A4372 is still being fast-tracked, with no word from the sponsor on what amendments, if any, are being made in order to ensure that violent criminals are not eligible for a modification or suspension of their sentence. The bill is scheduled to be heard on MONDAY, July 27th at 10:30am in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. WE NEED YOUR HELP:
ACTION #1: Express your strong opposition to this bill by filling out the registration form at this link ASAP: https://bit.ly/NJ-AAPform You can also email the Committee aide directly at OLSAideAAP@njleg.org. *Your form must be submitted by Friday, 7/24 at 3pm!
ACTION #2: Contact the prime sponsor of A4372, Assemblywoman Britnee Timberlake, and urge her to amend her bill: aswtimberlake@njleg.org 973-395-1166 Please copy the Appropriations Committee Aide on your correspondence so that it can be entered into the record for the hearing: OLSAideAAP@njleg.org
ACTION#3: Contact each member of the Appropriations Committee and urge them not to release the bill unless it is amended to exclude those inmates who have been sentenced to Life in prison. Their email information is as follows, be sure to COPY the Committee Aide on all correspondence:
AsmBurzichelli@njleg.org, AsmSchaer@njleg.org, AsmBergen@njleg.org, AsmConaway@njleg.org, AsmDeAngelo@njleg.org, AsmMcclellan@njleg.org, Aswmosquera@njleg.org, Aswpintormarin@njleg.org, asmrooney@njleg.org, aswtucker@njleg.org, asmwebber@njleg.org Committee Aide: OLSAideAAP@njleg.org
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY!
Our main talking points:
— This bill would allow convicted criminals who have been sentenced to 30 years or more of jail time to seek to have their sentences modified, reduced, or suspended, if they were a juvenile when the crime was committed–regardless of the severity of the crime.
–This bill would be detrimental to crime victims and their families, forcing them to endure the pain and suffering that comes with the re-opening and re-examination of cases that were settled at least two decades ago.
— This bill would re-examine (and, in effect, second-guess) serious criminal cases that were already decided by a jury and sentenced by a judge, undermining all of the work and decision-making that resulted from hearing detailed evidence in the case.
— The bill does not order the sentencing court to consider past parole rejections in making their determination on re-sentencing, meaning that criminals like Righetti who have been denied parole several times would still be eligible for a reduction/modification/suspension of their sentence–completely disregarding the authority of the Parole Board.
— This bill, as currently written, would open the floodgates for thousands of inmates to pursue a revision of their sentencing–inmates who committed crimes serious enough to warrant a 30 year or higher sentence, including Kim Montelaro’s rapist/murderer Christopher Righetti.
