Senate passes bill to help drug courts

The Senate on Tuesday approved a bill, S-1950, sponsored by Senators Sandra Bolden Cunningham and Shirley K. Turner, to create two new Superior Court judgeships to handle drug cases as part of a State program to rehabilitate non-violent drug offenders and make them employable citizens. The vote was 35-0.
?This legislation will enhance the capability of the State drug court program to expedite cases involving drug offenders so they can gain access to the resources of education and counseling which will help them become productive members of society,? said Senator Cunningham, D-Hudson.
“Warehousing drug offenders is a waste of taxpayers’ money and results in eventually releasing them without the tools needed to cope in the work world,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “Drug addicts need job training, education and positive reinforcement.”
Under the bill, two additional judgeships would be charged with just hearing drug cases under a State program to make 400 additional drug offenders eligible for intensive supervision, drug treatment, counseling and job training.
“The children of drug offenders will benefit by getting rehabilitated parents living new lives and providing for their families while prison space will be freed up for truly hardened criminals who deserve to have their freedom forfeited,” said Senator Cunningham.
Senator Turner said additional judges are needed because delays in the justice system are preventing the merits of the drug court programs from being realized throughout New Jersey.
“Once the positive aspects of rehabilitated drug offenders are realized, the benefits of this program will be recognized and taxpayers will appreciate how investment in people now will pay off later,” Senator Turner said.

Obama hires Clinton's ex-campaign chief

NEWSMAX - Democrat Barack Obama Monday appointed Hillary Clinton's former campaign manager to his own White House campaign as he beefed up his team for November's general election.
Patti Solis Doyle, who was ousted from the faltering Clinton campaign in February, will be chief of staff to Obama's eventual pick as vice presidential nominee.
That could revive talk of whether the former first lady might become Obama's running mate, although she and Solis Doyle have reportedly not spoken for months and Clinton herself says she is not in the running for the job.
Solis Doyle was one of 15 new postings on the Obama team announced by its campaign manager David Plouffe, mostly existing staff members who take on new responsibilities from field operations to voter outreach and registration.
"Today we're adding to our leadership team so that we reach even more Americans who share the belief that people who love their country can change it," Plouffe said in a statement.
Among other prominent hires was 2004 nominee John Kerry's spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter as chief of staff to Obama's wife Michelle, portending a harder hitting rebuttal of Republican attacks on the putative first lady.
Plouffe also announced new officials as campaign chief of staff, director for battleground states, director for industrial states and head of Latino outreach -- all signaling a redoubled determination to organize for November.
--AFP

NJ Assembly approves witness intimidation bill

TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner welcomed final legislative approval of her measure, S-367/503, which would increase the penalties associated with witness intimidation and tampering in order to help law enforcement encourage more witnesses to come forward and testify during criminal court trials.
“This is a growing problem across the State, but in Trenton, the effects of gang intimidation and witness tampering have been particularly painful,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “Already we have faced two barbaric murders this year as gangs become bolder and bolder in how they take revenge on those who testify in court. People shouldn’t live in fear of being targeted because they’ve decided to step forward and help the police.”
Senator Turner continued, “It’s become painfully clear – street gangs will stop at nothing to ensure their criminal lifestyle without fear of going to prison. We need to put a stop to these thugs and protect law-abiding citizens.”
In April, Trenton resident Shawn Travis was gunned down in the doorway of his apartment building. According to media reports, he was cooperating with local authorities after witnessing a gang shooting last year. About a month later, in an unconnected case, ten-year-old Trenton student Qua-Daishai Hopkins died when the house she lived in with her parents was set on fire. It is believed that the fire was set in retaliation for her parents testimony against a local leader of the Bloods gang that led to a life sentence in federal prison for drug-distribution charges.
“Material witnesses are the most powerful weapon in the war on criminal street gangs. If we can’t guarantee the safety of those individuals who have witnessed a crime, it’s going to become more and more difficult to get these people to come forward,” added Senator Turner. “Now, more than ever, protecting witnesses and their families from threats of retaliation needs to be a top priority.”
The bill, S-367/503 would upgrade the penalties for witness tampering, retaliation, hindering, and bribery. The bill would apply to official proceedings that are pending, about to be instituted, and have already been instituted.
Under the bill, a person would commit an offense if he knowingly engages in conduct which a reasonable person would believe would cause a witness or informant to: 1) testify or inform falsely; 2) withhold any testimony or evidence; 3) elude legal process summoning him to testify or supply evidence; 4) absent himself from any proceeding or investigation to which he was legally summoned; or 5) otherwise obstruct, delay, prevent or impede an official proceeding or investigation.
The bill was approved by a vote of 80-0 and now goes to the Governor’s desk for his signature.