Bill Text: NJ S1546 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires municipal court to hear certain violations of animal cruelty statutes within 14 days of the summons date.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-27 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee [S1546 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2014-S1546-Introduced.html

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SENATE, No. 1546

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

216th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 27, 2014

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  DIANE B. ALLEN

District 7 (Burlington)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires municipal court to hear certain violations of animal cruelty statutes within 14 days of the summons date.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  

An Act concerning violations of the animal cruelty statutes and supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.  Notwithstanding any law, or rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, to the contrary, any person cited in violation of R.S.4:22-17 or subsections a. or c. of R.S.4:22-26 shall be issued a summons to appear in municipal court either (1) no later than 14 days after the date on which the summons is issued, or (2) on the next scheduled municipal court date in the event the municipal court convenes less frequently than biweekly.  The summons shall specify a court appearance date either (1) within 14 days of the date on which the summons is issued, or (2) on the next scheduled municipal court date in the event the municipal court convenes less frequently than biweekly, shall be signed by the clerk of the municipal court, and the case shall be placed on the docket for the municipal court for that date.

 

     2.  This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill requires that a person cited in violation of R.S.4:22-17 or subsections a. or c. of R.S.4:22-26 be issued a summons to appear in municipal court either (1) no later than 14 days after the date on which the summons is issued, or (2) on the next scheduled municipal court date in the event the municipal court convenes less frequently than biweekly.  The summons must specify an appearance date either (1) within the 14 days after the date on which the summons is issued, or (2) on the next scheduled municipal court date in the event the municipal court convenes less frequently than biweekly, and be signed by the clerk of the court.  The bill also requires the case be placed on the docket for the municipal court for the appearance date on the summons.

     R.S.4:22-17 and subsections a. and c. of R.S.4:22-26 are the State laws dealing with the criminal and civil penalties, respectively, for the overdriving, overloading, torturing and tormenting of animals, including the deprivation of necessary sustenance, unnecessarily or cruelly beating or otherwise abusing the animal, needlessly mutilating or killing the animal, and otherwise inflicting unnecessary cruelty upon the animal or unnecessarily failing to provide it with proper food, drink, shelter or protection from the weather.

     The Department of Health and Senior Services defines proper
food, drink, shelter or protection from the weather in regulations codified in Title 29 of the New Jersey Administrative Code.