Bill Text: NJ A3913 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Upgrades burglary of a residence as a crime of the second degree; upgrades it to a crime of the first degree if committed while armed.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-12-04 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee [A3913 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A3913-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
Assemblyman RALPH R. CAPUTO
District 28 (Essex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Giblin
SYNOPSIS
Upgrades burglary of a residence as a crime of the second degree; upgrades it to a crime of the first degree if committed while armed.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning burglary and amending N.J.S.2C:18-2 and P.L.1997, c.117.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. N.J.S.2C:18-2 is amended to read as follows:
2C:18-2. Burglary. a. Burglary defined. A person is guilty of burglary if, with purpose to commit an offense therein or thereon he:
(1) Enters a research facility, structure, or a separately secured or occupied portion thereof unless the structure was at the time open to the public or the actor is licensed or privileged to enter;
(2) Surreptitiously remains in a research facility, structure, or a separately secured or occupied portion thereof knowing that he is not licensed or privileged to do so ; or
(3) Trespasses in or upon utility company property where public notice prohibiting trespass is given by conspicuous posting, or fencing or other enclosure manifestly designed to exclude intruders.
b. Grading. Burglary is a crime of the second degree if in the course of committing the offense, the actor:
(1) Purposely, knowingly or recklessly inflicts, attempts to inflict or threatens to inflict bodily injury on anyone; or
(2) Is armed with or displays what appear to be explosives or a deadly weapon; or
(3) Unlawfully enters or surreptitiously remains in a dwelling or other structure adapted for overnight accommodation of persons, whether or not a person is actually present.
Burglary is a crime of the first degree if in the course of committing the offense the actor unlawfully enters or surreptitiously remains in a dwelling or other structure adapted for overnight accommodation of persons, whether or not a person is actually present, and is armed with or displays what appear to be explosives or a deadly weapon.
Otherwise burglary is a crime of the third degree. An act shall be deemed "in the course of committing" an offense if it occurs in an attempt to commit an offense or in immediate flight after the attempt or commission.
(cf: P.L.2009, c.283, s.2)
2. Section 2 of P.L.1997, c.117 (C.2C:43-7.2) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. A court imposing a sentence of incarceration for a crime of the first or second degree enumerated in subsection d. of this
section shall fix a minimum term of 85% of the sentence imposed,
during which the defendant shall not be eligible for parole.
b. The minimum term required by subsection a. of this section shall be fixed as a part of every sentence of incarceration imposed upon every conviction of a crime enumerated in subsection d. of this section, whether the sentence of incarceration is determined pursuant to N.J.S.2C:43-6, N.J.S.2C:43-7, N.J.S.2C:11-3 or any other provision of law, and shall be calculated based upon the sentence of incarceration actually imposed. The provisions of subsection a. of this section shall not be construed or applied to reduce the time that must be served before eligibility for parole by an inmate sentenced to a mandatory minimum period of incarceration. Solely for the purpose of calculating the minimum term of parole ineligibility pursuant to subsection a. of this section, a sentence of life imprisonment shall be deemed to be 75 years.
c. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary and in addition to any other sentence imposed, a court imposing a minimum period of parole ineligibility of 85 percent of the sentence pursuant to this section shall also impose a five-year term of parole supervision if the defendant is being sentenced for a crime of the first degree, or a three-year term of parole supervision if the defendant is being sentenced for a crime of the second degree. The term of parole supervision shall commence upon the completion of the sentence of incarceration imposed by the court pursuant to subsection a. of this section unless the defendant is serving a sentence of incarceration for another crime at the time he completes the sentence of incarceration imposed pursuant to subsection a., in which case the term of parole supervision shall commence immediately upon the defendant's release from incarceration. During the term of parole supervision the defendant shall remain in release status in the community in the legal custody of the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections and shall be supervised by the State Parole Board as if on parole and shall be subject to the provisions and conditions of section 3 of P.L.1997, c.117 (C.30:4-123.51b).
d. The court shall impose sentence pursuant to subsection a. of this section upon conviction of the following crimes or an attempt or conspiracy to commit any of these crimes:
(1) N.J.S.2C:11-3, murder;
(2) N.J.S.2C:11-4, aggravated manslaughter or manslaughter;
(3) N.J.S.2C:11-5, vehicular homicide;
(4) subsection b. of N.J.S.2C:12-1, aggravated assault;
(5) subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.1996, c.14 (C.2C:12-11), disarming a law enforcement officer;
(6) N.J.S.2C:13-1, kidnapping;
(7) subsection a. of N.J.S.2C:14-2, aggravated sexual assault;
(8) subsection b. of N.J.S.2C:14-2 and paragraph (1) of subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:14-2, sexual assault;
(9) N.J.S.2C:15-1, robbery;
(10) section 1 of P.L.1993, c.221 (C.2C:15-2), carjacking;
(11) paragraph (1) of subsection a. of N.J.S.2C:17-1, aggravated arson;
(12) N.J.S.2C:18-2, burglary, when it is a crime of the first degree, and when it is a crime of the second degree under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection b. of N.J.S.2C:18-2;
(13) subsection a. of N.J.S.2C:20-5, extortion;
(14) subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.1997, c.185 (C.2C:35-4.1), booby traps in manufacturing or distribution facilities;
(15) N.J.S.2C:35-9, strict liability for drug induced deaths;
(16) section 2 of P.L.2002, c.26 (C.2C:38-2), terrorism;
(17) section 3 of P.L.2002, c.26 (C.2C:38-3), producing or possessing chemical weapons, biological agents or nuclear or radiological devices;
(18) N.J.S.2C:41-2, racketeering, when it is a crime of the first degree:
(19) subsection i. of N.J.S.2C:39-9, firearms trafficking; or
(20) paragraph (3) of subsection b. of N.J.S.2C:24-4, causing or permitting a child to engage in a prohibited sexual act, knowing that the act may be reproduced or reconstructed in any manner, or be part of an exhibition or performance.
e. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2001, c.129).
(cf: P.L.2013, c.136, s.4)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill upgrades the crime of burglary of a residence. Currently, burglary is a crime of the third degree, unless the defendant either: (1) inflicts, attempts to inflict or threatens to inflict bodily injury during the course of committing the offense, or (2) is armed with or displays what appear to be explosives or a deadly weapon. In such cases burglary is a crime of the second degree.
Under the bill, it would also be a crime of the second degree to unlawfully enter or surreptitiously remain in a dwelling or other structure adapted for overnight accommodation of persons, whether or not a person is actually present. If the defendant is armed with or displays what appears to be explosives or a deadly weapon, burglary of a residence would be a crime of the first degree.
A crime of the first degree is punishable by a term of imprisonment of 10 to 20 years, a fine of up to $200,000, or both; a crime of the second degree, by a term of five to 10 years, a fine of up to $150,000, or both; and a crime of the third degree, by a term of three to five years, a fine of up to $15,000, or both.
Under current law, a person who commits the second degree crime of burglary (by inflicting, attempting to inflict, or threatening to inflict bodily injury or by being armed) is subject to the provisions of the "No Early Release Act" (NERA). However, the bill provides that a person who commits the new second degree crime of burglary of a residence would not be subject to NERA. Under NERA, persons convicted of certain enumerated violent crimes of the first or second degree are required to serve a minimum term of at least 85% of the sentence imposed.
