This case is part of the ACLU-NJ's ongoing work to ensure pretrial justice reforms in New Jersey are implemented fairly and protect liberty. The ACLU-NJ, joined by the National ACLU and several other civil rights groups, submitted a friend-of-the-court brief opposing a federal lawsuit brought by plaintiffs challenging New Jersey’s pretrial justice reforms. The reforms, which went into effect in January 2017, effectively eliminated money bail, creating a presumption of release for the vast majority of defendants and ensuring that people do not languish in jail awaiting trial simply because they are poor. The plaintiffs, which include a Florida company based in Maryland, brought a lawsuit to halt these historic reforms. The lawsuit aims to force New Jersey to use commercial bail bonds companies and wrongly claims that the ability to buy one’s way out of jail and out of conditions of pretrial release is a constitutional right. The ACLU-NJ, which helped spearhead bail reform across New Jersey, is fighting to ensure it is implemented fairly despite the legal attacks of those who unjustly profit off the backs of people accused of crimes.

Attorney(s)

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation; Drug Policy Alliance; Latino Action Network; NAACP New Jersey State Conference

Date filed

July 28, 2017

Court

U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey

Status

Closed