My name is Justin Embrey. For the past two years, I have been entangled in an ongoing battle with the New Jersey court system. Caught in an unending cycle of appearances and delays, my legal case has seemingly been doomed to a state of perpetual stasis, as I remain on pretrial release with no resolve in sight.

Under the current New Jersey court system, there is no statute of limitations stipulating a maximum duration for cases involving individuals on pretrial release. For incarcerated citizens the time limit for Speedy Trial is 2 years but for people on release this does not apply. This legal gray area allows the system to extend an innocent individual's pretrial period indefinitely—an experience I can attest to firsthand. This absence of a time limit not only negates our right to a speedy trial, as outlined in the Sixth Amendment but it also restricts our ability to move forward and rebuild our lives.

The consequences of prolonged pretrial detention are severe, affecting our rights, freedoms, and often, our mental health. Delayed justice is in fact an injustice itself. The National Institute of Justice states that prolonged pretrial detention can have negative societal effects, including loss of employment, financial instability, increased recidivism rates, and the breakdown of families (NIJ, 2017).

The time has come for New Jersey to follow in the footsteps of states like New York, where a cap on pretrial detention period was implemented in 2020, fostering greater fairness within the legal system. It's high time New Jersey pass legislation to equally safeguard the rights of those on pretrial release and to help ensure the justice system remains a place for fair treatment and timely justice.

Put an end to this oppressive extension of pretrial releases. Join me, today, in demanding that the New Jersey State Legislature establish a time limit for pretrial release cases, ensuring a fair and swift process for All.

Sign this petition to bring about this much-needed change for justice in New Jersey.