By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Atlantic County announced that a new law went into effect last week, establishing tougher penalties to combat a rise in residential burglaries across the State.
Effective immediately, the newly enacted crime of Home Invasion Burglary is a first-degree felony and carries a potential sentence of 10-20 years in prison, officials say.
A Home Invasion Burglary occurs when an offender enters a residence to commit a crime while armed with a deadly weapon or inflicts bodily injury upon an occupant.
According to Atlantic County officials, the newly enacted crime of Residential Burglary is a second-degree felony and carries a potential sentence of 5-10 years in prison. A Residential Burglary occurs when the offender enters a residence with the purpose of committing a crime. Both are subject to the No Early Release Act, meaning the offender must serve 85% of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
This bipartisan legislation, signed into law by Governor Murphy, was designed to create separate classifications of the crime of burglary for the purpose of enhancing the sentence of those offenders who commit residential burglaries, County officials stated.
Prior to this new law, officials said there was no legal distinction between burglary of an unoccupied vehicle and a residence. Now that has changed, and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office intends to utilize these new statutes to aggressively prosecute those offenders who break into homes in our County.
“As a career prosecutor, I have always believed that the punishment for a residential burglary should be significantly greater,” said Chief Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Robinson.
“These violent crimes are terrifying for victims and leave long-lasting physical and emotional wounds. Our home is a sacred place where we all deserve to feel safe and secure. These enhanced statutes will now give front-line prosecutors the ability to seek lengthy prison sentences for any offender who violates the sanctity of a victim’s residence,” said Robinson.
This legislation was signed into law the same week Det. Sgt. Monica Mosley of the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office was tragically shot and killed in her house during a home invasion, Atlantic County authorities said.