DMV Suspensions, Judy and Nikki's Law and Parole Eligibility Bills Still Pending

With the Assembly Budgetary Committee holding hearings throughout the summer, Patch takes a look at some of the bills that Assemblyman Robert Schroeder has pending before the Legislature.

Dating back to January 2010, A1679 was referred to the Assembly's Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities for review on a requirement that DMV suspension and revocation notices be given by certified mail.

Currently, notifications by the DMV are sent via regular mail, which in some instances has resulted in residents not receiving a notice stating that their registration or driver's license has been revoked or suspended. Schroeder's bill has proposed that the DMV instead send notifications by certified mail, restricted delivery as a way to improve their method of contacting residents.

Another January 2010 bill is A1680 to requires notification of municipalities by public utilities under certain circumstances. This bill has been referred to the Assembly's Telecommunications and Utilities Committee.

This bill would require that public utilities notify municipalities within 60 days of undertaking any installation, construction, maintenance, repair, relocation or removal of any pipes, etc that is either under or over a municipal roadway, except in the case of an emergency. It also requires the utilities company to post a certified check or bond for the municipality to hold onto until all work has been completed.

To make government-owned property be exempt from adverse possession and eliminate the statute of limitation period for recovery,A475 is still waiting for discussion to take place before the Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee.

Introduced in January 2010, it would reverse the NJ Supreme Court decision in Devins v. Borough of Bogota (1991) and provide that real property held by a governmental entity, whether dedicated for a public purpose or not, cannot be acquired by adverse possession. Adverse possession is a method of acquiring title by possessing property in a specified manner for a statutory period. The expiration of that period bars the owner's right to bring an ejectment action and transfers title from the owner to the possessor.

Waiting before the Housing and Local Government Committee is A1682 to allows publication of legal advertisements in "free" newspapers.

If approved, the requirement that governments or school boards publish any ordinances, resolutions, notices or advertisements in a paid newspaper would be eliminated. Instead, legal notices could be published in certain "free" newspapers that may have a higher circulation than the traditional "paid" newspapers in the community.

The Assembly Judiciary Committee has yet to take up A1773, "Judy and Nikki's Law" to provide for life imprisonment without parole for persons convicted of murder of a child 16 years of age or younger.

Named in honor of Judy Cajuste and Nicole Giovanni, the two young teens were freshman track runners at Abraham Clark High School in Roselle and Roselle Catholic High School, respectively. 

The Consumer Affairs Committee has yet to decide if they will take up Schroeder's call to regulate the sale of olive oil in A2228.

Anyone selling olive oil for human consumption in New Jersey will have to first make sure it meets the International Olive Council standards or the standard for olive oil as adopted by the United States Food and Drug Administration . If the seller does not comply with International or Federal standards, they could be hit with a $10,000 fine for their first offense and a $20,000 fine for the second or each subsequent offense.

Schroeder and Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk have jointly put forward A2245 to limit the scope of those inmates whose cases must be reviewed for parole eligibility every three years. It is currently awaiting discussion in the Law and Public Safety Committee.

Currently, the State Parole Board has to develop a schedule of future parole eligibility dates anytime a release is denied during a parole hearing. Going forward, this bill would establish that only those inmates convicted of a less serious crime could have their future parole hearing dates be set within a three year limit by the Parole Board.

Inmates that are convicted of the following crimes would be disqualified from the mandatory three-year parole review. Those major crimes include murder; aggravated manslaughter or manslaughter; vehicular homicide; aggravated assault; disarming a law enforcement officer; kidnapping; aggravated sexual assault; sexual assault; robbery; carjacking; aggravated arson; burglary; extortion; setting booby traps in manufacturing or distribution facilities; strict liability for drug induced deaths; terrorism; producing or possessing chemical weapons, biological agents or nuclear or radiological devices; and first degree racketeering.

Next week, Patch will take a look at some of Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk's legislation that is still pending for review.