N.J. court gives suspect ‘trade secret’ access to DNA software allegedly linking him to murder [nj.com]
A state appeals court has ruled that a Hudson County murder suspect should be given access to the source codes of the cutting-edge DNA software that prosecutors say links his saliva to evidence in a 2017 shooting that killed a man and injured a child.
It’s the first time New Jersey courts have discussed the emerging field of probabilistic genotyping, which mathematically analyzes DNA samples. Such technology “marks a profound shift in DNA forensics,” the state appeals court said in a 74-page published ruling Wednesday.
TRENTON A measure to allow Garden State residents to grow their own weed has been introduced by a Republican legislator, who has voted against recent efforts to lay the groundwork for recreational marijuana in New Jersey.
State Sen. Gerald Cardinale, R-Bergen, has outlined legislation that would permit private possession of up to six marijuana plants, subject to the state moving forward with plans for legal, adult-use pot.
“The people of New Jersey made it clear in November that they want to lift the prohibition on cannabis,” Cardinale said in a written statement on Friday.
“Since then, the Legislature has spent three months fumbling around with what should have been a simple task, and complicated the legalization effort with countless fees, licensing and extra layers of bureaucracy, the 86-year-old veteran lawmaker continued.
A New Jersey Assembly committee on Friday advanced a bill outlining noncriminal penalties for minors who possess marijuana, a bill Democratic lawmakers hope will appease Gov. Phil Murphy and get him to sign legalization and decriminalization bills already sitting on his desk.
Meanwhile, in a legislative twist, an opponent of legalization introduced a bill that supporters had long sought allowing residents to grow their own marijuana plants, assuming Murphy does sign the bill creating New Jersey s marijuana market.
Sen. Gerry Cardinale, R-Bergen, introduced the bill, S3407, which would allow for adults to possess up to six marijuana plants.
Cardinale voted against the legalization and decriminalization bills last month. But he said in a statement that home grow would keep people from being priced out of the market because of fees and taxes in the bills.
TRENTON An Assembly committee Friday endorsed a revised version of a bill intended to address issues with the marijuana legalization and decriminalization bills that have left them unsigned more than six weeks after they were passed.
The bill, A5342, is similar to one that stalled earlier this month due to opposition from some in the Legislative Black Caucus who expressed concern it would encourage the continuation of stop-and-frisk of minority youth.
Civil fines for underage possession of marijuana by people ages 18 to 20 would be $50 to $100, depending on the amount of cannabis possessed, down from $250 to $500 in the original cleanup proposal.
Thousands in jail await trials that are still a long way off. N.J.’s top court considers releasing some.
Updated Jan 20, 2021;
Posted Jan 20, 2021
New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner in a Jan. 9, 2017, file photo in Trenton. (Michael Mancuso | For NJ.com)TT TT Michael Mancuso
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New Jersey’s highest court is considering releasing hundreds of people awaiting trial behind bars as the coronavirus continues to keep juries at a standstill.
Thousands of people in jail across the state have yet to be convicted, according to court records. Keeping so many locked up risked their health and violated their rights, the state’s top public defender and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey argued Wednesday during a nearly two-hour hearing before the state Supreme Court.