Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed a bipartisan bill increasing penalties for burglaries in the state in a bid to deter home invasions.
The legislation, which unanimously cleared the Assembly and passed the Senate with a single no vote from Sen. Britnee Timberlake (D-Essex), upgrades penalties for residential burglaries and allows juveniles charged in home invasions involving firearms to be tried as adults.
“This is tough, tough medicine,” Murphy said at the bill signing ceremony in Edison. “All of these reforms will help make our criminal justice system more responsive to meaningful threats, support our continued efforts to restore the public’s trust in that system, and at the same time making our communities safer.”
Gov. Murphy signs bill boosting penalties for residential burglaries • New Jersey Monitor