adult court, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced before the statute’s effective date. The Court reversed the Appellate Division’s decision and remanded for further proceedings. It based its decision on the plain, unambiguous language of the statute and the legislature’s delayed effective date, rejecting arguments that the statute’s ameliorative nature or the J.F. decision warranted retroactivity.