Bill Text: NJ A2107 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires evidence be retained indefinitely in homicide cases and until defendant's sentence expires in sexual assault cases.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-11 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee [A2107 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A2107-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Requires evidence be retained indefinitely in homicide cases and until defendant's sentence expires in sexual assault cases.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning evidence in certain criminal cases and supplementing chapter 84A of Title 2A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. All law enforcement and prosecuting agencies shall indefinitely preserve any biological evidence that was secured in relation to the investigation or prosecution of a criminal homicide under chapter 11 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.
b. All law enforcement and prosecuting agencies shall preserve any biological evidence that was secured in relation to the investigation or prosecution of a sexual assault pursuant to N.J.S.2C:14-2 until expiration of the defendant's sentence.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require law enforcement and prosecuting agencies to indefinitely preserve biological evidence that was secured in relation to the investigation or prosecution of a criminal homicide. The bill also would require these agencies to preserve biological evidence in sexual assault cases until the defendant's sentence has expired.
The purpose of the bill is to ensure that biological evidence is available for post conviction DNA testing in homicide and sexual assault cases.