Criminal Justice
Man pleads guilty to bribing Sen. Bob Menendez, will cooperate with prosecutors
Jose Uribe agreed to plead guilty to seven criminal counts, including conspiracy to commit bribery, wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and tax evasion.
N.J. attorney general OKs gun microstamping to aid investigations of gun crimes
Attorney General Matt Platkin certified the viability of gun microstamping, despite objections of gun rights groups that call it unproven.
Murphy wants to double funding for program pairing cops with mental health workers
Gov. Phil Murphy wants to commit $20 million to a program that is intended to prevent escalation and violence during some police calls.
Chicago is the latest city rethinking disputed technology that listens for gunshots
Over the past decade, cities around the country such as Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; New Orleans; and San Antonio have discontinued their use of ShotSpotte.
ACLU starts clemency project in New Jersey to fight unjust prison terms
The ACLU will first focus on incarcerated domestic violence victims and people who got longer sentences at trial after rejecting plea deals.
Releasing suspects pretrial doesn’t lead to higher crime rates, experts say
Politicians on both sides of the debate often connect bail policy to crime rates. But experts note that much of the crime data that states and cities use is unreliable.
Controversial police training firm files for bankruptcy, blames New Jersey investigations
The state Comptroller's office blasted police training Street Cop gave 1,000 cops in 2021. The firm now blames its bankruptcy on the state.
Public defender’s office urges legislators to reform ‘draconian’ parole system
The N.J. Office of the Public Defender is calling on lawmakers to make several changes to the state's parole system in a new report.
Car thefts and carjackings are up. Unreliable data makes it hard to pinpoint why.
Between 2019 and 2023, car thefts and carjackings increased dramatically, by 105% and 93%, a new Council on Criminal Justice’s report says.
Senate panel advances bills to track untested rape kits and curb gun trafficking
The bills would require N.J. to track untested rape kits and expand culpability for dealers who sell guns that get trafficked.
Amid rise in antisemitism, N.J. assemblyman targets doxxing, swatting
No New Jersey statute specifically targets doxxing, the practice of releasing others' personal information to threaten harm.
Menendez’s wife — accused of taking luxury car as bribe — has spotty driving record
Nadine Menendez, wife of indicted Sen. Bob Menendez, racked up 10 points for driving infractions since 2005, her driving record shows.