ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5425

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 10, 2025

      The Assembly Judiciary Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 5425.

      This bill creates a three-year Integrated Domestic Violence (IDV) Court pilot program in the Superior Court in Camden, Essex, Hudson, and Middlesex counties.

      The IDV Court model, upon which this bill is based, combines domestic violence cases, matrimonial cases, and related criminal matters into one court; has the motto “one family, one judge;” and provides integrated services to families, enhances offender accountability, and improves victim safety.

      The IDV Court established under the bill would hear any case involving domestic violence, pursuant to the “Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991,” P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-17 et seq.), that also involves: divorce, child custody, and other family court matters; crimes or offenses arising out of acts of domestic violence; juvenile offenses; and applications for and violations of restraining orders.

      The committee notes that the IDV Court model has been successfully implemented in New York, among other jurisdictions, for over 20 years.