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S3542
SENATE, No. 3542
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes a Gun Court Pilot Program in Mercer
County.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
e
stablishing a gun court pilot program
.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� The Legislature finds
and declares that the use of guns in the commission of violent crimes exposes
the citizens of this State, especially citizens of urban areas, to increasing
peril.� Because of the hazards posed by criminals who use guns and other dangerous
weapons in the commission of crimes, it is fitting and proper that a special
court with judges knowledgeable in criminal law and procedure, particularly in
relation to violent crime, be established to adjudicate these cases with
expediency.� Establishing a Gun Court Pilot Program in Mercer County will
provide information concerning the advantages of operating a specialized court
to deal exclusively with crimes committed with guns and other dangerous weapons
and the feasibility of expanding such a program to the courts in all the
counties of this State.
���� 2.��� a.� There is hereby
established a three-year �Gun Court Pilot Program� in the Superior Court in
Mercer County.� The Administrative Office of the Courts shall be responsible
for administering the program.
���� b.��� The court may refer any
criminal case where a gun or other weapon was used in the commission of the
crime to the Gun Court.
���� c.���� Judges assigned to the
Gun Court shall have extensive knowledge of and experience in criminal law,
criminal procedure, and criminal sentencing, particularly in relation to
violent crime.
���� 3.��� The Administrative
Office of the Courts shall monitor the Gun Court and report to the Legislature
12 months after the organization of the pilot program and within six months
after expiration of the pilot program.� The reports shall include the impact of
the pilot program on criminal sentencing and the court�s calendar and
workload.� The reports also shall evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot
program and recommend whether the program should be continued or expanded.
���� 4.��� The Supreme Court of New
Jersey may adopt court rules appropriate or necessary to effectuate the
purposes of this act.
���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the third month after enactment and shall expire
three years after the effective date.
STATEMENT
���� This bill creates a three-year
Gun Court Pilot Program in the Superior Court in Mercer County.
���� Under the provisions of the
bill, the Administrative Office of the Courts would administer the program.�
Any criminal case where a gun or other dangerous weapon was used in the
commission of the crime could be referred to the Gun Court.� Judges assigned to
the Gun Court are to have extensive knowledge of and experience in criminal
law, criminal procedure, and criminal sentencing.�
���� The Administrative Office of
the Courts is to monitor the Gun Court and report to the Legislature 12 months
after the organization of the pilot program and within six months after its
expiration.� The reports are to include the impact of the pilot program on
criminal sentencing and the court�s calendar and workload.� The report also
would evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program and recommend whether the
program should be continued or expanded.