Assemblywomen worked with advocacy groups to craft this vital legislation

(TRENTON) – Assemblywomen Yvonne Lopez and Eliana Pintor Marin have introduced legislation that would empower New Jersey's justice system by allowing judges to consider a history of domestic violence abuse in their sentencing decisions and providing a pathway for expungement for individuals that qualify. Together, the two-bill package (A5968 and A5969) would be known as the Survivors Justice Act (SJA).

“New Jersey has made great strides in protecting and supporting survivors of domestic violence and their families," said Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez (D-Middlesex). "And with these bills, we would go a step further into the courtroom to strengthen our judicial proceedings and empower judges to recognize the trauma survivors have gone through as evidence. By allowing the courts to recognize the link between domestic violence and criminal behavior, we can offer opportunities to avoid recriminalizing survivors and promoting a more equitable criminal justice system.”

The legislation would establish a new mitigating factor, reduced sentencing, and resentencing for certain defendants who were victims of domestic violence or abuse when the crime was committed, and the domestic violence or abuse was a contributing factor in the commission of the crime. It would also provide an expungement process for certain defendants who are victims of domestic violence or substantial abuse if the conviction to be expunged is substantially related to the domestic violence or abuse.

“Survivors of domestic violence deserve safety and fairness in their legal proceedings and these bills would allow the court to support a trauma-informed legal process that preserves justice but also hears all the facts,” said Assemblywoman Pintor Marin (D-Essex, Hudson). "It is important to underscore that these bills would not diminish the power of the court to issue verdicts in any way, nor would they diminish sentencing from crimes committed. Instead, they would ensure that the trauma survivors have endured is heard and considered as part of the judge’s ultimate decision.”

Governor Jim McGreevey, Executive Director of the New Jersey Reentry Corporation (NJRC), stated, “Far too many survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and human trafficking—the 'Trilogy of Evil'—have been punished instead of protected, sentenced instead of supported. NJRC has fought relentlessly to expose this injustice through our 2025 Women’s Project Report, Sentencing Reform for Criminalized Survivors of Abuse in New Jersey, and our April 2024 statewide conference. The proposed SJA legislation is not just a bill—it is a lifeline. It offers survivors a chance to be seen, heard, and freed from a system that failed them. We are deeply grateful for the fierce leadership of Chairwoman Eliana Pintor Marin, Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, the New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence (NJCEDV), and Reverend Charles Boyer of Salvation and Social Justice (NJ SANS).”

Sarah Eaise, LSW, Youth Advocacy Manager at the New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence stated, "The NJCEDV thanks Assemblywoman Lopez and Assemblywoman Pintor Marin for introducing the Survivors Justice Act. Too many survivors have been punished, prosecuted, and incarcerated for the very ways they’ve fought to survive. This bill would allow the court to consider the complexities of domestic violence and provide a path to freedom for survivors. The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act is not only necessary, but also a critical step urgently needed to create a legal system where survivors are heard, treated with dignity, and protected from further harm.”