In 2014, Sussex and a number of other New Jersey counties passed by referendum the Bail Reform and Speedy Trial Act. The law will take effect statewide in January of 2017 but many of the pilot counties have seen the effects sooner. The law requires that people be seen by a judge within 48 hours of their arrest including weekends. This means that a lawyer will be on-call 24 hours and the courts will be open six days a week. The increased staff requirements will have a significant impact on the taxpayers’ wallets. Opponents to the reformation also question who will be monitoring those that fail to show up for court. Currently, once a person is released on bail the bail bondsman is responsible for monitoring the defendant. This private industry relieves any burden to the taxpayers having to track down fugitives who fail to appear at mandatory court appearances. Under the new reform, many people would be released without bail and monitoring those that fail to appear at court would fall on state agencies that are already at capacity.
Some project that the new reform could cost millions because of the additional staffing requirements. What looked great on paper is now looking to cost the people of Atlantic City and throughout the state of New Jersey millions of dollars with the risk of criminals being released without consequences.