MEC&F Expert Engineers : 01/09/17

Monday, January 9, 2017

NEW JERSEY SPEEDY TRIAL ACT: Starting in January, if a person is held in jail, prosecutors will have 90 days to get an indictment, and then have 120 days to bring the person to trial

 Here you will find information related to the efforts of the Judiciary and its criminal justice reform partners in state, county and municipal government to implement bail and speedy trial reform and to form a pretrial services unit.

On Jan. 1, 2017, the state shifted from a system that relies principally on setting monetary bail as a condition of release to a risk-based system that is more objective, and thus fairer to defendants because it is unrelated to their ability to pay monetary bail. The statute also sets deadlines for the timely filing of an indictment and the disposition of criminal charges for incarcerated defendants. 


Q&A [+]
How will the speedy trial component work? [-]


The speedy trial component will set limits on the amount of time a defendant can remain detained before trial. There are three distinct speedy trial limits: 


1) from arrest to indictment,
2) from indictment to trial, and
3) an overall limit from detention to trial 


The law contains appropriate extensions of time for pretrial motions, competency hearings, plea negotiations, the consent of the parties, and other excludable time. 

How did we get here? [-]


The move to reform the state's criminal justice system grew from the work of the Joint Committee on Criminal Justice, a special committee of the Supreme Court established by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner to examine the issues of bail and speedy trial reform. The committee included the attorney general, public defender, judges and representatives of the executive and legislative branches, county prosecutors, defense counsel, court administration and the American Civil Liberties Union. 


It drafted a series of recommendations that were incorporated into landmark legislation. In addition, voters in November 2014 approved a constitutional change that becomes effective in January 2017 to permit judges to keep high-risk defendants detained without bail.

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Reforms bringing 'seismic shift' in bail, speedy trials, court officials say


A half day seminar was held at Essex County College attended by judges, prosecutors, attorneys and members of law enforcement which outlined reforms to the criminal justice starting in January designed o reduce the time defendants wait for bail hearings, and reduce the wait for a trial. Newark, NJ 9/15/16 (Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media
By Tom Haydon | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
 
on September 15, 2016 at 7:46 PM, updated September 17, 2016 at 6:42 PM




NEWARK -- In just over three months, New Jersey state courts will implement the most significant changes in decades in N.J. bail procedures, legal officials said at a seminar on Thursday.

Starting in January, if a person is held in jail, prosecutors will have 90 days to get an indictment, and then have 120 days to bring the person to trial, state judicial officials explained.

The reforms are aimed at cutting the number of people held on minor charges while keeping other defendants locked up without bail if they pose a threat to public safety and providing speedy trials for those held behind bars. Defendants now wait up to three years or more to come to trial, officials said Thursday.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, speaking at the seminar, said people are often incarcerated for minor offenses because they are unable to post a low amount of bail.

Acting AG will prepare study on costs and hurdles related to "sweeping reforms" to criminal justice system.

"Even if they pose a minimal risk of flight, they can sit in jails for weeks, months," Rabner told the audience made up of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, public defenders and police and sheriff's officers. "They can lose jobs. They can lose contact with family."

Rabner cited statistics that one in 12 defendants remain in jails because they can't post bail of $2,500.

"We have the opportunity today to set our system on a better path," Rabner said.

Under the reforms, prosecutors will have to file a motion to keep a defendant locked up. Judges will make decisions at detention hearings that must be held within three days after a suspect is jailed.

"Bail reform is going to change everything in the judicial system. We will not lightly seek to detain an individual before trial," said Elie Honig, director of the Division of Criminal Justice in the state Attorney General's Office.

However, Honig said prosecutors want to detain anybody who threatens the safety and security of the public. He said witnesses to serious crimes often change their statements when they know a defendant is out of jail. The reforms will allow prosecutors to request that suspects be held without bail.

Previously, state law allowed a judge to deny bail only to defendants charged with offenses punishable by the death penalty. But the state abolished the death penalty in 2007.

Once the judicial reforms kick in courts will begin holding hearings on Saturdays, officials said.

State Public Defender Joseph Krakora said judges will review several factors in determining whether to keep a defendant in jail, including prior criminal offenses, prior failures to appear in court, and offenses committed while awaiting trial for another crime. The state has worked with a consultant to develop procedures for assessing defendants.

Judges will be able to decide to release persons with conditions, such as a curfew or a bracelet monitor. A new pre-trial services staff will supervise defendants who are released.

For defendants held on bail, defense lawyers will be able to come back within weeks and argue that the defendant is being detained solely because he can't afford the bail.

"This is a seismic shift. You have to get out of the culture of money bail," Krakora said.

Often as a trial lawyer, Krakora said, he saw defendants kept in jail because they could not post $1,000 or $500 bail. "There is no correlation that someone is more likely to come to court if they post bail," he said.

Two measures passed in recent years allowed for the development of the reforms. One was a bill Gov. Chris Christie signed into law establishing an alternative pre-trial release system so poor defendants are not stuck in jail because they can't afford bail. The other was a proposal approved by New Jersey voters to amend the state constitution allowing judges to deny pre-trial release to some defendants charged with serious crimes.

Similar seminars on the reforms will be conducted throughout the state in coming weeks.




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Editorial: Right to ‘speedy trial’ is in Constitution
NorthJersey 7:38 p.m. ET Dec. 29, 2016


In 2017, a large number of people charged with crimes in New Jersey will not go directly to jail. And that is a good thing. More important, it is a constitutional thing.

The Sixth Amendment states, “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial.” That hasn’t always happened. Not at all. It is possible for defendants to sit in county jails for many months for a minor offense.

“We’ve got people waiting in jail for trial for minor offenses for over a year because they can’t raise $2,500 bail, and at the same time we have defendants accused serious crimes who have no trouble making even very high bail, and they are released," a judge told Record Staff Writer Jim Norman.


Reforms that will go into effect starting Sunday will not result in the random release of violent defendants, but rather ensure that individuals charged in non-violent cases will more often than not be released with limited restrictions. Someone charged, for example, with murder would have no option for bail or release at all.

Judges will use a three-part risk assessment to determine whether the defendant is a flight risk or a danger to the community, and whether he or she may try to threaten witnesses or victims. Giving judges the discretion to decide whether to set bail or not makes sense. Judges are in the best position to decide on a case-by-case basis.

As Norman reported, about 20 additional judges will need to be appointed statewide. Each new judge will require office space, support staff and a minimum of three county sheriff’s officers to ensure order in courtrooms. Courts will probably have to be operational on weekends as well, to ensure that criminal complaints are filed within 48 hours from when a defendant is detained in a county jail.

So this will not save money. That was not the point. Defendants, regardless of their financial circumstances, have a constitutional right to a “speedy trial.” County jails should not be filled with defendants who are never flight risks or dangerous.

Bail bondsmen are expected to take a big hit after these reforms are implemented. One owner of a bail bond business told The Record it would “take away 99 percent” of his industry’s business. That is not a reason for a judge to impose bail.

In 2014, New Jersey voters supported a constitutional amendment that prevents the most violent defendants from being released back into communities while they await trial. But there are distinctions to be made between an accused murderer and someone languishing for more than a year in a county jail on a minor offense.

Our only concern is that these reforms may not apply retroactively and defendants currently sitting in jails awaiting trial may not benefit. That should not happen.

The director of the New Jersey Association of Counties, which represents all 21 counties in the state, wants the Legislature to provide some economic relief to cover the costs of these reforms. But these are not new unfunded mandates coming from the state – this is a change in policy that reflects what is written in the Sixth Amendment.

The Constitution is not an unfunded mandate. These reforms come with a cost; so do our guaranteed civil liberties.

William Seckler, 54, plead guilty to workers’ compensation fraud Tuesday in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.


Ohio trucker stole comp money while working as delivery driver 


January 06, 2017

Franklin County, OH — A northeast Ohio truck driver on injured workers’ benefits since 1993 is on the hook for $17,000 after pleading guilty to workers’ compensation fraud Tuesday in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

William Seckler, 54, of the village of Andover in Ashtabula County, must pay the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) $14,520 in restitution and $2,530 in investigative costs for working while receiving permanent total disability benefits. A judge also ordered Seckler to serve 180 days in jail, suspended, and four years of community control for the first-degree misdemeanor.

Seckler was employed as a full-time truck driver at the time of his injury in 1993. Acting on a tip, BWC’s Special Investigations Department (SID) started looking at him in 2014 and found him working as a delivery driver for an Amish roofing company.




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Holidays bring convictions to 3 workers’ comp cheats
January 6, 2017


A northeast Ohio truck driver on injured workers’ benefits since 1993 is on the hook for $17,000 after pleading guilty to workers’ compensation fraud Tuesday in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

William Seckler, 54, of the village of Andover in Ashtabula County, must pay the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) $14,520 in restitution and $2,530 in investigative costs for working while receiving permanent total disability benefits. A judge also ordered Seckler to serve 180 days in jail, suspended, and four years of community control for the first-degree misdemeanor.

Seckler was employed as a full-time truck driver at the time of his injury in 1993. Acting on a tip, BWC’s Special Investigations Department (SID) started looking at him in 2014 and found him working as a delivery driver for an Amish roofing company.

In other news, a Columbus man was convicted for workers’ compensation fraud on Dec. 19 after falsifying his job search forms in order to receive non-working, wage-loss benefits from BWC.

Alfonso R. Hooper, 66, pleaded guilty to a first-degree misdemeanor count of workers’ compensation fraud after SID found he falsely claimed to have applied for work at more than 40 potential employers listed on his job search forms.

A Franklin County judge sentenced Hooper to 30 days in jail, suspended, and one year of community control. The judge also ordered Hooper to pay BWC $5,000 for its investigative costs.

In a court case Dec. 30, a central Ohio man was convicted for failure to comply after BWC found he was operating four gas stations in the Youngstown area with lapsed workers’ compensation policies.

A judge in Niles Municipal Court convicted Muhammad Rashid, 36, of Hilliard, Ohio, on a minor misdemeanor count of failure to comply and fined Rashid $100 and court costs.

Rashid worked with BWC to become compliant with three policies, but not on the fourth. Rashid later filed paperwork with BWC stating he closed that business and paid the outstanding balance due of $2,824.

To report suspected cases of workers’ compensation fraud, call 1-800-644-6292 or visit bwc.ohio.gov.

A six-inch water main ruptured, opening up a 40-feet-by-50-feet sinkhole in the 2300 of East Boston Street in Kensington, NJ


Repairs continue at Kensington sinkhole site


Philadelphia Water Department crews were back at work Monday in the 2300 of East Boston Street in Kensington. (WPVI)

By Annie McCormick
Updated 1 hr 59 mins ago
KENSINGTON (WPVI) -- Philadelphia Water Department crews were back at work Monday in the 2300 of East Boston Street in Kensington.

They are working to repair a six-inch water main that ruptured before 9 a.m. Sunday, opening up a 40-feet-by-50-feet sinkhole that caused much of the block to collapse.

"It was a frustrating, long day," said Alyssa Banks.









A water main break caused a large sinkhole to open up in the Kensington section of Philadelphia.

Banks' brand new car was one of two vehicles swallowed up in the hole.

"I'm a little overwhelmed," she said. "When I came out in the morning it took a little... it's not part of your visual vocabulary to come out and see your car in a big, giant hole."

The sinkhole is now a neighborhood curiosity. Kids took it Monday morning on their way to school.

"It's not surprising in this neighborhood," said resident John Sharkey. "It's happened a bunch of times."

Shortly before the ground opened the water department was already on scene responding to complaints of low water pressure and leaks inside residents' basements.



Crews handed out water to people who decided to stay in their homes. Officials tell Action News the water could be back on sometime later Monday or on Tuesday.

The city can't say yet if aging infrastructure or weather caused the break.

Repair crews were expected to be out at the scene all day on Monday.

According to the water department, the street will remain closed for about a week, but there has been no word how long it will take to fix the other the problems related to the sinkhole.

The Pioneer Cabin tree in Calaveras County, Calif. fell on Jan. 8, 2017 after a big Bay Area storm



Iconic tunnel tree topples in state park as major storm hits Northern California


The Pioneer Cabin tree in Calaveras County, Calif. fell on Jan. 8, 2017 after a big Bay Area storm. (KGO-TV)

Updated 31 mins ago
CALAVERAS, Calif. -- A beloved tunnel tree in Northern California's Calaveras County fell to the ground during a massive storm that left Bay Area rivers and creeks flooded, houses damaged and several thousand people without power.

The iconic part of California history was photographed by Jim Allday on Sunday when its formerly massive limbs were seen on the ground. The tunnel carved into the giant sequoia had been wide enough to drive a full-size vehicle through.





At Calaveras Big Trees State Park, this is the walk-through tree, a novelty thought up and carved through by unknown pioneers, shown Aug. 19, 1969. (AP Photo/Ernest K. Bennett) 


The Calaveras Big Trees Association tweeted a heartfelt tribute to the giant tree: "The Pioneer Cabin tree has fallen! This iconic and still living tree - the tunnel tree - enchanted many visitors. The storm was just too much for it."

A water main break has shut down all courtrooms and offices at the two main court facilities in Trenton, N.J.




A water main break has shut down all courtrooms and offices at the two main court facilities in Trenton, N.J. (WPVI)

By Nora Muchanic
Updated 2 hrs 1 min ago
TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) -- A water main break has shut down all courtrooms and offices at the two main court facilities in Trenton, N.J.

The break was reported after 7 a.m. Monday near the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex in the unit block of Market Street.



Haddon Heights, N.J. attorney Dave Capozzi was one of many people who arrived at the complex Monday morning to argue a case.

But they were all turned away after a 16-inch water main ruptured, flooding and shutting down Market Street.

"I had no idea," said Capozzi. "I was coming up for an appeal today that was to be argued. I did not realize this was happening."

"I had no idea what was going on, and I went to the building and they said, 'Closed!'" said legal secretary Yvonne Washington. "Wow, amazing. I see all the water people are out."



"It's due to, you know... we've had some extreme weather conditions and temperatures have been very low," said Trenton Public Works Director Merkle Cherry. "We've had personnel out here since about 5:00 this morning."

The water main break turned the area around the justice complex into a skating rink.

Ice covered the road and sidewalks. It also caused the shutdown of the Mercer County Courthouse building adjacent to the complex.

"We showed up for court today, and the door is locked and the sign says no court," said attorney Thomas Mallon. "Frustrating? Very frustrating, but what are you going to do?"

Officials say they had no choice but to close the justice building.

"Number one, we have no fire protection," said David Millstein of the New Jersey Division of Property Management. "Number two, we have no toilet facilities or any type of water for the building itself. With that all - your health and safety issues - we have to close the building."

Throughout the morning, people who didn't get the word arrived thinking nothing was wrong.

It was not good news for one mom who was bringing her 2 year old to the daycare center inside the justice building.

"Yeah, I had to work today but I'm going to have to call off because of the main break," said Sonia Alicea of Trenton. "It's unfortunate."

"Today was our scheduled oral argument," said attorney Gil Brooks. "We've been waiting for about a year for this oral argument. No, I didn't know it was closed."

In addition to the court complex, a number of residential customers in the area reported loss of water service.

Icy conditions resulting from the break prompted police to close the exit ramp from Route 29 to Market Street.

Motorists were being advised to seek alternate routes.

Utility crews are on the scene and repairs are underway.

Driver critically injured after he was struck by a 50 lb. dumbbell that came crashing through the windshield of his SUV vehicle on New Jersey Turnpike


Dumbbell crashes through SUV windshield on New Jersey Turnpike

A motorist is hospitalized in critical condition after police say he was struck by a 50 lb. dumbbell that came crashing through the windshield of his vehicle. (WPVI)

Updated 14 mins ago
OLDMANS TWP., N.J. (WPVI) -- A motorist is hospitalized in critical condition after police say he was struck by a 50 lb. dumbbell that came crashing through the windshield of his vehicle while he was driving on the New Jersey Turnpike in Salem County.

State police say the 75-year-old victim was conscious as he was being airlifted to Crozer-Chester Medical Center after the crash.




The incident happened in the southbound lanes of the turnpike at 7:30 a.m. Monday near Mile Marker 6, north of Interchange 1 in Oldmans Township.








Rescuers were on the scene of a crash on the NJ Turnpike on January 9, 2017.

Video from Chopper 6 HD showed a black SUV in a grassy area off the highway with a large hole visible in the driver's side of the windshield.

Action News is told the driver was flown to an area hospital in critical condition.

There was no immediate word as to how a 50 pound dumbbell could have ended up hitting the windshield. State police say they haven't ruled out the possibility someone may have thrown the dumbbell over one the overpasses nearby.

There are two very close to the scene.

Both sides of the turnpike were shut down approaching the crash scene as medics attended to the injured driver and police investigated.